pa·tience
ˈpāSHəns/
noun
- 1.the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset."you can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross"
synonyms: forbearance, tolerance, restraint, self-restraint, stoicism; More - 2.chiefly British term for solitaire (sense 1).
Today is all about PATIENCE. It is so hard for each one of us to use Patience in our everyday life. Hey, I am not above this at all. I have so much patience when I knit or paint that it is unreal...but when I am dealing with my children it seems to be spent. This is something that I have personally struggled with throughout my entire experience as a Mom.
It is not as easy as one might think...
But I believe that it is getting better. Of course, in anything, I am still learning. I have great days and not so great days...the ones in which I actually mutter OUT LOUD..."Patience, Kel...Patience."
I think that Patience is something that we will work on throughout our entire lives.
Finding that place to go to divert yourself from the place of being angry and upset is the challenge. One, that I am gladly up for!
So, I figured today, we would talk about some ways to be MORE PATIENT. (it seemed fitting)
First, if you take a little time to think about the purpose and beauty of patience, it can really help! Patience give us time to reflect, slow down and think about what we are doing.
Really, it is a way to ENJOY what we are experiencing rather than a RUSH towards an END.
We should be enjoying the process of living and once we acknowledge this...guess what- it becomes a little easier to be patients with others too!
A great tip is to ask your child what he or she wants to have, do or be. It is hard to let go of the urge to have things as you would like them to be, which is where your patience starts to get weary, right! My oldest is very opinionated, something we even were reminded in Parent-Teacher conferences. Is this a BAD thing...heavens no, I don't think so. She knows what she wants, and she ultimately just wants to make those decisions herself, to try all by herself and to find the solution just that way...Herself! Yes, it causes us to butt heads quite often, as it is hard for me to stop hearing that voice in my very O.C.D. head say that it NEEDS to be THIS way....But, once I "let go" we find a happy medium and sometimes it is hearing her out, both of us putting our heads together and finding a happy medium...before patience are spent.
Would it be so horrible to Try to Please your Children? Now, I am not talking about playing MAID or being a doormat, but what about respecting the wants and requests of your children within reason? I think that this is important, as I am all about "you respect me, I respect you", that my children get to see a difference between requesting something or demanding something and also what the consequences will be in each situation. We also work on waiting for things, as I have been known to say... "In a Minute" and once I am met with the huffs and puffs, we talk about PATIENCE and knowing that sometimes we must wait and that is OK.
Isn't it important to be Grateful for children in general? Just yesterday, I was feeling the heat, as we were running behind on dinner time. My awesome five year old saw my mounting frustration and asked if she could help me out with setting the table. For this act of kindness she was showered with kisses and kind words of praise, as I did not even have to ask and she was willing to ease my growing panic. (Life with an OCD person is a challenge..I feel for my kids)
I think another good point is to be Humble. Let's your kids show you the way sometimes, even if they are frustrated. I think that I can reference my evening last night and my five year old setting the table. Instead of focusing on the fact that she could drop the dishes and glass glasses, I let her show me that she could do it. We have made cookies a time or two (too many!) and it ends up with flour on our faces, clothes, and of course, it would not be complete if it was not on the floor! It is part of the process and let's my kids see their strengths and weaknesses. The next time they bake and they make the flour into the mixing bowl, we will hear about it because after all, it is a HUGE accomplishment, right!
When your patience is above eye level, take a step back and remember this...
Your Children are Human too!
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| my girls |
They have feelings, likes, dislikes, favorites... it might help put something back into perspective for you! Stop trying to control them! PICK YOUR BATTLES. (which will be my famous last words!), Be kind and they will learn to be kind to others and LOVE being with them!
You can also try asking yourself for patience! :)
For us, it's a Friday Night...my kids will be worn out from a busy week and I am sure we will have a very patient evening. Plus, Christmas movies are on! ;)
Enjoy all, all YOU Parents out there...and remember your Patience this weekend!
~KEL
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| Patience... |
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