# Is it correct usage it speak of "expectations "for one's children" or "of one's children"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980 "2016-01-02T06:27:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/1 "2016-01-02T06:27:07Z")
Hi Parents want their children to succeed in life. So do they have 1. great expectations “for their children” or 2. “of their children”? I would use 2. “have expectations of”(desired result).1. (have expectations for(forecast) seems odd. I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/2 "2016-01-02T07:49:30Z")
I did a quick check of the Corpus of Contemporary American English, and the distinction you indicate seems more or less right to me. You can use either, but there’s a difference, so it’s up to you. If you have _expectations for_ your children, it means you anticipate good things for them. If you have _expectations of_ your children, it means you are placing some degree of responsibility on them to effect a good outcome on their own lives. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/3 "2016-01-02T07:52:39Z")
Agree, but I would use “for” regardless of the nuance of meaning. There is a small but real chance that “of” will be understood to mean “what each child expects.” ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/4 "2016-01-02T14:16:23Z")
**Guizot** is correct: ‘for’ is the correct usage in this case. By contrast, you have an expectation **of** your child that they will look after you in your dotage. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/5 "2016-01-03T20:39:32Z")
Which I would use would be dependent on whether I expect the outcomes to be contingent on the children’s actions. Good things will simply happen to them as an inevitability = for. Good things will happen as a result of their efforts = of. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/6 "2016-01-04T01:42:33Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > **Guizot** is correct: ‘for’ is the correct usage in this case. By contrast, you have an expectation **of** your child that they will look after you in your dotage. This would be more takeaway - Expectations OF is in relation to me (i.e I expect them to do some good thing for me) Expectations FOR is in relation to themselves ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-correct-usage-it-speak-of-expectations-for-ones-children-or-of-ones-children/741980/7 "2016-01-06T13:56:51Z")
Thank you all. Very helpful.