I cannot say enough about the virtues of patience and perseverance when it comes to parenting! Every phase of a baby, then child, then young adult all requires immense doses of patience & perseverance on part of the parent(s). Think about it...your baby is learning everything for the first time...how to swallow, how to sleep, how to go potty on the toilet, use a fork/spoon, hold a cup, how to sleep in various size beds, how to dress, brush teeth...the list is literally endless and I haven't even mentioned how to speak! And so much of this learning is occurring when babies and young toddlers do not know how to communicate (effectively if at all)! To really put the icing on the cake much of parenting also happens when you are sleep deprived, busier than ever, and never allowed to get sick, all of which is actually the recipe for disaster! And yet we're suppose to dig deep inside for that patience and persevere despite it all! You can do it! For your sanity's sake and for the general health and success of your child...You NEED to do it!
If you aren't used to taking a step back, examining your actions and how they impact your child, then practicing patience may be a bit more difficult. Patience is a little bit about taking deep breaths, counting to 10, and even walking away temporarily from a situation before parenting the child again. Patience is also about giving your child space & time for them to practice stepping back, regrouping, refocusing, as well. As you become conscious of your abilities to be patient & practice this virtue, then you also are role modeling & teaching it to your child. You will start to see behavioral changes & an increase in showing appreciation, emotions, and overall enhance communication because you are both taking the time to reflect, assess, reassess, and go forward in a calm, clear, loving manner.
Perseverance is a whole nother ball game. I think most parents "get it" when it comes to being patient with the child. However, the lack of perseverance among parents is one area that sets the good parent apart from the others. Yes, I'm talking about the idea of "try, try again." You thought getting up a couple times a night to feed the baby was tiring? Ha! Persevering through endless repetitious scenarios that some behavioral issues present day after day after day...now that's perseverance!! And it is where too many of us "give up" or "give in." And then it becomes apparent who really runs the household...the baby! One of the most important thing parents can do (at any time during their parenting career) is to determine how they (the parents) want things to be in their house. What is acceptable behavior for your child(ren)? Is is acceptable for the child to throw food? Throw their sippy cup? Drop their napkins? Ok, this is a really basic/simple parenting example but it's also very common and should be "easy" yet I hear parents struggle with these exact issues all the time! Whatever the answer is...as parents you MUST stay strong in your rules/beliefs/standards...it will ultimately form a more respectful child and it creates defined boundaries so that the child no longer has to "test" them due to uncertainty. If you are not having success with the methods you are trying...do not give up. Instead, ask other parents for advice! While you may feel alone...You are NOT alone! Every parent can relate on some front, only a bunch of them hide that they are struggling ( sarcasm here...that's another blog entry for later). Better you try another way than to hand the reigns over to baby! Trying to catch a runaway horse is even harder than persevering though the common, basic parenting issues.
Patience and perseverance...you're a better parent for both!
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