Being a parent is most definitely one of the most important patience tests. They say patience is a virtue, it is true - but this comment makes you think patience is a quality that only a few chosen ones have. In fact, patience is learnt over time even if some parents don’t do well on this chapter at first. But, with a little effort, any parent can learn to be patient and to amuse himself over some situations that not so long ago annoyed him. 

Firstly, you have to learn to have patience with yourself. Do not blame yourself for everything and show tolerance - without falling into the trap of self-content. Happily for children, adults are mature persons and know, most of the times, to keep their nerves under control. Don’t raise your voice and impose your wills with a calm but firm tone, no matter the problem. 

Generally, try not to think about tomorrow and don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with perspective problems. Focus only on immediate problems, because if you do otherwise you will only worry a lot more and you will get upset easier. 

A lower stress level will definitely inflict more patience on your side. Also, try to explain the child, calmly, what is it you are expecting of him and the ways he can rise up to your expectations. Restrain from blaming him. And if we already are on the subject of expectations, it is essential not to ask of him more than he can give you, based on his age. 

Children sometimes seem to try on purpose to test the limits of their parents’ patience. If you fell this is what your little one does, ask yourself what might push him to this. Maybe he is trying to cover some frustration, maybe he wants revenge for a moment when you were unfair or maybe he feels neglected and he’s only trying to get your attention. 

Maybe it would be best if you look at the problem from his point of view for a change: if he won’t learn to be himself a patient person, then he probably won’t try to help you anyhow on this.
To make your child become a patient person you can: 

• - Play with him interactive games - this will teach him to wait until his turn comes. 
• - Read to him thick books and long stories, leaving to follow-up for the next evening. Do not give in to his pleads to find out the ending in the same evening. 
• - Teach him to plant a tree or to take care of a flower - then he will learn to be patient until he sees the results of his work. 
• - If he wants a bike, give money, a little a time, and tell him to save it for the bike.

Of course you will be the one that will give him the present, but your child will learn to have patience and, at the same time, the value of money.

Encourage your child to become involved in reading. Getting your child interested in reading early will be your first goal. This process can start even before the child is born. It is a proven fact that the baby in the womb can hear and be comforted by sounds in its environment. To get your child started off on the right foot you need to have a plan. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

For Babies (Six Weeks to One Year)

1. Do you provide a comfortable place for our story time? Will your child happy to be here? 
2.  Are you showing them the pictures in the book? Do you change the tone of your voice as you read to show emotion and excitement? 
3.  Are you paying attention to how my child responds? 
4.  What do they seem like or dislike? 
5.  Are they getting tired and ready to stop?

For Toddlers (One to Three Years) All of the questions above, and then:

1. Does my child enjoy the book we are reading?
2. Do you encourage them to “pretend read”, by joining in where they have memorized a word or phrase?
3. When you ask questions, do you give your child enough time to think and answer?
4. Do you tie ideas in the book to things familiar to your child? Do you notice if they do this on their own?
5. Do you let your child know how much you like their ideas and encourage them to tell you more about them?
6. Do you point out letters, such as the first letter of their name?

Remember: Children learn one-step at a time this process will take patience and time. Children will vary a great deal in the rate they make progress and in what may hold their interest. It is up to you to find the right combination of these to make it enjoyable.

For Preschoolers (Three and Four years of age) All of the questions above, and then:

1. Do you find ways to help my child begin to identify letters?
2. Do you have them make the letter-sound match?

For Kindergartners (Five Years of age) All of the questions above, then:

1. Do I find ways to help my child begin to identify some printed words?
2. Do I let my child retell favorite stories to show she knows how the story goes and what is in it?

For Beginning First-Graders (Six Years) All of the questions above, and then:

1. Give your child the chance to read a story to you using the text, picture clues, their memory or any combination of these. Help them make sense of the story.

Watch, as your child will pretend to read a story that you have just read for them. They are learning to read just as they are learning to talk, by imitation. This is how children learn to do many things. Take talking for an example. Children learn to talk by imitating the sounds they hear from their parents and people around them. Soon they learn how to but the sounds together to make words. Before long these word are put together to form sentences.

Helping your child to learn to talk was a fun and memorable experience for you both. Did you make up games, or did you just continually repeat a phrase to stimulate them to talk. This interaction with you made the learning process enjoyable. Did you not both smile and laugh when they learned to say a new word or phrase. It is an exciting time in your child’s development. Now they can communicate there wants, needs, and feeling with you.

Reading and writing in its simplest form is talking on paper. Learning to read should be just as much fun as learning to talk. As parents it our job to further our child’s development. We must spend as much time teaching them to read as we did to talk. This does not have to be a job but rather an enjoyable experience. You will have as much enjoyment if not more teaching your child to read as you did teaching them to talk. Making sure your child can read and enjoys reading will be the most important lesson we will ever teach our child.

Here are a few tips to get you both started.

1. Read to your child. The sooner you start the sooner they will benefit from listening to you read aloud.
2. Discuss the books you read to your child. Try to peak there interest in the book.
3. Be a good reading “model” let your child see you read and talk about what you just read.
4. Introduce your child to books that they have natural interests in, or ones that will guide them to new experiences.
5. Buy books as presents for your child they will value books more if they receive them as gifts.
6. Get your child a library card as soon as possible and visit the library often.