Career aspirations developed in childhood may impact on future career development in adolescence and adulthood. Family is an important context in which children develop their career aspirations. This study examined how parents influence children's career aspirations in mainland China from both the parents' and children's perspectives. Eight fifth-grade Chinese children and their biological parents participated in a qualitative study that employed interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified: responding positively to children's interests, emphasising education, and conveying career values. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.