Any tips on increasing patience?

[KronkeyCroc]

I don’t seem to have any these days. I find myself getting so easily annoyed and fed up. I find myself getting frustrated with the kids so quickly but they’re just children doing what kids do (procrastinating, being loud, being silly, squabbling) and they’re really good kids. Then I feel so bad about myself for getting frustrated and being impatient with them. It’s not just with them it’s with anything, husband, traffic, jar lid stuck, how long it takes to hang the washing out, endlessly washing the muddy dog etc etc, the list is endless.

I don’t want to be a miserable mum. I know it’s likely to be partly due to feeling overwhelmed with how busy life is. The constant never ending to do list permanently wizzing round my head. But I don’t know what can give. My husband does his fair share of chores, schools runs and hobbies. Maybe could take on a bit more of the school mental load but to be fair to him we’re pretty much equal.

Anyone got any helpful words of wisdom?

Hi
Lack of patience is also one of my main issues as a parent. I try to name the emotion as I feel it and separate myself from it, like ' my children are shrieking, oh now I can feel the frustration and irritation coming '. This morning I was proud that when my son completely lost his shit with getting his shoes on- was trying to shove his feet into them with the laces tied- and I felt the irritation rise, I just quietly asked him if he wanted help and gave him a cuddle. He immediately relaxed and felt better. I know if I had done what I really wanted to do ie shout ' for gods sake untie your laces' it would have led to an escalation of bad feelings. I try to remember that, in a purely pragmatic sense, losing my rag will not resolve the situation, it will prolong it. Dunno if that helps at all!

Watching with interest.

I find i am a better / more patient parent if I've had sleep but that's out of my control!

Will it matter in 5 minutes, 5 months and 5 years? The answer to this gives me perspective on how annoyed I should be.

I do think to myself this really doesn’t matter after, then I feel terrible I can’t calm myself in the moment. Sleep can make it worse but kids are a bit older now and I tend to get a decent nights sleep most nights.

I wake up everyday saying I’ll be better but inevitably not.