One of the most important skills
to develop as a parent is patience.
Both patience with our kids
and patience with ourselves.
Self-Love And Compassion
Patience with ourselves comes from
developing a strong sense of self-love and compassion.
Parenting is hard work,
and conscious parenting is super hard work.
Much of the effort required is in personal development.
In order to be continuously evolving as a parent
we must be continuously evolving as a person.
Personal Development Requires Much Patience
This means a constant attention to
our own inner triggers and wounds.
It means working at giving ourselves
more love and more compassion today
than we had yesterday.
The more effective we are at being patient with ourselves
the more effective we will be in being patient with our children.
The Importance Of Having Patience With Our Children
Our kids can really push our buttons
so having patience with them is of the utmost importance.
As our young beings learning to navigate this difficult world
It is vital that they can feel free to make mistakes in our presence
For it is in making mistakes and learning from them
That they can experiment with life and learn freely.
Teach Kids To Make Mistakes Freely
Our ability to embrace their mistakes
is part of creating a foundation of lifelong learning.
You just have to take 5 minutes to read any comments section
on any post on any website or Facebook page on the Internet
to see scores of people afraid to consider alternate ideas
or communicate about differences of opinion.
There is always so much defensiveness and aggressiveness in these interactions.
A lot of that comes from not being able
to be free with making mistakes
and being wrong as children.
Fear of Mistakes = Fear of Change
One of the biggest dangers
of considering an alternative idea
is that it may force you to change
something you already think or believe.
If we are uncomfortable, or more commonly even afraid
of being wrong then we simply cannot allow ourselves
to seriously and objectively evaluate different ideas or opinions.
Patience With Kids Creates Open Minds And A Willingness To Learn
So having patience with our kids
is part of the process of teaching them
to have an open mind.
When they are wrong or make mistakes
and we are able to react in calm and supportive manner
they learn that they are not less worthy in those moments.
As they grow older they will develop the skill of
embracing their own mistakes and learning from them
because you have given them the space to do so.
Mistakes Contain Valuable Information
I read on the internet somewhere the saying
“Mistakes are data.”
I love this because a mistake is not
a reflection on your worth or value as a person,
it is in fact information you can use to evolve.
Give Your Kids The Gift of Your Patience
If this is the attitude our kids can develop
through their own experience and also
through the way we interact with them
when they do make mistakes
we are giving them a powerful skill
that will be of great benefit to them their whole lives.
