Have you actually asked him what he is interested in doing?

Yes, and the response we usually get is that he wants to program video games.

You may laugh and say that's like every kid's dream of being an astronaut or a fireman, but that's his answer, and his mental abilities seem to match what I assume or understand to be required of a game developer. He knows games very well and thinks very logically.

Why do you need to put him into anything? Why can't you just let him decide for himself? Maybe I'm misreading, but it really sounds to me like you are pushing the kid to do what you want him to do, rather than let him choose his own way in life.

Well, left to his own devices, he'd sit in his room watching TV, playing video games, chatting on IRC and letting the dirty dishes pile up. My responsibility as a parent is, if necessary, guide him into training for some kind of career. If that's pushing, OK, yeah, then I'm pushing.

I'm also in my forties, and think I know what I do when I'm grown up .. but in the meantime, software development is a fun gig.

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