Who taught these “middle class” and upper middle class kids, that everything but professional work is below them? It causes a catch-22. They don’t want to follow the indoor cubicle nerd job and are losers to themselves, their families and all the castes above them if they take any non-degree alternative, some of which people actually can or could learn to thrive with when the judgemental pecking order memes are taken out. Immigrants and even some natives do it all the time. What college educated white collar professional does not look down on their mechanic or handyman or even a police officer or nurse? What college educated white collar mom and dad does not do the same? How do you judge your kids leanings? How does the education system and society at large judge these things? We are always supposed to go forward through the generations never back.
I have a boy who goes outside much less than the his brothers. He is the least personable. He read at middle school to high school level in the first weeks of the second grade. His brothers are antsy and physical and also very intelligent. They are very curious, read a lot and are doing better with second language acquistion(which is also not much valued). Still, status quot middle class careers might not come easy to them. Too me the antsy and physical and other positive traits are characteristics that are as important as the intelligence. I won’t let them waste their lives and bodies putting undue emphasis on sports, but their leanings toward being physical may get them some direction other than a cliche middle class example of “success”. I will also tell them the downside to being locked into a demanding career vs. responsibly living without one.
People who can’t see that middle class kids and upper middle class kids get disadvantaged by these preconditions and prejudices are not looking. It could have been your “loser” brother or sister.