Often just telling kids what we want them to learn goes in one ear and out the other. (Let’s be honest—it sometimes works that way for adults too—at least it does for me.) So here are a couple of helpful ways to get the patience concept stuck in the minds of our children.
Have your children bake a dessert with you. This activity opens up all sorts of patience discussion opportunities. If you choose to bake something with fruit (like an apple pie), you can talk about having to wait for fruit to ripen and what it tastes like if you are impatient and pick it too early. If your kids are not fans of desserts with fruit, then try baking cookies or something else they love. The idea is to create something they really want that requires steps to make and time to cook.
While your child helps you measure and mix, you can ask questions relating to patience. Why should we take the time to find the correct measuring cups or spoons? Why do we need to mix the batter or dough as long as we are told? What would happen if we didn’t wait for the oven to preheat?
Pull up chairs in front of the oven and turn on the oven’s light. Watch the dessert bake (unless it is a pie or dessert that takes far too long) and sing the chorus of the patience song I mentioned several blogs ago. (Here’s the link to the song if you need it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kn6Z2Mop5I )
Discuss what would happen if we grew impatient and pulled out the dessert before the timer went off. Be sure to mention that if we are impatient and get frustrated while something bakes, it does not speed up the baking process. Tie your questions and discussion to your child’s life.
Another tool for teaching patience is a book I wrote several years ago when my kids were curious about the exoskeletons they found clinging to trees. After doing research, I learned that the exoskeletons belonged to the magi cicadas, which burrow underground for seventeen years. I knew they were perfect for a book about patience. You can find it on my website (www.TamiBrumbaugh.com ) or Buy it on Amazon.
Description: Burrow underground for seventeen years? A cicada named Paeshunt rejects the notion. He has the world to explore and bugs to see, and he wants to do it now. Several narrow escapes force him to examine his impulsive plan. With the help of his friends, he learns that life is much safer and sweeter when he is patient.