When you expect something, it’s like waiting for a surprise you think will happen. Imagine you are waiting for a birthday party. You know it’s coming, and you feel excited because you believe there will be cake and balloons. That’s what it means to expect. You are thinking about something that you believe will happen soon.
Another way to understand expect is like planting a seed in the garden. You water it and give it sunshine because you believe it will grow into a beautiful flower. You don’t see the flower yet, but you think it will come because you’re caring for it. Expecting is like hoping and believing in something good.
Expecting can also be like when you have a favorite storybook. You know what happens when you turn the page because you’ve read it before. You expect the story to be the same because it’s familiar to you. Expecting is when you think you know what will happen next based on what you already know.