This is a massive achievement that will take lots of patience — on your part.
Here are some ideas you can try:


If when you’re going to make a call your child has a habit of distracting you for attention, try telling your child that you’ll be on the phone for five minutes, and that, when you’re done, you’ll do something fun together. You can even set a timer as you start the call (Of course, in that case you’ll mention your time limit to the person you’re calling so you can end the conversation when the timer goes off).

In the end, you’ll be able to eliminate the timer and the rewards, but it’s a great way to start the process.

As you proceed, your child will occasionally become upset. Don’t give in; it will just set a precedent that’s virtually impossible to break.

Do use “teachable moments” throughout the day. For instance, the time when you’re cooking dinner may require patience from your child. If your child is patient, praise him or her. And if the child can’t tolerate not having your attention and ends up tantruming on the kitchen floor, well, you’ll just have to tune that out.

Have reasonable expectations, kids are all different, and will learn patience at different rates.

Try to be specific when you talk about time. Don’t use vague phrases like “in a while”; they’re meaningless for a small child. Give actual time frames (like “three minutes”), or a visual cue like the position of the hands on the clock. Be sure that when you set a time you stick to it. As your child succeeds, you can extend the “patience time” bit by bit.

Remember that the best way to teach patience is by example. When you’re waiting in line or stuck in traffic, demonstrate exactly how you want your child to respond to the same kind of situation. Soon your child will follow suit.

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