Unrealistic Expectations Parents Have For Children

Children mess up and parents need to get used to that. They will like, will be sneaky, and will have moments when they will not listen to parents. You will also see them doing anything they can to make you mad.

The problem is parents tend to also make mistakes. They will also mess up and will react very badly to several small things.

At the end of the day, the parent just wants the child to have a very good life. To do this though, they should always be careful with what they expect. So, let’s take a look at some unrealistic expectations you should not have for your child.

Always Staying In The Best Possible Mood

Picture this! You come home from a very long day at work and your children are in a very bad mood. Unfortunately, many parents react very badly to this as they expect their kids to always be in a jolly mood.

What we should all understand is that children can also have bad days. And sometimes they are the exact same bad days we have. Kids do experience different things throughout the day and not all of them will be good. All parents have to accept that.

However, when the child is never in a good mood and just seems to be in a very bad mood, the story is different.

Being Perfect When In School

Parents want children to do well in school, study hard, and then simply breeze through everything. However, this is only the case in TV shows. Reality is rarely like this. In fact, it is our job as parents to guide our kids through school. Punishing them if they have a hard time when learning something is the worst thing you could do.

Think about how you are at work. Are you perfect? Do you do everything right? Most likely, your boss does not expect you to be perfect. So, why do you expect your kids to be perfect at school?

Expecting Children To Never Mess Up

For most parents, it is very frustrating when children mess up. Sometimes they drop a dish, they slam a door, or they do something bigger. Maybe they do something huge, like they cause an accident. Well, parents mess up too.

So many parents make the huge mistake of holding kids to a very high life standard that simply cannot be maintained by them.

Every single person in the world messes up from time to time. So, why shouldn’t children also mess up? This is just a part of being human. And your children are humans.

Expecting Children To Be Grateful For What They Have

Since parents give children a lot, there is this assumption that they should always be grateful. However, being a parent should always mean putting the needs of the child before their own. Offering only scraps is never a good idea.

Remember that the fact simply staying in a room with your child does not mean you spend time with them. This is particularly the case when you are only using your smartphone or watching TV. Children should not be grateful of the fact that parents are present in the room. Attention is also needed. Always give the child as much as possible, not what you think you can spare.

Expecting Children To Ignore How Parents Treat Each Other

The one thing that should always be remembered about children is that they pick up everything that happens around them. This includes heated arguments between parents, those conversations we always think are private but are not.

The way in which parents treat each other drastically influence the way in which children grow. Talking down on one another will be picked up, just like belittling and criticizing.

Remember the fact that all children will learn how they should treat others by initially watching us. So try to control your emotions and do not say things that will affect children.

Expecting To Get Away With Everything

When children are young, they try to get away with various different things. And when parents catch kids, they usually yell. This can happen every single day and when yelling keeps happening for a long time, you can actually expect your kids to do the same thing back. It is completely unrealistic to think this will not happen.

Always remember how it was when you were young. There are definitely some things that should be punished. However, others are not much and are simply minor. When issues are minor, you have to act as a parent and focus on the life lesson.

Expecting Your Children To Always Forgive You

So many parents treat children poorly and then expect complete forgiveness. Your kids will have a very high tolerance for the parent’s issues. But, limits always exist.

Some situations can be pretty rough. There are cases in which parents split up or get a divorce. Money issues can come out of the blue and everyday life can quickly become incredibly stressful. Basically, there are so many things that cannot be controlled. You just need to make the best you can out of all bad situations. The worst thing you could do would be to take it out on the kids. If this happens, it is not the children that should be affected.

Expecting Children To Always Do What Parents Say Instead Of What They Do

There is this belief that children should always do what their parents say but close their eyes when it comes to copying behaviors. Always remember that actions will speak a lot louder than words if you are a parent. You need to always lead by example.

Children should always be children, not robots. They will surely make mistakes. The job of the parent is to offer guidance. When there are situations that require discipline, you need to do what you have to do. However, you cannot expect the child to simply do everything you say, especially when your actions are the exact opposite. Can you tell the kid not to shout when this is the only thing you do when you talk to them?

Remember that patience and love are never conditional.