he wants to be an artist

On Tuesday, as Jem and I were heading into the playroom, he said, "Maybe I'll be an artist when I grow up Mommy." I replied by telling him that sounded like a great idea and we continued on with our play.
However...inside I was not all about the artist thing. It was like some old woman had risen up in me shouting all sorts of things like:
~that's a hobby, not a career

~you'd better have a back-up plan

~I hope you don't think you're living here when you're in your thirties

~wouldn't you like to be something steady and dependable, like an accountant

~hippie!

Thankfully, I was able to wrangle the old gal and keep quiet. Yes, I know the practical difficulties of being an artist. There are a lot of career paths out there that come with difficulty and don't really lend themselves to finding steady employment. But I also know that there are a lot of years between now and the time when Jem needs to worry about supporting himself. A lot of years before he will decide a career path. So the logical, pessimistic arguments can wait. For now, I can let my boy dream.