Your expectations

[stopthinkingsomuch]

Hi all,

I'm just curious what everyone else expects of their children.

Sometimes I think I'm fairly slack with what I expect then other times I think I'm pretty pushy. I wonder what others generally expect of their kids and if you recall having specific reality checks. If you are teachers are they certain behaviors etc you expect of certain age groups?

What an interesting thread topic. Why not kick it off with what YOU expect? Oh and what age are we talking about?

I have always had high expectations of my DC.

But having just re-read The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, I know I am but an amateur.

I expect from my children-

Basic courtesy at all times to everyone. Including their peers.

To do their best most of the time.

To approach everything, particularly anything new, with a positive attitude. Slag it off afterwards, when you know what you're talking about, not before , when you'll just look like a prat.

As far as possibly, not to let other people persuade them to do things or behave in ways that they wouldn't otherwise.

To be kind.

I have very high expectations of my dc, why not? if i don't and they don't who will?

Always be polite and think about the feelings of others
Always try your best, i have no problem in telling my dc if they have not tried hard enough but at the same time i praise good effort highly,even if the outcome is not acheived,if they have put maximum effort in then that is the main thing.
We find the praising effort approach helps a great deal with dd2's giftedness and makes her realise she still has to try hard and stops her from becoming complacent.

Much like Seeker's, really. But I think a lot of expectation setting is to do with being a role model - its no use telling them you expect them to be polite, unless you are polite yourself (including to them!) etc etc

I also want them to be human, accept imperfections in themselves and others, and generally not be too neurotic

I expect that I will give them the right tools to find their own way. I have low expectations I suppose. They are very young still, 6 and 5.

I don't expect my children to always do their best, I expect them and want them to enjoy themselves, whatever they do. I encourage them to have fun, play and laugh, make friends. They do drama and football, I don't expect anything out of it, except having fun, fresh air, stimulation, encourage creativity.

I always tell them to 'play hard' at school and try to have fun whatever they do.

I do homework with them, read, and hopefully have created a learning environment, we do lots of maths, and they are both achieving well at school, but when I have parents' meetings I ask the teachers if my children are happy at school, I don't care which boxes they tick.