As we approach the end of term both the change in the weather and the length of term tend to cause fatigue for both the children, and for us. When I saw the little quote and picture it was a reminder to me to find a little extra time to talk with and listen to the children, and hear the message beyond their words. The saying prompted me to think of the saying “Lord give me patience, but please hurry.” You and I might both agree this could be generally claimed as “The Parent’s Prayer”. In our fast-paced society and self-centred culture, it seems to me that patience is quickly disappearing and we are more and more frequently confronted with impatience and the emotions associated with this.

So what is patience? Patience is the ability to maintain self-control when something disagreeable happens. It is a virtue. (‘Patience is a virtue, catch it if you can….’) Patience can also be a gift, but, for most of us, it is a skill that has to be developed. To acquire this skill we need a great deal of practice, a portion of compromise and also some strategic goal setting.