Chasing Patience

Patience is a virtue; and oh, it can be so hard to come by, especially toward the end of the day. Patience is also one of those things that some people seem to have an endless reserve of, while others appear to have missed out completely.

I’m somewhere in between. When I was younger, as an early childhood teacher I had quite a bit of patience (although my parents would probably say differently); at least while I was at school with my students. By the time I got home, I admit it had worn a little thin.
Now, as a mom to an energetic toddler, and working from home while figuring out this whole quarantine thing, I feel that some days I have some patience, but most days, it’s run out by ten AM. I try so hard to not snap or lose my temper, and when I do I become a guilty mom, but then I also know that I’m stressed (as we all are these days) and exhausted.

After my son accidentally called the police yesterday (yep, that happened), I lost it; I had already been right on the edge. It was when I saw how truly terrified he was at the prospect of policemen showing up on our door that I stepped back and decided I can handle things better.

I decided to do a quick peek at a few different ways I could increase my current stock of patience. Whether it was to find a way to add more or just improve upon what I already have; I just knew there had to be something I could do.

I found a few good suggestions that I am going to start putting into practice; I know some will be easier than others to implement, and there will be a learning curve with several, but I am going to give it my best!

I thought I would share what I discovered on my quest for chasing patience:

• After all is said and done, will that thing that set you over the edge and seemed so cataclysmic at the moment, really be such a big deal in the grand scheme of things?

• Counting to ten really does help. Do it out loud, take a deep breath, and close your eyes. This helps your brain redirect to something else, and you can address the issue in a calmer state.

• A bubble bath really can change your world in a matter of 10 minutes. I always have a couple of bottles of Dr. Teal’s on hand; I can sink down into those foaming bubbles and capture some much-needed breath. (A glass of wine doesn’t hurt either)

• When your child is doing one of those things that push your buttons, instead of launching into beast mode, take a moment to connect with him, and then redirect him to a new activity. It’s important to remember all of the good things.

• Take care of yourself. (This is definitely easier said than done, especially these days) I don’t know about you, but I get HANGRY…if I don’t eat, I turn into a crazed madwoman. Hunger definitely slashes my patience, as does getting no sleep. So as hard as it is, make time to take care of you first…eat something, unplug for a few minutes, go for a walk, check out these tips to help reduce mommy stress, and try to go to bed at a decent time. (I am still working on all of these)
  

• See things with a child’s eye; in other words, try to see things from your child’s point of view. The odds are good that he has a completely different take on the situation, and your reaction is probably very confusing to him.

I don’t expect chasing patience to be easy; I suspect, in fact, that it will be quite the tricky beast to catch. However, I am determined to at least capture it for fleeting moments, in the hopes that those moments will start to last longer over time.

What about you? What are the special tricks that help you deal with those crazy moments? I’d love to hear them!

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