What with parents and children spending days in self-isolation together, patience is needed more then ever.
“There are eggs all over the kitchen floor!”
“My daughter is out late again.”
“My toddler will not listen to me!”
Patience is the key to parenting but it is easy to lose it in the midst of a household drama. Anger is apt to rise when your children meet you with outright defiance or haughtiness. Anger and impatience will impair your thought process and likely lead to you making regrettable choices.
When your heart clenches up and you feel a frown coming, try these methods to calm yourself down and meet the problem with patience.
- Walk away. This may seem like the wrong thing to do when the kitchen floor is covered in eggs and your child is happily cracking more but giving yourself time to accept the situation also gives you time to prepare mentally for the clean up. You can quietly remove your child without gasps, facial expressions, or gestures that might frighten your child.
- Breath. Arguments can quickly get out of hand between you and your child, since children, mostly teens, often feel the need to be defensive when questioned about recent breaking of the rules or misbehavior. Taking ten deep breathes will give you the space to calm down. Instead of interrogating your child, try discussing the problem instead without offensive and defensive sides to the conversation. If things begin to mount toward frustration again, take more deep breathes.
- Give yourself time to think. Your child might be refusing to pick up his toys but why is he refusing? Maybe he feels you are being pushy and his natural reaction is one of refusal. Or maybe your face is unconsciously aggressive. Whatever it is, identify the issue and change your approach accordingly. Perhaps help your child pick up the toys and suggest something else to do after the task is done, like make that special dinner for daddy you wanted the floor cleaned up for in the first place. Children love to be engaged and included.
The next time you feel your patience ebbing away, take a moment to either regain or retain it.
Happy Parenting!
Thank you so much for this beautiful post.💜
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I wish my father had done all these things. I was a bit of a brat as a teenager, but a more patient and loving parent might have gotten a completely different response from me… and maybe we would still be talking if that had happened. Great post!
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Patience, or lack of it, affects us in so many different ways. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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I have no children thus I cannot even imagine how complicated must be to parents to keep children busy and calm at home during these difficult time. I am sure lots of parents will find your post very useful. Sending you love.
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Thank you!
Stay safe. 🙂
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It is really great and very encouraging post!
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I don’t have kids, but these are good tips for frustrating situations in life in general. Thanks for the reminder!
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Thank you for your broad perspective! 🙂
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Such helpful tips! They are always a helpful reminder.
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These are helpful tips especially for life in general. I don’t have kids yet but I can totally relate to walking away and taking deep breath away from the situation. Thank you for sharing 💜
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So very true! I have often had to be careful how I reacted to something my child was doing. These are great tips 🙂
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Glad you could relate and connect! 😊
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I’m not a Mum (yet – hopefully one day) but these are great tips. I can imagine it’s so easy to lose your temper! x
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With little people, it is easy to get frustrated. Practicing what I preach is a big help to me. 🙂
Little people aside, I think these tips work well with big people to!
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Sounds like you’ve been in my kitchen with little miss 4!
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Such a great topic and post. Very encouraging!
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Thank you; I am happy it connected with you!
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I need all 3 of these today! Thanks for sharing 😊
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A pleasure; so glad you enjoyed!
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Always a good reminder.😊
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Indeed it is! Sometimes a little reminder is all we need to step onto the right path.
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