Want to be a more Patient Parent? Try these 6 Tips!

Any parents typically starts each day feeling as though we are capable of handling anything as a parent. Our patience reservoir has been replenished and we vow that today we be a more patient parent but then by the middle or end of the day, our patience seems to have run dry. This can lead to hectic day.

There is no perfect parent, but there are habits and strategies when put in place can help you combat your patience when faced with defiant behavior, temper tantrums, combative siblings and power struggles.

My goal is to provide some insight into how to handle yourself when your child or children are testing your patience. Handle it with grace, with kindness, with love and understanding with the following strategies.

Control your Own Emotions

One of the most important things we can do as a parent is to learn to manage our own emotions. It’s important to understand that kids are learning daily. They’re learning to control their own emotions, so if we don’t lead by example and learn to control and manage our own, our children will pick up that behavior.

Take a step back and take a deep breath.

Connect Every Day

Life is busy, so it’s easy to get caught up in tasks which sucks energy and time away from you kids. Connecting with kids leads to better behavior and less stress on parents. Find the time for your kids daily. You’ll be surprised how much it does for your stress level as well.

Make time for You

Self-care is 100% necessary! I know I tend to guilt myself when I want time for myself, but I need it in order to relax and feel “normal”. Being a parent can be so exhausting regardless of how fun and rewarding it is. If you’re able to relax, you’re going to show up for your children more relaxed and happier. Children need happy moms, not perfect moms who are exhausting themselves by trying to do all of the things.

Find a Calm Down Strategy

It’s so easy to get worked up when your children are acting out, but it’s so incredibly important to establish a calm down strategy which would allow you ample time to calm down before you do or say something you should’t.  An example might be removing yourself from the situation for a minute. It could be slowly counting to ten. Whatever it is, be intentional about it.

Come up with a Game Plan

I think one of the most important things I can suggest is to create a list of the kinds of situations where you typically lose your patience. By doing this you can come up with a game plan to either prevent them all together or better equip yourself to handle them the next time they arise. You’re better able to manage your patience by creating a game plan.

Big Picture View

Have you ever considered that maybe your day is structured in that your patience is always depleted by the time you see your kids or earlier on in the day? Maybe you work full-time and your career is draining you to the point that it’s affecting your home life. Maybe it’s time to make a career change. Maybe you’re a stay at home mom who literally has no time for herself. Consider enrolling your children into a part-time schooling program or hiring a sitter a few days a week so that you’re able to do things for you to allow yourself a chance to rest and reset. Look at the big picture.

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Do you lose your patience with your kids more than you would like? What else works for you? Leave a comment!