To your toddler, a minute can seem like an eternity. Toddlers live for the moment, and they want everything “now”. Toddlers haven’t yet learned that all good things come to those who wait. To your toddler, all good things come to those who demand. Your toddler’s sense of time and patience may actually take several years to fully develop, which can also put a serious strain on your patience.

Listed below are some simple suggestions you might want try to help make the wait a little easier.

• Make sure it’s worth making him wait. It may be tempting to make your toddler wait for something he has asked for on principle, it isn’t always fair or realistic. Hunger and thirst, for example, are very pressing issues for your toddler that requires an immediate resolution. If your toddler is hungry a half hour before dinner, offer him a nutritious snack, such as a few apple slices, that will take the edge off his hunger without spoiling his appetite.

• Create a diversion. If the wait is legitimate or necessary, try to make it pass more quickly with an entertaining distraction. If you are in the car on the way home and your toddler wants his favorite teddy bear “now!”, for example, a song or game might buy enough time to get your toddler home to his beloved bear.

• Use a timer. If you need five more minutes to finish paying bills before you can take your toddler to the park to play, try setting a timer and let him watch it until it dings. This will give him a sense of control. Once the time goes off, praise your toddler for his patience and take him to the park.

• Out of sight, out of mind. If you can’t get something out of your toddler’s mind, try to get it out of his sight. If your toddler wants something he can’t or shouldn’t have at the moment, try to physically separate him from the object.

• Set a good example. If it is time for your toddler to take a bath, but he is engrossed in his favorite game, be willing to wait a minute or two, if time isn’t of the essence. Tell your toddler you will wait a minute or two for him to finish the game. If he sees that you are patient with him, he will be more likely to learn to be patient, as well.

It may take a few years for your toddler to learn patience. If your toddler is demanding everything “now”, try these helpful hints to encourage patience. With any luck, you will be putting your toddler on the path toward becoming a patient and understanding adult.