Blog

We all agree that most children do not like to wait in long lines at the amusement park or wait their turn to go down the slide at the park.

Provide toddlers and kids with iPads and books so they are entertained when waiting.

And as parents, it can be a difficult concept to teach patience to our kids when we tend to be impatient ourselves. We often want to rush through things because we are so busy. We expect packages to be delivered the same day. We expect immediate results from the gym. So perhaps we aren’t always the best role models for our children in our own daily lives. What we really mean to do is to protect them from our own hectic lifestyles. And if we don’t teach our children the value of waiting, they can miss out on the richness of life.

Any delay or wait time, even if it’s five minutes, can be agonizing for kids. They are still developing self-control skills, which means feelings can erupt when they don’t get instant gratification.

Start Small

Ask for small doses of patience for your child – even if it’s being quiet for 1 minute.

Teach Self-Control

Waiting is hard for toddlers so provide them with flexible seating and toys to make the time fly.

Even when your child becomes anxious, eager or tired, require them to regain some self-control before you fulfill their request.

Delay Purposefully

We do live in a world where instant gratification is prominent. If your child wants a new kitten immediately, have them wait for summer break, Christmas or their birthday.  This will teach them that they can wait for things that truly matter and everything still turns out ok at the end.

Promote Taking Turn

If your child struggles to wait their turn for something fun, reinforce that they need to be courteous and even remove them from the activity until they can behave in a patient way.

Patience can strengthen family relationships and usher peace into our homes. And in return, when we slow down and wait, we will be able to think about our own surroundings and see the good around us.