How to be Patient with Children

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As any parent knows, raising children requires a great deal of patience. Even then, sometimes the most patient parents tend to get frustrated. This guide on how to be patient with children is for parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, and anyone who spends time with children.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

How to Be Patient with Children

Step1

Determine why you are frustrated with the child. Look at the circumstance causing you to be impatient and decide if it is something the child is doing, or if it is due to your own circumstances.

Step2

Reconcile your own feelings so that you react differently if you find that you are being impatient with the child due to no fault of their own. If you are unable to separate your feelings from your interactions with the child, then you should take steps to separate yourself from the child until you can resolve your feelings.

Step3

Look at what the child is doing and why they are doing it if it is the child’s actions that are causing you to become impatient. Chances are the child is frustrated, tired, or seeking attention. Do whatever you can to take care of the child’s needs without taking their actions personally.

Step4

Consider the age and maturity of the child. Many children make the mistake of expecting more from children than they are capable of. For example, a child who is a bit tall for his age, but is 5 years old, may be expected to act like a 7 year old. Likewise, a child may be seven but have the emotional maturity of a 5 year old. Take this into account when dealing with the child and address him according to his own level.

Step5

Learn to stay calm. Even with all of these elements and mental exercises in place, there will still be times when a parent or other adult becomes impatient with the child. In these cases, you need to have trained yourself to stay calm and not react. Always stop and count to 10 before speaking. Count to 100 if you need to. Save your reaction for a time when both you and the child are feeling more calm.

Tips & Warnings

Hold a child responsible for their actions, but be fair and kind.
Never punish your child when you are angry. Take time out both for you and your child.