Conflicts Can Be the Result of Your Expectations
Just about everyone has expectations of what they want for themselves and for those around them. This includes parents having expectations for their children. But, can these expectations be so high that they start to cause conflicts within your family? YES!
Common expectations are natural for everyone and includes things like wondering what your day will be like, or what the future will bring. While it is great to have expectations they can also cause trouble or unhappiness. This unhappiness often gets put onto the other people in your life.
Parental Expectations
Parents are often guilty of this. They may not have achieved one of their expectations at school and put this onto their children. Without thinking they often exert pressure on the child to excel in this particular area. This ends up causing conflicts, especially if it is not an area that the child enjoys.
It is important for everyone not to let their expectations get out of hand, as this can cause real problems. While many expectations are based on reality there are those that are based on our fantasies and dreams. Unfortunately these are the ones that often cause conflicts between family members.
Communications is Key
It always seems as though most people have more dreams and desires than anything else. Everyone goes around hoping that these things will come true by themselves. This even spills over into relationships, one person is fantasizing about the relationship and never communicates their dreams to the other person. The other person does not know what is expected of them, so they end up dealing with nothing but conflicts and the relationship goes nowhere. As with any type of conflict communication is the key to resolving them.
Goals Vs. Expectations
A better approach to the idea of expectations may be to set realistic goals instead. While it never hurts to dream, ensure that your dreams are achievable. By turning expectations into goals you can help avoid conflicts.
This can be done in a family setting by having a family conference where everyone is allowed to discuss their expectations. This can be whittled down to an expectation or goal that is family orientated. Everyone will benefit and this encourages all family members to work towards this goal, without ever having to worry about conflicts.