It would be easier to talk to you about it rather than explain on here. However, as Mike said, they have to have a curiosity about the world, how everything works and have a good spatial awareness to be able to see how things fit together. In many ways it's a a lifestyle choice that doesn't pay well in proportion to the stress and responsibility carried.
There were 54 people in our first year at Dundee University, there were only 9 of us that qualified after 5 years of study and 2 years of 'on the job' training after the RIBA Part 3 exams.... it wheedles out those who can't do it. Hving said that many left after the first 3 year degree to do other things, so it is a good degree to have as a spring board for life.
I have spent most of my working life designing and getting affordable housing built- it isn't high end architecture because the people we work with have to make every penny count, but that is a rewarding challenge in itself. Rich clients get extravagant buildings but I don't like working for them, it can get extravagant and wasteful- Grand Designs exhibits some of the excesses of the worst client types. Sometimes though you do have to cope with whoever or whatever comes your way.
There's nothing better than designing a building and understand how every part fits together, working with a trusted builder who cares and then handing a building over to a happy client. More fees would be nice but there's a lot of competition to get work in construction and not just from other architects.
The work can be demanding on their time and family and they'll need a practical side to be able to put different materials and componenets together to keep the rain out, prevent heat loss in winter and overheating in summer so that buildings function and everything works; ie detailing wall, roof and window junctions, designing heating systems, plumbing, drainage, specification of materials... any mistakes they make or things they miss or forget to do which cause any building to fail due to their design is their responsibility for up to 15 years in law.... far in excess of other jobs which have limited guarantees or liabilities.
As a result of all these liabilities we have to have professional indemnity insurance to protect us from certain malicious business people who have no qualms about trying to get something for nothing, and the blame culture that pervades the business world means the architect is an easy target. Having said that I've only had one bad client and one bad builder- both on the same job- so I've only had one PI claim in 34 years of practice. They'll have to be capable of keeping meticulous records and thinking around issues to ensure every aspect of what they're doing day to day is recorded and double checked as issues can be raised years after they've done something.
You have to like people and be a good communicator, be patient, love thinking in 3 dimensions and be constantly drawing things and ideas out in 3D on paper. Computer skills and building modelling on computers can be learned and are an essential element now so if your children don't like keying in stats and specifications into computers they won't like the job day in day out. However designing and imagining requires an innate love of drawing which they have to have and can't really be learned.
Other similar jobs would be Product Design or Engineering which tend to be faster turn-around projects with less 'juggling'! Would I do it again given another life, yup, but then I've not had to take on 5 years student loans @ £3300/pa to support myself and pay 5 years fees @ £9000/pa. You will need to help them to support themselves through it all.
Going to an EU School of Architecture rather than a British one would mean much lower fees or they may qualify for bursaries or funding grants or they could look at sponsorship deals.
Found this with the info on degree course etc 
