When it comes to patience, do you feel like you're always running on empty? When York University conducted a study in 1999, respondents listed patience as the most important parenting skill. Of course, patience is fleeting. {relatedarticles}Even if you have it, it's easy to lose once you're under the pressure of parenting. The trick is to decompress before things get to out of hand. The last thing you want is to have a major meltdown that ends with you yelling at the kids. Here are a few ways to blow off some steam and keep the peace... of mind, that is. Have a catch phrase you can repeat over and over when you're losing patience. Say it over and over in your mind until you find yourself calming down. Practice deep breathing techniques. Take a deep breath and then another and another.
Get yourself centered. If you find yourself about to snap, don't say anything at all. Walk away from the situation and take five. Keep your expectations low - remember, you're dealing with children here. Let your children know that there will be consequences if they continue to do whatever they're doing. {relatedarticles}Make sure you follow through. If you're feeling frustrated with your children, talk it out. Communicate calmly how you are feeling and what you expect from them. Express yourself in a way that they will understand. Most importantly, look at the situation from your child's point of view. Are you being unrealistic or unfair? Could you compromise with your child and give in a bit? Remember, you want to let your child be a child. If it becomes a power struggle, decide if it's one that you really need to win. We were all children at one point!