Great Expectations! |

There’s sometimes a moment right before your little one is about to misbehave, when the two of you lock eyes with each other. So much is said in those few seconds without a single word spoken out loud! That [cute] little bugger knows exactly what you want him to do, but is he going to do it? If he doesn’t, what are you going to do about it? Whatever he’s thinking in that moment, you’re most likely using it to contemplate your options if he chooses not to listen!

Mom Son Standoff

I challenge you to notice when you are in that moment and think about your expectations. What do you think your child will do? If you are expecting a poor outcome, then try to re-frame your thinking in order to expect a more positive ending!

I plan to try this with my 6-year-old who has been having major meltdowns lately any time I ask him to stop playing and do something. I’m guessing the hardest part will be actually believing in a positive resolution… given our recent track record! Sometimes it helps if I approach the situation differently, because then I’m able to envision a different, more positive outcome!

Given the name of this post, I couldn’t resist sharing video links for a trailer of the recent BBC adaptation of the Classic Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, a trailer for the 1998 Great Expectations film interpretation with Ethan Hawke and Gwenyth Paltrow that I love, AND a pretty good song by New Jersey band Gaslight Anthem called Great Expectations!