The Significance of Patience in a Family

Family. Whether you are a biological, friends or a step family, you will face challenges. However, in this group of people you will be loved and cared for no matter what.

Families face many challenges daily. These challenges aren’t always big but usually require patience, understanding or even forgiveness so there is not conflict. I have learnt that you must endure and overcome adversity so that the good times are even better.

Failure to overcome adversity can lead to a broken family. You can feel alienated in your own home. They say family is who we should feel closest to, so why do people feel disconnected from them?This can be common for some of us in families that are always arguing or belittle each others beliefs or work.

The saying ‘through thick and thin’ can often be applied to families in contemporary society. This saying extrapolates the idea that families without patience or understanding cannot overcome adversity. This idea is evident in ‘The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time’ and ‘Black Balloon’.

We all have moments of conflict in family don’t we? But why is this? The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time explores a broken and separated family that faces similar issues as a family In contemporary society would face. Patience seems to be an underlying theme in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time.

We are told the mother died, however, it is later shown that she is very much alive…While looking for his diary Christopher stumbled upon letters from the mother that was thought to be dead. In these letters she states she moved from Swindale with the neighbour. In the letter, she apologised for leaving him and recalls that she loved Christopher but felt she did not have the patience to deal with Christopher as they were always arguing and fighting. Is it really that difficult to overcome challenges without patience? I think yes.

The theme in The Curious Incident Dog Of The Night Time is supported by the 2008 film Black Balloon. Similar to The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night Time, the child has ASD but non verbal, which is therefore, high maintenance. As you would presume, this poses a lot of challenges.

When Charlie (the boy with ASD) had a fit in the checkout counter. Originally, the older brother Thomas displayed great patience and tried to encourage him to leave, however, Charlie did not budge. As the father and brother did not have enough patience like the mother, they pinned him down and dragged him out causing a scene. I’m sure parents that are reading this have had an issue in the mall, I hope not to the same extent. What would you do if your child or sibling started doing this in the mall?

Dr. Gail Gross states that ‘When you demonstrate patience, you are also giving your child the message that he is valued and validated. And when you lose patience, you can create stress and frustration for your child’ (Gross, 2017).

Are you displaying patience for not only yourself but your kids too? Kids can make or break your family, as seen in the two texts. In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, Christopher is a major reason for the parents separation. In black balloon the family becomes closer after overcoming adversity.

So let me ask you, what can you do to improve your patience and overall your families wellbeing?

References

1. Gross, G. (2017). Parenting with patience [online] Huffpost.com. Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/parenting-with-patience_b_9380880 [Accessed 2 Sep. 2019].
2. NationalDebtRelief (2017). Debt Repayment Strategies for Struggling Families. [image] Available at: https://www.nationaldebtrelief.com/debt-repayment-strategies-families/ [Accessed 2 Sep. 2019].
3. Black balloon. (2008). [Film] Directed by E. Down. Australia: Toni Collette.
4. Haddon, M. (2003). The Curious Incident If The Dog In The Night Time. 1st ed.