Blog

Raising children has never been an easy process. However, it has become even more challenging in today’s world. That’s primarily because the current generation of kids seeks instant gratification in everything. Thanks to the internet, everything is available at our doorstep with just a few clicks. Additionally, there is social media, which primarily revolves around providing instant gratification to users by means of likes, comments, shares, etc., within a few minutes of posting anything.

All of this is stripping today’s children of their patience. It’s one of the key reasons why patience has become a rare virtue among most children today. If you feel the same for your kids and want to make intentional efforts to help them develop patience, then this blog post is for you. Here, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, ranked among the best CBSE school in Gurgaon, are sharing timeless and practical tips that can help you instil patience in your children. All the tips are designed for efficiency, so you can choose and implement any one that calls out to you. So, let’s start exploring each tip shared below.

• Build a patience jar reward system

One of the best ways to transform waiting time from frustrating to rewarding is by setting up a powerful visual system. Begin by getting a clear jar and colourful tokens, such as buttons, marbles, or coins.

Now, tell your kids that they will earn a token every time they demonstrate patience. You can set achievable goals, such as collecting 20 tokens to qualify for a special treat or activity your kids have been wanting to try. The key is to catch them being patient and immediately acknowledge it. This system works like a charm because children can physically see their progress building up.

Here, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok would like to recommend starting with easier wins and then gradually raising the bar. The patience jar becomes a constant visual reminder of their growing patience skills, transforming an abstract concept into something concrete and motivating.

• Use the traffic light breathing technique

If you want a method that gives dual benefits of nurturing patience and calming your kid’s nervous system, then you will love this method. In fact, all parents can use the traffic light breathing technique as a simple tool that their kids can use anywhere when impatient.

To get started, tell your kids the rules of this technique – red means stop and taking a deep breath in, yellow means holding that breath for a moment while thinking ‘I can wait,’ and green means breathing out slowly while doing something calm.

Whenever you see your kids getting impatient, simply say, ‘It’s traffic light time,’ as a gentle reminder. This technique generally works well because it gives children something active to do with their impatient energy. The breathing naturally calms their nervous system, while the colours make it easy to remember and follow.

• Transform patience challenges into fun games

Kids love interactive and fun games, so implementing this technique is a quick way to make them appreciate the ‘waiting time.’

While you can come up with any age-appropriate challenge, beginners may start with themes like ‘The Marshmallow Challenge.’ In this challenge, kids wait patiently for five minutes before eating a treat to earn a second one. Another theme-based game can be ‘The Restaurant Game.’ In this game, your children practice ordering food politely (just like adults do in restaurants) and waiting for their meals to arrive like grown-up adults.

Such techniques work in most cases because they present patience as an opportunity to prove their growing maturity and earn recognition. When you arrange such challenges, you’ll notice your kids eagerly participate in them, which ultimately leads to boosting their patience levels.

• Address the root cause of your child’s impatience

Unlike the previous techniques, this method requires parents’ active participation to nurture their child’s patience. As a parent, you must look deeper than the surface behaviour to understand why your children struggle with patience.

Sometimes, it’s hunger, tiredness, overstimulation, or feeling powerless, masquerading as impatience. At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, we have observed that a child who hasn’t eaten in four hours will act more impatient than a well-fed child. Hence, if hunger is a source of your child’s impatience, ensure you keep plenty of healthy snacks in their bag, drawers, or room.

The key is identifying the precise reason behind your child’s impatience and then exploring solutions to fix the root problem. Consistently following this technique can bring faster improvements in your child’s patience levels.  

Conclusion

While some people confuse patience as an adult-specific trait, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, positioned as the best school in Gurgaon, believe it’s a healthy human virtue that should be present in everyone, including kids. Most kids lack patience in today’s world, but it’s not impossible to inculcate and hone patience in children. You only need intentional efforts, consistency, and the right strategies.

If you’re ready to put in the consistent work towards nurturing your child’s patience, then choose one or multiple techniques discussed in this blog post and start implementing them at the earliest. With consistent efforts, you’ll definitely be surprised by its results.