Training Perseverance

How often have you started doing something and then switched to something else or gotten tired of routine tasks and put them in the "long drawer"? Any work is good when it's brought to completion and brings benefit. But it happens that the very process of performing some tasks brings pleasure and satisfaction from participating in it.

Small children are not taught perseverance, and it can be very difficult for them to concentrate on performing one task. They can easily leave it and begin doing something else, then the next thing, and so on.

Abundance of games and toys doesn't teach the baby concentration on one thing, and when the internal energy source works at full capacity, then they are capable of tirelessly taking on everything, helping everyone, participating in everything, and they will still have enough strength to engage in new activities and perform them wholeheartedly.

But such pastime with everything at once without any result can form frivolous attitude toward work in the child's consciousness, and later it will be very difficult for them to concentrate on one task and bring it to completion.

One should consider the child's age before loading them with long-term games or long stories. It's necessary to give the baby what they are able to absorb and do, and then encourage them for attentiveness and perseverance.

Concentration and attentiveness are not formed in one go. This is quite a prolonged process in which parents must understand some rules of their behavior and not violate them.

The most important rule that father and mother should take to heart is: 1) not to distract their child from any activity they are involved in unnecessarily, if it doesn't cause damage to household property and is safe for life and health of both the child and everyone around.

Watch that the child's activity develops their creative abilities and doesn't make them dependent on some things and games.
That children's activities don't contradict biblical principles, don't teach the child evil, don't evoke spirit of competition and don't form pride.
Mental activities should alternate with physical activity.
With successful completion of any assigned activities, it's necessary to increase time and load for accomplishing next tasks with age.
Daily routine helps the child concentrate on certain tasks at the time prescribed by schedule and bring necessary work to completion.
Activity should correspond to the child's age and strength.
After completion or non-completion of this or that task, one should discuss experienced emotions and understand the child's mood to know next time what they like, what they willingly do, and what not so much. It's also important to discuss achieved results and praise the child for success.
Give the child games that develop attention concentration and perseverance. For example, assembling puzzles, solving brain teasers, building with construction sets.
It's important to watch that there are no distracting factors or noises.
There should be personal example from parents of how started work should be brought to completion.
Set goals before children and help achieve them through concentration on them, getting pleasure from task completion.
If you invent a lengthy task, then divide it into parts so the child doesn't get overtired. Take breaks and change types of activities.
With age it's necessary to transition from simple games to more serious activities. Such as learning to play musical instruments, solving mathematical problems, sewing, reading aloud, food preparation. Explain this by the fact that such activities bring benefit in long-term perspective.
Fresh air, sunlight, physical activity, clean water, tasty and healthy food, moderation in everything, rest and faith in God—all these factors with correct spirit and healthy body contribute to perseverance development.
Biblical examples from the lives of faith heroes can be powerful stimulus for imitation.
Avoid assigning many important tasks and assignments simultaneously.
If the child is stressed, then one shouldn't expect perseverance and concentration on useful things from them.
Support and concentrate the child's interest not only on goal achievement, but also on joy from the very process of task completion.
Be interested in the child's tastes and interests and find such activities that would be desirable for them.
Pay attention to children's curiosity and interest them in what interests you too.
During common dinner or bedtime, or other usual events, it's necessary to stop all activities and go do what's prescribed by household order.
Don't pressure the child and don't force them to be persevering when they don't want to engage in something. This can produce reverse effect. Accordingly, there should be no threats, abusive words and violence from parents.

If you think computer games are useful for mental development and capable of forming children's perseverance, then soon you will understand that this attention concentration will only concern the computer or phone screen, and in other cases absence of living interest in surrounding things will manifest. Television programs also don't develop perseverance, but teach many bad things.

If your son is concentrated on painting your cat in all colors of the rainbow, and he intends to bring this matter to completion, then it's worth interfering with this and interrupting such activity. But when he sits coloring a notebook and bit his tongue from pleasure, then under no circumstances should you hug and kiss him from tenderness. He can immediately switch to you and leave his valiant work. Let him engage in his business. He can be praised for this and some strokes in the avant-garde composition can be corrected, but it's best not to distract his attention to yourself unnecessarily, but wait until he himself considers his work accomplished and runs to boast about it.

We are arranged so that by doing something with our hands and achieving successful result, we contribute to release of happiness and joy hormones into our body's blood, which very satisfactorily affects thoughts and feelings, and such state gladdens the heart. Children are very receptive to such processes in their body and with pleasure want to experience this again.

Your desire to train perseverance in the child should be in harmony with other upbringing methods as well.

Perseverance is the ability to concentrate on some work for prolonged time without distraction by external factors. This skill helps bring started work to completion, not abandoning it halfway.

Study of the Plan of Salvation requires special attention concentration and focus on important questions. Children accustomed to perseverance will be more diligent in this matter, and more beautiful revelations of God's providence will open to their view. Mind accustomed to concentration on small tasks will also be able to be attentive and prudent in more complex questions.

Questions for Reflection

Please read Eccl. 7:8,16; 9:7-9; Prov. 20:11; 22:6; Lam. 3:26-27; Eph. 4:1-3; Titus 2:6-8; 2 Tim. 3:14; 4:2 in light of this chapter.
What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?
What did you understand from this chapter?
What is perseverance? What other words fit this definition?
Why is it necessary to teach children perseverance and attentiveness?
What can destroy a child's concentration on one task?
Why is it better not to touch children when they are busy with useful activities?
Should one consider the fact that during busy play, children very attentively listen to all conversations of father and mother?
What awaits parents in the future if they don't teach their child perseverance?
What games and activities form perseverance in a child?
Does a child's frozen gaze on a monitor screen indicate that they are persevering?
What benefit do you think perseverance will bring to a child in the future?
Why is it necessary to alternate mental and physical activities?
Are you a persevering person? If yes, how did you determine this?