Patience : Winter/Spring 2020 : Week 3

Word of the week - Patience

Hello Wonder Families! I’m Jamilee and I teach the Thursday morning class. Our word for this week is Patience. Oooooh boy. This is a big one for me. Just as Amy said with Trust, I feel that Patience is a practice. And it is a practice I struggle with big time. With 3 kids ages 5 and under, I need a LOT of patience and some days, I don’t always have it. It’s also a trait I want to foster in my children (maybe because I seem to have so little of it?!), so how do I do that when I feel like I am constantly losing my patience with them?

I practice. And I mess up… a lot. Then, I admit my mistakes and I ask for forgiveness. This happens several times a day in my house. It is hard being a parent, especially an introverted one, with several small children. They need so much from me. It is constant questions, stories, needing snuggles, snacks, more questions, drinks, reading stories, more questions, telling me what to do… it is SO. MUCH. And don’t get me started on potty training. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by it all, it’s no wonder I lose my patience. Even though I know what to do, and I know the things I am “supposed” to say to my children, I lose my patience and I mess it all up. Usually after losing my cool and snapping at one of my kids, I feel so guilty. But, I KNOW that they learn so much in the repair. So, I admit I lost my patience and I apologize. I tell my kids that patience is a virtue I am actively working on and that I struggle with it. They understand. Because they lose their patience, too.

How can we foster patience in our kids in addition to admitting our own mistakes? Make them wait for things. While they may not like it, in this fast-paced, instant gratification world, it is by doing that they will learn. If this is something you struggle with, I recommend this podcast:

Parent Cue Live, Episode 71: How to Teach Your Kid Patience in an Impatient World

https://theparentcue.org/pcl-71-how-to-teach-your-kids-patience-in-an-impatient-world/.

Your homework for the week is to choose an activity to do with your child that makes them have to wait. For instance, water beads take time to grow. You need to place them in water and wait until they are ready. Or, you could create something with air dry clay and wait for it to dry before you can paint it. Even baking cookies or some other sweet treat is a great way to teach patience. Not only do you have to wait for them to bake, but you need to wait for them to cool down before you can eat them!

In addition, notice when you are being impatient with your child. 

Pause, breath, and deliberately change your pace. 

Slow down. 

Then notice how your child reacts to your change of pace. When I remember to do this, to pause before reacting when I feel like I am about to explode, the change of attitude in the room is palpible. Or maybe it just feels that way because I am being mindful of it. Either way, I consider it a major victory in my day of parenting.

As a recommendation for a children’s book to read with your child about Patience, try 

If You Want to See a Whale - by Julie Fogliano and Erin E. Stead.

And, if you try any of the above suggestions, feel free to share your feedback, offer suggestions, share your story, and even share on social media with #wonderstudiopatience and #wonderstudiobravery