Patience doesn’t come naturally to many people. Certainly I know some people who seem to be able to wait calmly as if in an ethereal trance. They can watch as their spouses drive into the longest lane at the toll booth and not even notice that every other lane is going faster, let alone mention this fact to the driver. These serene individuals would never consider rudely making a strategic dash for the far lane which appears to be moving along quite nicely. I’m not in that category. But parenting requires patience. A conundrum? Not quite— I mimic patience.
- Time builds patience. Adding 15 minutes to the start of any outing is one very good way to make it appear as if you are patient simply because you aren’t rushed.
- Preparation builds patience. This one I dusted off from my Girl Scouting experience. Pack the snack, sign the notes, locate the homework the night before and maybe you won’t find yourself yelling up the stairs, “The last place I saw your orchestra folder was under the chair!"
- Hunger erodes patience. Your or theirs. Nothing wrong with munching on some baby carrots or cheese cubes while you drag out…, I mean inspire your daughter to write that opening sentence for her essay due tomorrow.
Now if I can just find similar precepts to mimic patience on the computer so I don’t continually open new windows to start new tasks as I am unable to wait patiently for the results of a search!
1 comment :
hmm, if it's so easy to pick out the correct lane at the toll-booth, perhaps you should drive?
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