Parent Testing a Habit: Patience
This weeks’ habit was patience, in particular being a patient parent. Erin is on the verge of starting to push the boundaries, which I’m sure in turn will start to ‘test’ my patience, at the moment though I don’t find myself losing my patience very often.
My plan for dealing with the pushing the boundary phase is to be firm but fair, pick my battles, and treat tantrums with the move the furniture place them in the middle of the room stand back and wait for it to finish rule. If I’m out then it will be one warning and then out of the shop (or wherever) to somewhere I can use aforementioned approach. I’ll let you know if it works…
My problem areas now when it comes to patience, is wanting everything to happen now. This week I’ve tried to relax and accept that things will happen, but it can’t all happen right now and I need to go with the flow, safe in the knowledge that in general we are heading in the right direction.
This week hasn’t been the greatest week for testing this habit overall as nothing has really happened, I’ve been quite relaxed and even went on a girly overnighter!
My Verdict: I’m definitely going to try and be a little more laid back in general, and I think being a patient parent is a virtuous aspiration too.
Next Weeks’ Habit: Lose Weight (not quite a habit but worth pursuing if you need to, I’d like to slim down a little)
Tell me about it. I used to be a VERY impatient dad until I learn to find humor in tantrums and misbehavior, seriously. Also to make a commitment not to lose my temper. Good luck to you!
Hi Abel,
I agree it’s finding the funny side in it all. I think when toddlers see that their outbursts have very little reaction at all, it becomes a pointless waste of their energy.
Once, when I laughed during an outburst, my daughter looked SO puzzled as she didn’t expect me to do that in such situations. Guess what, she laughed too! Poor girl…