Patience is a Virtue (and I need more of it!)

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most patient individual in the world.  Lately though, I've really been struggling with this where my youngest boy is concerned.

Last night, when trying to get the kids to bed, Gabe was particularly adamant about not wanting to go down for the night.  He was too busy wanting to "read" Zeke's Lego magazine and just about anything else he could think of to do besides going to sleep.  He just doesn't realize how much more tired he's going to be in the morning, when I have to get them up for school and daycare at 5:30 a.m.

In the past, when Zeke was little, I used to take the time to try and explain why he can or can't do certain things or why he got in trouble and wound up in time out.  With Gabe, it's been different.  I haven't been as patient with him, and I really need to change this.

But it's so hard!

He knows how to push my buttons, too.  And he tends to want to see how far he can go before he REALLY gets himself in trouble.  Such a little stinker, right?

So last night, after the crying and fussing and raised voices subsided, I took him onto my lap and had a little talk with him.  I get that he's only just turned 3 a couple of months ago, but you have to start somewhere.  He isn't quite at the point where he'll look you dead in the eye and really hear what you're saying to him...he's still way too distracted for that.

But I hope I got my message across.  I don't want him to think back on his formative years and only remember getting into trouble every other minute of the day.  That's a recipe for disaster somewhere later on down the road, huh?

As for Zeke, I think the patient discussions with him back in the day really have paid off.  I have to admit he's turned out to be a pretty awesome kid for his age, and Hubby and I couldn't be prouder.  I just hope little Gabe follows in his brother's footsteps and quits being so hardheaded (though I can safely say I think I know where he gets THAT from!)  :-D

Myself, I'm going to have to take the extra time to talk to this child o' mine.  His reasoning skills should be getting ready to kick in any day now (I hope!), so I need to be ready when it does.

Nobody said parenting was going to be easy, and it's times like this that really show you what a challenge it can be.

UGH!