Patience, Pennies & Parenting

Sometimes I feel like I have no patience and I feel sorry for my kids that they got me as their mom. I yell; I snap; I nag; I get tired; I get lazy; I just want them to go to bed; I like time away from them; I secretly have favorites depending on the day.

And then I see a cup sitting on the counter with 2 pennies in it.

The kids wanted to see how long it would take for the pennies to turn green. The cup has been sitting on the counter for over three months and I haven’t dumped it yet. ( That’s pretty impressive for me considering I’ve been known to clear glasses while my husband is still drinking out of them.)

That’s when I remember that I am more patient than I give myself credit for. And I need to focus on the other 85% of the time when I don’t yell; I don’t nag; I want to be with my kids, and I leave pennies on my counter for months at a time.

We all are more than we think we are.

We check the pennies often and still no sign of green. I haven’t had the heart to tell them this is going to take forever because I believe in a little discovery learning. When they get frustrated with the pennies or start to have questions, that’s when I ‘ll bust out some science experiment and we’ll turn those pennies green.

I remember that giving kids time to learn at their own pace takes patience too.

I read a quote recently that really helps me on those days that I feel down on my patience and my parenting: “Parents only fail when they stop trying.” I guess since the pennies are still out; I’m still trying. I’m pretty sure you’re still trying too.