Something I struggle with.

Everybody has their unique cluster of struggles.  Whether it's self control around cake,  motovation to hit the gym, or keeping a dirty mouth in check, we all have our burdens to bear.  The first few that came to mine when I first started thinking about this post were doubt and faith and trust.  However, I have decided to avoid this post becoming religious so I will write about the next big one that comes to mind: patience.  

I am a wife, a mother, a stepmother, a childcare worker, a teacher, and a business administrator.  All of these require an exorbitant amount of patience and I often find my stores of patience to be inadequate.  

I believe that the most important people in a person's life are their family, beginning with their spouse and then their children.  I try my best to save my best and most patient self for them.  (I don't always succeed but the intention and effort is always there).  But this means that there is often no patience left for the little brat in childcare who purposefully hordes all the toys and refuses to share, or the elementary aged kid who refuses to sit still let alone pick up a pencil and work with me on his homework, and especially not for the stupid little teenage coworker who thinks she is God's gift to the company and tries to tell everybody how to do their job.  These are the ones whose names are bitter on my tongue and whose voices turn shrill in my ears.  The ones I dread having to interact with and relish their absense.  There have been several times where I have been more firm amd snappy with them than even their own parents have been.  I know because the look on their faces is one of shock that somebody wasn't handling their little snowflake ass with the kid gloves everybody else does.   

One of the hardest groups to be patient with are the parents of these difficult individuals.  The ones who ask how their little shit is doing and always expect a positive answer.  The real answer is your kid is awful and I literally count the minutes until they leave because all they do is waste my time and patience and the time of other students who are sharing me with them.  They are lazy and play dumb on purpose to get out of doing work.  Or they have been told by everybody that they are so "cute and precious" that they think they can get away with whatever they want.  

So..... it seems that in addition to struggling to be patient, I also struggle with people I'm general.  I like to think I have a long fuse but boy oh boy is that fuse attached to a giant bundle of explosives.  

What are some things that you struggle with?  Any advise to how I can stay patient with idiots and still keep my sanity?   I find that swearing helps but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.  Plus I work with children.  

Hope you had a great Monday.  This is Day 8 of the 30 day writer's challenge.  I am so far having a good time with these.  They give me something to do while sitting on the floor by the toddler bed waiting for the 18 month old to fall asleep.  Make sure you subscribe / follow my blog, and leave comments so I know somebody is out there.