What Do You Expect?!

This week in second grade I learned a very important quality for a teacher. Expectation.
As my nature is, when a student needs help with something or has mistakingly lost a pencil or forgotten a library book, my attitude is "don't worry about it, here use my pencil." Well, apparently niceness doesn't really work in a classroom. Well, it can if you want to raise up a generation of adults that think everyone is going to pat them on the head when they shirk on their responsiblities. Hello. I think we have a generation like that already.
So my supervising teacher shows no mercy. If the kids have not done what she expects of them, they hear about it. "My parents didn't sign my reading log." "Well, who is responsible for that? You or your parents?" Sulk. "I forgot my library book in the car." "Well you can't just expect your mom to leave work to bring you your book that you forgot." Sulk.
The expectations are set. I will teach you and you will do what I've asked you to do so that you can learn. Life lessons.
Now I apply that to my life and my parenting. Expectations. I have expectations for my children, but have I made them clear? Perhaps not.
Now, I apply it to my marriage. I have expectations for my marriage, but have I made them clear to my spouse? Perhaps not.
Now, I apply it to myself. I have expectations for myself, but have I made them clear to myself? Not really. We don't talk much lately.
Am I the only one learning anything from this? Heavenly Father spells out His expectations for us in the scriptures. It is a fantastic model for life. The consequences come when we don't attempt to meet those expectations. Lofty goals? Maybe. But the rewards are fantastic: Self reliance, eternal life, knowledge and spiritual strength.
So now I must set myself to task and ask myself what I expect from myself and others in life and then proceed to expect nothing less. Show no mercy? Not quite. Just make the rules clear and the consequences sure.