The Expectation Gap

Most parenting frustration comes from a single source: expecting behavior that is developmentally impossible. Asking a two-year-old to share is like asking a cat to fetch. The hardware is not installed yet.

When parents mistake developmental limitations for disobedience, they punish children for being children. This creates a toxic cycle: impossible expectation, inevitable failure, punishment, shame, worse behavior. Knowing what is normal at each age breaks this cycle at its root.