“Don’t get your hopes up”
may be a way of teaching kids
to manage their expectations,
to be realistic,
but it seems to be
more about the parent not wanting
to work through
the disappointment a child feels
when something doesn’t go the way they wanted.
Dealing with disappointment is a life skill.
Having high hopes
(and learning to put a plan in place for those hopes
to become realized)
is something to be cultivated.
Next time you’re tempted to
tamp down
someone’s hopes and dreams,
don’t.