Psychologist verdict was “Lukas cannot be better than his 2 oldest sisters at school, so he is better with stupid things. It would be good to find an activity where he can be better than his sisters”.
Lukas was also punished at school and had to help in the kitchen. Surprisingly he enjoyed it and the persons in the kitchen were happy to have him. We were also enjoying quite a lot cooking together during weekends.
We introduced him with my wife to the chef of a restaurant we were used to go. The chef accepted to take Lukas to help during weekends. The behavior of Lukas in the restaurant was opposite to the one at school. He was listening, polite, respectfully. He was copying recipes on a notepad and the chef saw Lukas polishing the cover of his note pad (the books he had at school were either destroyed or lost…). Luc was joyful and the people around happy about him : it was a revelation for Lukas. We decided to follow the track of “his taste for cooking”.
After 1 year the chef told us that Lukas should learn patisserie and recommended to ask “Wittamer” a famous pastry shop in Brussels. “Wittamer” is preparing pastries for the Belgium king… It seems for me unachievable, but the next day we went to the shop. The chef accepted to come and listened Luka’s request. He told me ”I never seen a young boy so passionate, I cannot say no. If you have an insurance, he can come whenever he wants”? We did not have any insurance and I had no idea how to get one for a boy of 12 years old to do training period. The day after when coming back home, I saw Lukas filling a form. It was an insurance form he asked the school director for… A month after the school director got a cake Lukas baked at “Wittamer”…
He did training periods in 2 other restaurants in Brussels and started early every mornings. One “Comme Chez Soi” 2 stars Michelin got the visit of the Belgium national TV to make a film: Lukas was on it!
One day coming from vacation in the South of France, we decided to stop to the “Institut Paul Bocuse” in Lyon. It was November 1st, days of holiday. The probability that the school would be opened was low, but it was “on the way” so why not to try. The secretary was there and told Lukas that he could try to send an email. The same evening Luc sent an email to the school. Not sure that there was a single word without a spelling mistake… He received an agreement for 1 week training period the “Institut Paul Bocuse”. He preferred the training period than the week of sky holidays the week after. “I will study in this school” he said. 5 years after he was accepted (they are recruiting based on passion, not diploma) at the school.
He is now chef in the cantina of the school “Institut Paul Bocuse” transmitting his passion to next students.
Rational method used : “Input - Advice from an external professional - try a new door – confirmation by the facts” and start the cycle again
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“Fortuitously Input” was coming first from the teacher : it was a first alarm but I did not act. The second input was generated by the big stupid thing done by my son. The school director suggested visiting a psychologist with my soon. It was not my idea at all but…we tried it.
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“surprisingly” for me, the diagnostic of the psychologist (external professional on this matter) resonated and was logical for me. We “tried the door” of asking in a restaurant if they would accept my son as a “trainee”: it was the confirmation that we were going on the correct direction.
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My son was very happy in the first restaurant and a new door opened to him in another restaurant. An attractor I had was “the second restaurant is too prestigious…. let’s continue in the first one, it will be easiest also from insurance / legal point of view”.
Fortunately, the chef of the first restaurant and Lukas were convinced that it will work. My son knew that it would work, he took his destiny in his hands, his desire was clearer for him. We tried, Lukas was accepted, he found himself the solution for the insurance and legal aspect. I did not have to do everything for him. Help came from other people, from outside. We decided with my wife to be guided by the desire of our son.
Continuing pushing doors with confirmation by the facts opened in Lukas a passion of cooking. Passion is a big engine for the person to overpass obstacles.