Activity: Flipping Expectations
- REEL Admin
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Hard Things Are Easy and the Easy Things Are Hard
Many 2e children experience a mismatch between what the world expects them to be able to do and what actually comes easily.
A child may struggle with “easy” tasks like tying shoes or organizing a backpack, while soaring in “hard” areas like mental math or storytelling.
This reversal can lead to frustration, misunderstanding, and burnout—for kids and caregivers alike.
Activity: Flipping Expectations
Use the chart below to reflect on your child, student, or someone you support:
"Hard" Things That Are Easy | "Easy" Things That Are Hard |
After filling it out, take a moment to reflect on how much time and energy you focus on the “easy” things that are hard vs the “hard” things that are easy.
Too often, parents and educators spend most of their energy trying to "fix" what isn't working.
What if instead we:
Scaffolded “easy” tasks instead of forcing readiness and let go of timelines that don’t fit our kids? Rather than expecting kids to meet typical timelines for everyday tasks, we offer support that meets them where they are. Using checklists, modeling, or tools that align with their strengths (like visual cues for visual thinkers), we honor their unique pace. A neuro-affirming, strength-based approach reminds us that independence grows through support, not pressure.
Focused more time and energy nurturing strengths? It is critical for parents and educators to take the time to understand what lights a child up and sustains them, and then to provide each child with opportunities to spend time in those spaces every day. Making sure kids know what they’re great at, and giving them time to do it and share it builds their self-efficacy and self-confidence. Not only does it give them time to hone and improve themselves, doing something they enjoy makes them feel good. Research shows that these types of positive experiences help build a wellspring of inner resources that an individual can draw upon throughout their lives, as well as improves their ability to attend to executive function, emotional regulation, and social attention in the here and now.
Print out a pdf chart to fill out:
