- Set an example. Let your youngster see you waiting calmly during challenging situations. In a traffic jam, you could say, “It looks like we’ll be sitting here for a while. Would you read your story to me?”
- Discover strategies. What does “wait a minute” or “wait 5 minutes” look like? Look at your watch, and have each family member raise his hand when he thinks 1 minute has gone by. They should raise their hands again when they think it’s been 5 minutes. Repeat the activity, but this time, ask each person to do something he enjoys like reading or drawing. Does the time seem to go faster? Your child will learn that staying occupied will help him be patient.
A Plan for Problem Solving
- Identify the problem. Let him write a quick summary of what’s wrong. (“Elliott doesn’t like basketball, but that’s what I usually play at recess.”)
- Imagine the ideal solution. For instance, he probably wants to remain friends and still play basketball.
- Figure out alternatives. Encourage him to brainstorm solutions. Examples: “Offer to play with Elliott at recess every other day.” “See if he wants to find something to play that we both like.”
- Choose a solution. He could pick the solution he likes best or that he thinks is most likely to work.
- Evaluate. Have him try out that solution and ask how it went. If it didn’t work, then he can consider another alternative from his list.
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