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Losing Patience...What Do You Do?
These past few months (well actually since I had my son 7 months ago today) I feel like I don't have the patience that I used to. Maybe it's because I'm raising 2 kids of my own (my daughter will be 3 next week), maybe it's because we've been stuck inside all winter with the below zero temps and so much snow, maybe it's just me.....but I feel like I get frustrated with the kids more quickly now than I used to. Before if it happened I could blame it on pregnancy hormones 
but not anymore. I have preschoolers and after schoolers and most days they drive me nuts, especially the AS because they're all boys. I don't know if kids are just meaner now than they used to be or maybe I don't remember what it was like growing up (I'm only 29 ).
I get so angry when they don't listen. We have a sticker chart that helps sometimes, but I can only give and take away stickers so much. Like right now I have 3 of my 7 kids still awake (my daughter included!) and they keep messing with stuff and won't sleep. I don't force them to sleep, but if they don't they get super cranky in the afternoon which their parents and myself do not want.
Maybe I need more structure but they need to have free time to play too, and that's when a lot of the problems occur. Either they aren't sharing, taking toys, pushing, hitting, running, saying bad words, etc. I start out calm but it build and builds. Please understand, I would never lay a hand on a child and never have. I don't use language I shouldn't use, and I don't scream either. I do raise my voice when needed but sometimes they get so loud that I have to. I've only been doing this for 2.5 years so compared to many of you I'm still new at this and still learning.
Do you do anything to help you keep your calm? I try not to let things bother me, but I just seem to lose patience so easily. Maybe I'm not meant to work with kids
but not anymore. I have preschoolers and after schoolers and most days they drive me nuts, especially the AS because they're all boys. I don't know if kids are just meaner now than they used to be or maybe I don't remember what it was like growing up (I'm only 29 ).I get so angry when they don't listen. We have a sticker chart that helps sometimes, but I can only give and take away stickers so much. Like right now I have 3 of my 7 kids still awake (my daughter included!) and they keep messing with stuff and won't sleep. I don't force them to sleep, but if they don't they get super cranky in the afternoon which their parents and myself do not want.
Maybe I need more structure but they need to have free time to play too, and that's when a lot of the problems occur. Either they aren't sharing, taking toys, pushing, hitting, running, saying bad words, etc. I start out calm but it build and builds. Please understand, I would never lay a hand on a child and never have. I don't use language I shouldn't use, and I don't scream either. I do raise my voice when needed but sometimes they get so loud that I have to. I've only been doing this for 2.5 years so compared to many of you I'm still new at this and still learning.
Do you do anything to help you keep your calm? I try not to let things bother me, but I just seem to lose patience so easily. Maybe I'm not meant to work with kids
I gained a few kids recently and they are WILD! They aren't used to daycare and the rules. I just take control by keeping the activities moving. If I see they aren't interested in what we are doing, I transition to something else. It's a bit of work, but the behaviors are so much better than just allowing free play all day. 
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