Do you know those Instagram photos that are supposed to show ‘expectation vs. reality,’ but are blatantly staged in both cases? Well, while the “reality” side of those snaps might not be altogether realistic, they do teach us a thing or two about the pressures we put on ourselves. In that sense, the ‘expectation vs reality’ mindset can apply to everything, from your career achievements through to your meditation practice, or even your family life.
We’re going to concentrate on the latter point today since let’s face it, family life hasn’t lived up to our aspirations in the previous year. And, as bizarre as it may have been, this lifestyle change has demonstrated the dangers of having unrealistic expectations.
The reality of being imprisoned in the house together for over a year has taught us all a few things. It hasn’t always been easy (hello, homeschooling tantrums, and sibling squabbles), but it has been a revelation in accepting family life in all of its aspects.
We’ll look at how you can keep those facts in mind as we move forward to avoid expectations creeping back in once we’re back into the swing of things.
Accept flaws as they are.
Is there anything more difficult than accepting flaws? After all, social media gives the impression that everyone else’s life is flawless. But, let’s be honest for a moment: our lives aren’t ideal, and they shouldn’t be either. In fact, if you learn to respect where you are, you’ll find that even flaws may be beautiful. A cluttered kitchen indicates a satisfying supper, while a strewn living room indicates that your children have had a fantastic time. Stop resisting it, and you could find yourself feeling a lot more at ease as a consequence.
Meet the kids where they’re at
We all know that heaping our expectations on our children is a poor idea, but so many of us do it nevertheless. Excessive expectations, particularly in our homeschooling adventures this past year, have resulted in stopping lessons that are nowhere near where our children are in their educations, leaving them unable to grow. Instead, we must meet our children where they are, educationally and otherwise, with tools like Age of Learning, which deliver lessons based on their actual skills rather than our expectations for where they should be. This results in happier children and a family dynamic that we can all support.
Keep in mind that tomorrow is another day.
When we have high expectations for each day, it’s easy to become irritated and upset when things don’t go as planned. But the fact is that today, like tomorrow, is simply a day. If things don’t go as planned, put it behind you and look forward to the new prospects and realities that tomorrow will bring. Nothing should be out of reach with that approach, even if your expectations indicate otherwise.
