We know no two are the same, even if they are siblings. I am blessed with two boys, they 5 years apart, but I remember my eldest to be the quietest baby ever. I had to check on him every 10 minutes when he slept, and he was such a peaceful baby when awake too. He only started getting noisy and hyper around the age of 3 years old.
My youngest, almost a year old this October, has been a very vocal, and now very active baby. Some days it can be too much to handle with other commitments or chores that need to be done or just when the stress of life weighs just too heavy at times.

We get annoyed, angry, impatient and sometimes we take it out on them and feel completely guilty about it afterward and make it up with extra hugs and kisses and scolding yourself that it won't ever happen again. But we are human and make mistakes and raising kids is no easy task.

We will mess up again and again, but we can always try to better ourselves in some way to at least try and make fewer mistakes by being more patient with our challenging, strong-willed, little rascals ;)

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HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU BE MORE PATIENT

• Get enough Sleep - For some this can be challenging if you need work late or need to wake up every few hours for your baby. But try going to bed early as possible or sneak in a nap during the day.
• Have some ME-Time - Everyone needs a minute to themselves to gather your sanity and to touch base with who you are outside of being a parent, which brings me to my next point...
• Hobbies! - Having a hobby that helps calm you is a great way to relax and also to have some you-time. For some, it can blogging, writing, painting, reading, cooking, baking, knitting, or simply just watching a few episodes of your favorite TV Show.
• Don't Punish when Angry...Ever! - Admittedly, this is a hard one at times because when emotions run high, this is when you react fastest, so it may take some training of the mind to take a step back, maybe go to your room, lie down till you feel calm before you address the issue at hand giving your child a way to learn and express their emotions in a calm way as well.
• Not so many Rules Mom! - Say whaaaat?! Yes, you heard me right. Kids are young and need to explore the limits of the world around them on their own, it's the best way for them to learn. Set your rules of absolute no-no's, and stick with them till your little bug is bigger to handle more rules. Setting too many rules for a young child will only stress you out more too causing you more grievance.
• Routine- Every child needs to routine and this helps you too to help make the day go smoothly with what to expect next more or less. And if the current routine makes you stressed, switch it up, kids won't mind as they can very flexible and adapt quickly.
• Messy is Good - I like a clean and tidy house, and just when I got used to my 5-year-old picking up after himself, my almost 1-year-old gives hurricane Katrina a run for her money!! But I kept telling myself it's a problem for later, will pick up before bedtime. And besides, as long as your house is clean but everything is lying around, you know your kids had fun and went to bed happy.
• Stick to your Word - Saying NO is a way of setting boundaries and your kids won't always like it and give you tears or lots of puppy dog faces, but don't change your NO to a YES when they do as this will lead them to believe they will always have their way and you lose your authority. You are the guardian or parent and you need to lead, they may be sad now but this will teach them to be good leaders too someday.
• Compromise - Since you can't get what you want or when you want it, it is sometimes good to compromise. Saying Yes to play games when they cleaned their rooms for example. This will help you as they will feel they are getting what they wanted whilst you also got what you asked them to do. Everybody Wins :)
• Feed your Spirit - For some this will be yoga, others it's staying connected with their religion/belief. In some wonderful way after connecting with your inner being you feel relaxed, at peace, and stronger to take on any challenge.
• Big Picture - Whether you are a teacher, guardian or parent or everything combined, take a step back and look at how much happiness the little kiddos gave you and how blessed you are to have a family or why you chose to go into the profession of child care. Some days seem impossible and too much to handle, but don't blame yourself for those feelings, we are only human and everyone has a limit, take time to recharge and appreciate where you are in your life with your little energetic, strong-minded angels.
  
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How to Teach Children to be Calm

• Be Prepared- When going to the super supermarket or a trip to the dentist, always be prepared for snacks and activities to keep them occupied. For me, going to the market I will put my kids in the trolley, the market is full of snacks if they allow you to pay after they have finished snacking and play games on the phone.
• Whisper - Kids need to know everything, so if you whisper, you will grab their attention more rather than raising your voice, whispering is like a game where they think they are the only one's in on the sectret.
• Make the runners rest - Children love running, so if you need them to take a pause, make a game out of tip-toeing or play statue, when they run and you say stop, they must pose like a funny statue and see who can hold their pose the longest.
• Give them an outlet - At the end of the day, kids are kids and they need to be kids and enjoy their childhood. Give them the time of day to get the screaming and running out of their system and then you can say they can calm down now. And when it's out of their system you have some extra time and quiet for yourself or they can do their homework without fidgeting.
• Be present - Ever heard yourself say the kids this and the kids that...where were you? Busy on your phone, computer, doing work or chores around the house. You need to be involved in their little lives as you are a big part of it. They need you there even if they don't know.
• Expressing Emotions - Sometimes when we are busy, and they come to us wanting to talk or ask qeustions we say "Not now." Yes they need to learn to wait sometimes, but just take a look at your child's face or ask what it is about to determine if they really need your attention right now, then rather take the time to sit down so your child can value the importance of expressing themselves (no matter how small the issue seems for an adult) and this teaches them to understand their own emotions and know they can always rely on you to be there.
• Bedtime Routine - I don't know about you, but my sons don't just fall asleep, only if they really outdid themselves and their energy is depleted. My eldest enjoyes a story and prayer before bedtime, and my baby loves me singing to him or atleast a little music in the background, not the type of baby who falls asleep in utter silence, too nosey for that! But this helps your kiddos have a good night's rest and wake up refreshed without the mood.

"Peaceful Parents. Happy Kids"

And remember, even adults should apologize if they wronged a child. You lead by example and even kids need to be respected.

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