In our fast-paced world full of instant gratification, teaching children how to be patient and persevere is more crucial than ever. These qualities are not just beneficial for everyday life, but are essential in developing a strong faith and character that glorifies God.
Scripture provides us with numerous examples of patience and perseverance. James 1:2-4 reminds us, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Patience and perseverance will help your child to continue in the faith, even during trials or when they don’t see much fruit. Patience is also important in our day-to-day lives. Galatians 6:9 also says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” This passage refers to doing good to other believers, but also applies in many areas of life – often, reward comes after waiting and perseverance.
Practical Steps for Parents
Model Perseverance
Children learn by example. Demonstrate patience in your daily life, whether it’s waiting in line or dealing with life’s frustrations. Instead of entertaining your children during brief waiting times, use the opportunity to teach them that waiting is a normal part of life.
Teach Delayed Gratification
Introduce the concept of waiting for rewards. This could be as simple as saving money for a toy, working towards a goal over time, or having chores to do before play time.
Encourage Perseverance in Tasks
When your child faces challenges, guide them through the process rather than solving the problem for them. This builds resilience and problem-solving skills. You can say things like, “Let’s write down some options for how we could tackle this.”
Involve Your Children in Chores and House Work
From an early age, include your children in chores and housework. With your spouse, decide on reasonable expectations for each child. Teach them how to carry out each task, as well as how to handle multi-step tasks. You don’t have to expect perfection, but you should set a standard of honest effort and increasing skill.
Share Stores of Patience and Perseverance
There are numerous stories about patience and perseverance for children of every age. Find some good books or TV shows that show characters exemplifying perseverance and read or watch them with your child. Talk about how the characters showed perseverance and patience, and what the result was.
Pray Together
Teach your child to bring their struggles to God in prayer, fostering a dependence on His timing and will.
As Christians, we recognize that our efforts alone are insufficient. We rely on God’s grace to cultivate these virtues in our children’s hearts. Philippians 2:13 reminds us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Helping a child learn patience and perseverance is a journey that requires consistent effort, prayer, and reliance on God’s grace. By integrating biblical teachings with practical life lessons, we can guide our children towards developing these crucial virtues. Remember, the goal is not perfection, but progress – each small step is a victory in shaping a child’s character for God’s glory.
Chew On This: How might learning patience and perseverance now going to help your child in the future?
