The Need For Patience In Early Childhood Education
Patience is an extremely important value for the human being, in various areas of life. It’s basically about the ability to wait and tolerate.
In this way, we avoid giving in to our impulses and “exploding” in such a way that it can harm ourselves or others.
When it comes to education and discipline, patience is a key element in ensuring that lessons are learned in a healthy way.
We are human beings
Although the ideal is to be patient most of the time, we are human beings and, therefore, we are not perfect. Many times we find it impossible to resist our impulses and fight against our own nature.
It is important to cultivate this value to avoid falling into abuse (be it physical or emotional). It should be noted that the easy way is not always the most beneficial. The yelling, punishment, teasing and so on, only create distance between parents and children.
How to maintain a balance between our nature and what is healthy? The answer is: take one step at a time. If we try to acquire a good degree of patience in one day, we will despair and we will not achieve what we want.
On the other hand, if we overcome the difficulties, one by one, we will progressively approach the goal. Keep in mind that there are no magic formulas or instruction manuals, it’s all about being aware in the moment and trying to improve as much as possible.
The influence of patience in discipline
When children are young they need us to be assertive in their education so that they can be healthy adults tomorrow. For this reason, both discipline and other values are essential when disciplining them.
We certainly must discipline children, but to do it the right way, it is important to work ourselves first. If we are well, it will be easier for us to make decisions when acting.
Some tips for cultivating patience
- Avoid pretending to have everything under control (you have to know how to give a margin of error, for your own health and that of others).
- Complaints don’t solve anything if you don’t take action.
- Try adding humor to the situation. This will help ease the tension and downplay the problem.
- Don’t be ashamed or afraid if you mess up. It is valid to ask for help if our intention is to improve.
Patience and conflict
Of course, conflicts are what really test our abilities and, in this case, how much patience and tolerance we are capable of having. Likewise, there are various factors that influence when acting in one way or another.
For example, if we had a bad day at work, there is traffic, the pet made a mess at home and our son does not obey, it is very possible that we have a hard time being patient. One by one the reasons that lead us to collapse accumulate.
In these cases, the important thing is to learn to separate the problems and not let them accumulate. Yes, a series of unpleasant events may occur, but you can always choose to go ahead and downplay the problem so you can find a solution soon.
On the other hand, conflicts are not always the same or have the same intensity. For example, if before we go to sleep our children come to our bed and insist that we help them with something, it is important that we let them know that it is better to wait first thing in the morning.
EYE! It is very important that we deliver on what we promised. If we say that we will help them in the morning, we must do so to reinforce the positive bond.
If it is a minor matter and can wait until the next morning, little by little, the child will learn to wait. This is one way to teach them patience.
However, if the child is severely affected for any reason, it is important that we listen to him and calm him down. Especially at bedtime, because if we ignore them, they will not fall asleep and the problem can get worse.
Let’s remember that, for them, at that time the problem is something very important given the resources they have at their age. And if they have our support in solving them, we will build their confidence.
If at that time the child asks us or needs to communicate with us but we cannot attend him, explain why he should wait for us and that, if he does, he will have our help and full attention later.
Cultivating the value of patience will create a child with healthy self-esteem, healthy social skills and values, positive interactions with other people, and even a willingness to learn.
