Keep Your Patience As A Parent
Kids can be a handful. They are often breaking things, spilling on the carpet, forgetting to do homework until the last minute, fighting with siblings and just plain stubborn. It's enough to make any sane person lose their cool every once in a while. When you have young children it can be especially difficult to keep your patience and stay in control.
However, if you can learn to manage your anger, your children will likely respect your authority more and you can enjoy spending time with them rather than getting frustrated. Parenting requires patience and it is something you can develop with a little work.
"With effort and experience, anyone can lengthen his or her emotional fuse. This doesn't imply that patience is something that can be perfected and then forgotten about. Patience is an ideal to strive for. It is not a day-to-day reality. If you accept that fact, you will be less demanding of yourself and your kids," explains Dr. Ray Gaurend, author of Back to the Family, to BabyZone.com.
Consider building your tolerance level by practicing basic relaxation techniques while around your children. Count to ten before yelling at them or keep a mature, mild manner while disciplining. You may also want to keep track of when you are feeling stressed. Does it happen more when you didn't get a good night's sleep? If you can identify what things are more likely to set you off, you can avoid them. Also, make sure you still save some time for yourself can help you keep your sanity. Try to do at least one outing or activity by yourself each week.
Parents aren't perfect and no one expects you to be, but with practice you should be able to have a little more patience when the kids are driving you nuts.
