I watched a lot of “Little House on The Prairie” growing up and I am pretty sure that Ma and Pa Ingalls said, “Patience is a virtue.”
If I didn’t hear it from them I am sure I heard it from one of the many adults in my life. I never really took it to heart. Let’s just say I was never a very patient person. Now, that I have children, I know it is one of those virtues that you need in order to survive. If you don’t have patience you are going to be losing it a lot with your kids.
1. Patience is Physical
I have some very smart and kind friends who have given me lots of parenting advice over the years. I was complaining to one of my very smart and kind friends about how tired I was and how I seem to be losing it more and more with my kids, “I feel like my patience is shot!” She said, “You need a break, you can’t raise a family if you are not filling up your own gas tank. Patience is physical, my dear!”
She is right. Patience is physical. I have a lot more patience with my kids if I have eaten a healthy dinner, had my multivitamin, and gotten a good night’s sleep.
So don’t laugh or shake your head. It is not impossible. Taking care of ourselves has to be a priority. It needs to be number one on our list.
2. Get help
When you feel like you are losing your patience all the time, it is time to call in the troops. I know sometimes Moms, including myself, have a hard time asking for help but sometimes you need a little extra assistance. Hiring a babysitter for a few hours a week, swapping child care with a friend, or asking your family to pitch are just a few of the ways to gain the support you need. Hopefully this will kick your patience level up a notch.
3. Do what you love
If we go on our assumption that patience is physical then make time to do what you love to do. When we involve ourselves in our favorite pastimes, we feel more energized and vital, and probably a lot more patient. You can even include your kids in your activities. Children can be taught to cultivate hobbies that they feel passionate about, biking, gardening, nature walks, painting, crafts, or reading.
You might be feeling that striving towards the virtue of patience is an antiquated value in these modern times of immediate gratification. Do not despair, just think about what I am sure Ma and Pa Ingalls also said, “Everything comes to those who wait.”
Need a little more help to figure out how to parent patiently? You don’t want to miss my latest class: Simple Ways To Parent Without Anger
2 Responses
Remarkable! Its genuinely amazing article, I have
got much clear idea about from this post.
If only it was that easy!
I mean, if you can afford a babysitter or have people you trust who can babysit for free then you need to realize that you’re very lucky (or to use that word I hate, priviledged).
Of course I’d be more patient on a full night sleep – whenever that is that I’ll finally get one. Refer back to having no help…