Colorful Minds Learn Differently: Teaching Children Patience

Patience is often thought of as something kids develop with maturity, but...

Did you know that a child's understanding of patience can be hurried along?

All that's needed are some rewards worth the wait and a little help from Mother Nature.

Many great rewards can be found right in your own back yard, purchased online, or found in a store near you.

Before you begin:

Be Prepared

• Running to the store for a forgotten item will make for more frustration than reward.
• Make sure you have the materials all ready for set up before you start a project.

Words of Praise and Encouragement

The reward is not just about doing the activity, it's about praising the patience.

For example:

"Wow , takes a lot of patience waiting for bread to rise and bake, but you did it. Now let's eat!"

or...

"Wonderful, you patiently watched the tank every day for those eggs to hatch. Now let's watch them grow."

To understand patience is a good thing, kids need to hear the words.

Let's Get Started

Here are four patience boosting activities that will have your child ready and waiting.

1) Planting the Seeds of Reason

Growing grass seed is about the simplest rewarding experience for children of all ages.

You can use any kind of a container from a milk carton to a fancy window box.

The best containers are decorated by the child before planting. Creating a colorful container also allows the child to make the project his/her very own.

Next you'll need... potting or top soil... grass seed... water... and a sunny spot.

Keep the seeds moist... and in two weeks you will have a beautiful green indoor lawn that will be the envy of even the savviest gardeners.

Each day as the seeds sprout... your kids will love finding the first shoots of baby green grass and watching them grow thicker. Later they'll love trimming the older grass as it grows.

2) Watch A Change And Make A Difference

Nothing is more exciting than watching the metamorphosis of a Caterpillar.

Below I've left a link to online sources of caterpillars and moths that will fit your area, like painted ladies, and the most stunning...the giant lime green Luna moth.

Monarch caterpillars can also be found roadside on milk weed for free. Without a kit you will have to make a cage from screening or an old fish tank and find food.

Carefully follow the instructions in your caterpillar kit, or if you want to find and raise monarchs there's a great site with everything monarch. I've left a link to at the bottom of this page.

While you learn about raising them also learn about the signs of change... like

monarch caterpillars make a j shape before all changes,and the chrysalis becomes dark then clear on the day of the hatching.

When you've successfully raised your fluttery wards, set them free to the breeze.

3) Sea Monkeying Around

Are these mail order sillies for real?

Yes they are...sea monkeys....aka brine shrimp and the similar ancient form of sea life called triops are what most refer to when taking about sea monkeys.

If the kids love dinosaurs... they'll love triops! Check out the fun video above.

Also available are brine shrimp, but they're less impressive.

Both can be purchased in kits at...any local mall educational or science store, or you can follow the link below.

Follow the directions in the kit and in a few days your kids will wake up to find tiny specks on the gravel...then as each day passes...the critters grow.

If taken care of as per the instructions, they will thrive and reproduce for months with very little effort.

I like to keep them on the kitchen table in a small fish bowl because you can watch their progression each day...and remember to feed them.

And while sea monkeys are a great patience exercise, there's one even better.

3) Grow A Frog

Want to go the extra mile?

Set up an aquarium with a frog habitat... and catch (with a local permit) or purchase tadpoles.

This is the ultimate patience reward.

For an added lesson, and ONLY if the adult frogs are native to your area, releasing them will further teach your child about letting go, and stewardship.

Patience is a virtue that can only be taught if you can prove its merits...and what better way to explore this area than as a family.

Other Parents Would Love To Hear It!

Please share what works for you in the comment box below.