How do I encourage patience during circle time when my child wants to speak first? 

Parenting Perspective 

When your child insists on speaking first during circle time, it is easy to feel both proud of their enthusiasm and concerned about their impulsiveness. Their eagerness shows confidence, but learning to wait before speaking teaches emotional discipline, empathy, and respect for others, which are qualities that will last long beyond the classroom. The goal is not to suppress their voice, but to help them channel it through patience and an awareness of timing. 

Understand Their Eagerness 

Children who rush to speak often feel a mixture of excitement, pride, or a fear of being overlooked. They may believe that if they wait, they will be forgotten. Seeing their behaviour through this compassionate lens can help you to respond with warmth instead of frustration. When you meet their emotional need first, it becomes much easier to guide their behaviour calmly. 

Acknowledge Their Enthusiasm, Then Guide 

Begin by acknowledging the positive aspect of their behaviour. 

‘I love how eager you are to share your ideas.’ 

Then, you can add a sense of balance to the conversation. 

‘Let us also practise being a great listener. That is how leaders show respect.’ 

This approach helps to keep their confidence intact while introducing emotional maturity as a skill that is worth celebrating. 

Practise Turn-Taking at Home 

You can rehearse the scenario at home so that your child can become more comfortable with the feeling of waiting. Gather your family members or even some soft toys and take turns speaking. You might say, ‘Let us all have a turn to share something. Today, you can go second.’ 

By rotating their turn regularly and praising the times when they wait patiently, you are creating a safe and familiar environment for them to practise this important skill. 

Provide a Tangible Tool for Waiting 

For younger children, concrete visuals can be very helpful. You could suggest a small ‘patience pebble’ or a smooth stone that they can hold during circle time. 

‘When you hold this pebble, you can take a deep breath and wait until your teacher calls your name.’ 

This simple tool transforms waiting into an action, something they can do rather than just endure. 

Teach a Calm Inner Script 

Help your child to develop a form of self-talk that can replace their impatience with confidence. 

• ‘I will get my turn soon.’ 

• ‘I can listen first and still share my idea.’ 

This quiet mental habit helps to build their emotional independence, teaching them that being heard is a certainty, not something fragile. 

Celebrate Listening as a Strength 

At home, you can talk about good listening as a strength. 

‘Do you know what I liked today? You listened to your friend’s story all the way through without interrupting.’ 

When your child feels praised for their patience, not just their expression, they will begin to value listening as a part of belonging. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, patience and self-restraint are qualities that elevate a person’s character. True leadership and wisdom are shown through the ability to wait, listen, and allow others to have their voice before speaking. When you guide your child towards calm participation, you are nurturing patience (sabr) and good manners (adab), two traits that are beloved to Allah Almighty. 

Patience and Humility in the Noble Quran 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 153: 

‘O those of you who are believers, seek assistance (from Allah Almighty) through resilience and prayer, indeed, Allah (Almighty) is with those that are resilient.‘ 

This verse teaches that patience is not a passive quality; it is an active strength. Helping your child to practise patience in small, daily moments, like waiting to speak in class, is a way of training their heart in a quality that brings them nearer to Allah. 

The Prophet’s ﷺ Teaching on Listening and Turn-Taking 

It is recorded in Sunan Nisai, Hadith 5683, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The best of you are the best in character.’ 

This hadith beautifully captures the essence of respectful communication. Waiting to speak is not a silence that is born of fear, but the discipline of respect. When your child learns to pause during circle time, they are following a Prophetic manner that values both their own voice and a sense of order. 

Patience during circle time is the seed of a lifelong respect. Each time your child waits, listens, and then speaks with calmness, they are strengthening both their character and their confidence. 

Over time, they will discover that waiting does not mean being forgotten; it means being ready. They will learn that true confidence is not about being the first to speak, but about being thoughtful. In that balance of eagerness and restraint, your child will reflect the beautiful calm and courtesy that Islam calls adab, which is the harmony between the heart, good manners, and faith.