I know kids grow up fast.  But is this TOO fast?  And have parents lost their minds?  Or is this level of planning a good thing?

A new survey asked 2,000 parents what the ideal age is for their kids to start preparing for their future career.  And the average answer was FIVE-AND-A-HALF years old.

56% of parents in the survey said they already have a career in mind for their kid.  And 75% hope they end up in one of five fields . . . science, technology, engineering, the arts, or mathematics.

Here are four more stats from the survey . . .

1.  The top job skills we want our kids to learn as soon as possible are:  written and oral communication . . . computer literacy . . . mathematics . . . money management . . . and a foreign language.

2.  The average kid will be better at technology than their parents by age EIGHT.  45% of parents in the survey said it’s already true.

3.  85% want their kids to learn how to code, and think they should start by age seven.

4.  On average, parents said 42% of a child’s playtime shouldn’t JUST be about having fun.  It should be dedicated to educational activities that help them learn.

(SWNS)