Thursday, November 29, 2018

How To Be More Patient With Your Kids

You trip over a shoe in the middle of the hallway, you step on a matchbox car, and you see yet another shirt lying on the floor in their room. You try not to yell, because you are trying to be more patient with your kids.

Wait.

Didn't you already ask them to clean their room… twice? Yet it is still a mess? It can be easy to lose your temper with your kids when things like this happen. I get it. After all… I'm a mom, too.

 

How to be more patient with your kids

 

Yelling, arguing, angry looks… all things that happen when we lose our patience. It isn't the way that I want my children to remember me, or the way that I want them to parent their own children one day.

Today we are talking about how to be more patient with our kids:

 

1. Treat your family like houseguests, and you will see them start to do the same for you. Would you yell at a houseguest for leaving their shoes out? Would you say, "HURRY UP!", if you were running late?   Try treating your kids like houseguests, just for this week. If you get a drink or snack, offer one to your family, etc. This will keep the peace, and everyone will be more likely to get along. Soon, they will do the same for you!

 

2. Get enough rest. Just like a child that is crabby at night, if you aren't getting enough sleep, you will               be crabby, too. Try getting 7 hours of sleep tonight, and see what a difference it makes. Maybe even               aim for 8 hours!

 

3. Don't argue with your children. If you are frustrated, they will become frustrated, which will lead to               an unhelpful argument. Be firm, but fair. Make a rule, and stick to it, and there will be no arguing                   necessary because it won't get them anywhere. Instead, try being empathetic towards them when                   they realize that they are not going to get what they want.

 

4. Be prepared. The root of my impatient behavior is always the same: I am unprepared. If I am                           unprepared when dinnertime rolls around, the kids will be cranky (because they are hungry) and I                 will end up losing my temper. If I am unprepared before bed, with lunches packed for the next  .                     school day, we will have a hectic morning, kids will be late to school, and I will end up losing my                     temper. Being prepared stops this.

 

5. Drink more water  and eat better. Yes, it is true. You are what you eat.  If you don't drink water,  you             aren't going to be as happy.  I have seen it in my friends and family.

 

6. Exercise.  Seriously.  Exercise releases endorphins.  Endorphins make you happier.

 

7. Take a break.  After you lose your temper or are upset, it can take a full half of an hour to calm back               down. Have your whole family  spend time reading or playing  in their bedrooms for 30 minutes                     until everyone feels better again (happier).

 

8. Remember that your kids are watching you.  Why is it that we are the more patient parent when we               are out, yet we forget to be this way when we are at home?   Our kids are watching us when we are                 home and they are the ones that will learn from us.   Let us remember to be the BEST example of                   patience when we are home.

9. Realize where the problem lies.  The other day I was upset with my husband for something (I can't                 even remember now), but at that same time, our 3 year old came over to me, in a very whiny voice,                 and said "I want oatmeal."   I snapped back at her "When you can talk to me like a big girl, I will help             you."  It wasn't what I said, but how I said it.  Her face said it all when her pouty lip came out and                   her sad eyes filled with tears.  I wanted to cry with her.  I wasn't upset with her, but she was the one               that had to deal  with my attitude.  (this point leads me to the next one)                                                                     

10. Apologize when you are wrong.   I immediately apologized to her.  "I'm sorry.  Mommy was wrong to             talk that way to you.  I was not upset with you and I shouldn't have done that.  I apologize.  Do you                 still want oatmeal?   If you do, please ask me in a big girl voice and I will help you."   She forgave me               and ate  her strawberry oatmeal happily.

 

11. Try talking in a whisper, instead of yelling.  It works wonders.

 

12. Try to see if your child is acting the way that YOU act.  When a problem arises, how does your child               handle it?   If he is acting like you, see it for what it is and fix it.  If you are not being the best you that             you can be, do better.

 

13. Compliment each other.  I learned this years ago and it works.  Give out compliments.   It may be                   hard at first, but everyone will be happier.  Give them to your kids and your spouse.  Have your                       family give them to each other.  Try it at dinner first – everyone gives out two to each family member.             It makes a huge difference in everyone's attitudes.

 

14. Give yourself grace and time to change.  If you have been someone that loses their patience easily,                 give yourself time to break from this habit.   Forgive yourself for whatever it is that you did that day               (lost your temper, yelled, grounded the kids for a few minutes too long) and do better tomorrow.We               can't all be perfect all of the time.  We will lose our patience at some point, but we can work on doing             better.  

 

 

When we know better, we do better.

 

Remind yourself to calm down when you start to lose your patience and open your eyes to look at  the beautiful children in front of you, watching your every move.   Be the best example of a kind, patient person that you can be. In the meantime, stop over to our Facebook page for more parenting tips!

 

The post How To Be More Patient With Your Kids appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.



from Kids Activities Blog https://ift.tt/2TVLKtf

No comments:

Post a Comment