Out of patience? Wait on teaching that new skill.

Tip for today: If you're out of patience, wait on trying to teach that new skill.

It's hard teaching kids new things. 

Sometimes they don't understand. 

Sometimes, they don't pay attention. 

Sometimes, they just don't listen.

 

If you're irritable, frustrated, and feeling stuck, walk away.  Try some other time.

At the gym today, I was trying to learn something new and my partner was irritated. She was rolling her eyes, sucking her teeth, and using a short tone when correcting me.

How do you think that went?

Instead of learning, I became distracted by her irritation.  Feeling embarrassed and defensive, I made more mistakes and the problem was only magnified.

The same is true for kids of all ages.  They really do want to please you.  They want you to be happy with them.  When they see that they aren't meeting your expectations, their focus shifts to that and way from whatever it is that you are trying to teach.

It's ok to tell your child or teen "Let's take a breather and go back to this later."

It sets you both up for success.