Patience is a skill that comes with practice. Like other skills we have, we cultivate them all our lives, it is a process of development and learning. Thechild’s first source of learning is the parent. The child copies everything they see from their parents. Pay attention to what your interactions with your child look like.You can start training patience and perseverance when your child is a baby. When you notice that he is engaged in an activity, whether it’s watching a speck of dust in the sun or tasting his toe, try waiting until you see that he has stopped what he is doing. At that point you say, -I’d like to pick you up now.-I’d like you to come with me to the bathroom.Read also Help your child have high self-esteem in 11 stepsLet him process the information for a few seconds and then pick him up. When your child is older you can even let him know beforehand, also when he takes a break, that he has five minutes until the shower.
Vlad and I, because we worked from home for a long time, set up a system where we let each other know we want each other’s attention. You walk into the room and if you see the person is engaged in another activity, you slowly put your hand on them.That means you want attention and the person will give it to you as soon as they can take a break.Notice something? The rule is mutual. I approach it the same way when playing on the tablet or with friends. I don’t go up to him and expect him to stop the moment I approach him. I wait for him to finish talking, I don’t cut him off.
Suggestion: When he’s patient and sticks to what you’ve agreed on offer him your gratitude-Thanks for waiting.Three things you can try again:
- Show him empathy: Do you find it hard to wait for food when others have already had it, especially when you’re really hungry? Your child will respond with a “Yeaaaa!” and will feel better because he knows he is understood.
- Practice patience with him. Use situations where he wants something very much and let him wait. He wants ice cream and there’s a queue? Let him stand in line. If he’s three, sit next to him. Measure the time. For example when you cook together teach him to measure time. Set a timer for the 6 minutes to cook the pasta.
- Carefully choose times when you want to practice patience with him. Make sure he is in a good mood, full stomach, rested and so on.
One of the most important things is to adjust your expectations about developing this skill. Look at yourself and notice how much patience you have, what model you provide, find out how much a child can expect and at what age. Trust yourself and you will grow up well together._____________________________________________________________________________ Register your child on 26.10 for the Critical Thinking workshop . You can read more about the activities and registration by clicking on the link.For customized programs to increase self-confidence and develop children’s social-emotional skills, please contact us at coaching@oanavaideanu.com or 0729039511, we welcome your requests and suggestions. We organize camps and offer programs for afterschool and kindergarten or school otherwise week on emotional intelligence, self-esteem, online opportunities and sex education.