And so it started. The expectations. And the frustrations. Life revolves around a bunch of expectations. When we go to sleep, we expect to wake up. Sometimes it happens :) Start to drive to work expecting to arrive in 30 minutes. Many times this doesn't. We set our expectations around the norm. that limits the frustrations.
We can wake up at any time that works for us. But someone in the household builds an expectation on "your" wake up time. What happens next? Lets say your teenager expects you to wake up at 7 AM on a weekend for a pancake breakfast. And you wake up at 8. And ask your teenager to eat hot cereal instead. What happens?
Your teenager's expectations is not met. That builds frustrations in him. You, on the other hand, didn't know he had that expectation on a pancake breakfast. So keep doing what you usually do. This frustrated disappointed son just does not want to eat the cereal and throws a tantrum. You lose your cool. And the weekend begins.
If you and your son discussed the plan for breakfast the night before, you would have had a blissful weekend and a happy teenager this weekend. You didn't. So is it only you who needs to learn a lesson of asking before preparing breakfast lesson? Or your son needs to ask for what he wants before? May be you both didn't even discuss to communicate what you both had about breakfast in mind.
So what do you think would have made this day better? Communications. Communication as a mother and child. Communication within the family. We all live and work in today's world that exist as much connected and as much in silos. Thanks to technology. With all the social media, TV, cell phone, laptops and ipads blinking and glaring in a living room, communicating effectively and clearly with each other about the plans to tomorrow sets the expectations right. Keeps the frustrations at bay.
We can wake up at any time that works for us. But someone in the household builds an expectation on "your" wake up time. What happens next? Lets say your teenager expects you to wake up at 7 AM on a weekend for a pancake breakfast. And you wake up at 8. And ask your teenager to eat hot cereal instead. What happens?
Your teenager's expectations is not met. That builds frustrations in him. You, on the other hand, didn't know he had that expectation on a pancake breakfast. So keep doing what you usually do. This frustrated disappointed son just does not want to eat the cereal and throws a tantrum. You lose your cool. And the weekend begins.
If you and your son discussed the plan for breakfast the night before, you would have had a blissful weekend and a happy teenager this weekend. You didn't. So is it only you who needs to learn a lesson of asking before preparing breakfast lesson? Or your son needs to ask for what he wants before? May be you both didn't even discuss to communicate what you both had about breakfast in mind.
So what do you think would have made this day better? Communications. Communication as a mother and child. Communication within the family. We all live and work in today's world that exist as much connected and as much in silos. Thanks to technology. With all the social media, TV, cell phone, laptops and ipads blinking and glaring in a living room, communicating effectively and clearly with each other about the plans to tomorrow sets the expectations right. Keeps the frustrations at bay.
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