Answer:
No, I don't think its harmful to tell children this
Step-by-step explanation:
I don't see this as a harmful thing to tell children because they CAN be whatever they want when they grow up, just so long as it is what they desire and work to achieve that thing. When you tell your kids this, you don't JUST tell them "Oh honey, you can be whatever you want to be whenever you grow up" you also have to include the road to getting there, like doing good in school, maybe going to college to achieve that, studying hard, and making sure that THIS is what they really want to do and not something to just throw away. Also keep in mind, when you tell your kids this, they're going to instantly think of something big, to keep them from overly idealizing this, you have to make it clear to them that not all things they can think of is able to be reached just like that, there will be a time for trial and error, you have to make sure they know and you (the parent) knows your child's goal is something they know they can achieve and you know they can achieve. When the child has picked the thing, and they're certain, your job as the parent is to support your child through their journey to success. A child has a wild imagination, so they might think of something wild, like president, or an astronaut, or even an evil scientist, your job is to make sure that what they want to be is reasonable and not something far out. When supporting your child to achieving their dream, you have to treat them like a freshly planted seed, you have to nurture them, take care of them everyday through their growing process, watch them grow stronger and closer to their goal, and the final step, finally reaching their goal and letting them go, this is the hardest thing for parents to do for their kids, letting them go, so both you (the parent) and the kid have to come together and both let go. Every dream can be achieved if the work and sacrifices are made to get to that dream, just work hard and you can get there.