16 to 18 years

Your child is slowly growing up. Peer friends, the clique and like-minded people become more important and displace parents from their place. Cause for concern? No! Even if you feel your influence is waning: Parents remain important relationship figures. As a mother and father, you give your children secure support within the family during this important phase of identity formation.

For the future path of life, it is now time to deal intensively with the choice of education and career. Because with the approaching graduation important decisions stand already soon. After graduating from secondary school, high school or technical college, will dual vocational training be an option, or should school-based training be the next step? Are there good career prospects even without a school leaving certificate?

Answers must also be found to the following questions: What degrees are required for the dream job? Which field of study best suits personal strengths and talents? What does a promising application look like? It is not always easy to find one's way through the jungle of career choices. School leavers in NRW can take advantage of many offers of orientation. Here on the Familienportal.NRW you will find helpful information and links for online research on paths and opportunities for the time after school.

The bigger the children become, the better the conditions for returning to work after a long family phase. Do you have some questions to clarify? There are numerous counseling services for you. Feel free to take advantage of the support services for a successful return to work. You can find out more about this in the Work & Family section.