What are expectations?

Expectations are what we think will happen next.

Imagine you're waiting for your favorite snack after school. You know that if you do your homework quickly, Mom or Dad will give you a cookie. That cookie is like an expectation, it's something you believe will happen because of something you did.

When you put your toys away neatly before dinner, you might get extra playtime. You expect that reward because you already know the rule: tidy up = fun later.

Sometimes things don't go as planned. If it rains on the day of the school picnic, your expectation of eating outside changes to eating inside, but that's okay! It's just a new kind of fun.

Expectations help us feel ready for what comes next, like knowing your backpack will be full of snacks when you get home from school. They're not magic, just things we learn and remember.