What are expectations? In public school districts, the expectation can be found in curriculum. In a classroom, the expectations are communicated by the teacher verbally and nonverbally. Students may have expectations of what they will gain from their own school experience. Parents have expectations for their children. They might expect certain behavior at the dinner table or in public. Their expectation might be that their children do not conform to expectations. In which the child tries to conform to the parents expectation of nonconformity. It is complicated.
I believe that expectations have their place. I expect my children to find things they are passionate about and work hard at achieving in those areas, even when they aren’t so excited about the immediate tasks they need to do to get there. I expect them to THINK critically about what they are learning and how they can use that information in real life. I expect that they ask questions… many good questions… and learn from their failures.
I am sure my children have expectations of me just as I do them. They probably expect me to take care of the needs they cannot take care of themselves. They expect me to know the answers and are amazed when I do not have them. Most importantly, they expect me to accept them for who they are and never say words which are hurtful and rejecting to them. They expect to be loved.