How to Teach Delayed Gratification in Children

Research shows that waiting is necessary and helpful for kids and adults. Here’s how to teach delayed gratification in your children.

How to Teach Delayed GratificationDo you want one marshmallow now, or two in five minutes?

That was the question Stanford University psychologist Walter Mischel asked several children in the 1960s. His now-famous marshmallow test studied whether kids would delay a reward, and how they compared to those who didn’t.

In these marshmallow experiments, he gave the children two options:

  • They could eat the marshmallow in front of them now, but if they did, they would only get that one marshmallow.
  • Or they could wait a few minutes for a second marshmallow, which they would only get if they didn’t eat the first that’s sitting in front of them.

Turns out, the children who resisted the immediate rewards of the first marshmallow to wait for the second enjoyed greater success as adults. These kids became adults who learned how to save, wait, and cope with uncomfortable situations.

This makes you wonder: Can we encourage delayed gratification and self-control so they develop these skills?

How to teach delayed gratification in children

Mischel says that genetics play a huge role, as it seems to do with most everything about parenting. But we can still contribute to how well kids can delay immediate gratification for a greater reward and develop impulse control. The simplest way?

Have them wait.

You see, the children who resisted were able to do so because they found ways to distract themselves and resist temptation. They used all sorts of ways, from pulling on their pigtails to tucking their hands under their legs.

How is it that some of them turned to these creative techniques while others didn’t? Mischel says the kids who delayed gratification knew how to wait.

Kids will find ways to distract and entertain themselves, but when we fulfill every need right away, they lose the opportunities to do so.

I can certainly relate. When my son was an infant, I rushed right in to pick him up at the slightest whimper without giving him a chance to settle down. I’d prepare breakfast for him as a toddler before he woke up so he wouldn’t have to wait and get cranky.

I wanted to avoid the inconvenience (and headache) of an impatient child.

But it turns out, kids benefit from waiting, even if it feels unpleasant to everyone involved. And the good news? We can turn to simple activities to encourage self-regulation and develop the ability to delay gratification for long-term rewards. Here are a few ideas:

Impulse Control for Kids

1. Cook and bake with your child

Cooking together not only teaches valuable life skills and math. Your child also learns that many of the things she wants, including meals, take time to make, and that meals don’t appear just because she’s hungry.

Since she’s helping you cook and bake, she’s even more invested in the result. She learns to value the process of stirring the batter as well as the final product of eating the cookies. As they say, it’s the journey, not the destination.

Plus, the act of cooking itself distracts her from wanting the food right now. As hungry as she may be, she develops the skill of doing something else to make waiting for a treat more bearable.

Free email challenge: Looking for actionable steps and quick wins in parenting? The Better Parenting 5-Day Challenge is for parents who know they want to improve but need that little nudge and supportive guidance to do so.

Over the course of 5 days, we’ll tackle one actionable tip per day you can do right away that will transform the way you raise your child. This is your chance to challenge yourself and make the changes you’ve been meaning to make. Join my newsletter and sign up today—at no cost to you:

Better Parenting 5-Day Challenge

2. Don’t offer a snack at your child’s every request

One of the easiest ways to help your child delay gratification and learn patience is to have him wait for food.

If he says he wants a snack 30 minutes before dinner, have him wait until the food is ready. He learns there’s a time for meals, and it’s okay to wait a few minutes to eat. Not giving him food right away (or anything else for that matter) every time he asks also prevents him from growing up feeling entitled.

The best part? He now has an opportunity to find ways to keep himself occupied before meal time. Rather than fulfilling every need the minute they arise, he learns how to cope with the discomfort of waiting.

One simple way to have him wait and avoid a meltdown is to establish set meal times. He’ll know when to expect to eat and will have consistent rules and meal times to guide him.

3. Teach your child not to interrupt conversations

When you’re talking to another person, don’t let your child interrupt. This is yet another fantastic exercise not just in being respectful, but waiting your turn.

Pause and say, “I’m talking to so-and-so right now. Let me finish first and then it can be your turn to talk.” Other times, holding up your hand or finger as you finish your conversation is enough to signal to him to wait.

This doesn’t have to be cold, either. You can acknowledge his presence by placing a hand on his back, or say he has to wait with a smile on your face. He learns the importance of turn-taking and waiting, even if he has the urge to speak.

4. Encourage independent time

Why is it important to let your child play alone?

The ability to wait relies on finding creative ways to make that time more bearable. Independent play provides the opportunity to entertain your child and develop creativity.

Let’s say she says she’s bored. It’s tempting to jump in with an activity to squelch that boredom. But by allowing her to feel bored—and play alone regularly—you encourage her to find ways to make waiting more pleasant.

Rather than relying on you to tell her what to do, she’ll develop her imagination and tinker with distractions. She can even pass the time in typical “boring” settings, like a waiting room or standing in line. These lessons will help her develop the ability to delay gratification for a better reward.

5. Say “no” to your child

The funny thing with saying “no” and setting limits is that your child actually needs them. Sure, he fights it at the moment, but the alternative—letting him get everything he wants—doesn’t feel good to him.

Setting boundaries for certain behavior reassures him that you care enough to enforce limits rather than agreeing all the time.

The happy balance is setting limits while still providing the freedom to explore. Think of horses in a fence: you need something to contain the horses from running wild, but with enough space to move around.

Be firm where it matters, whether it’s buying impulsive toys or establishing set bedtimes, and allow flexibility for the rest.

How to Set Boundaries with Kids

6. Have your child create wish lists

Writing lists is an excellent habit to establish now, even in childhood. Your child learns to plan for the future instead of expecting everything he wants right away.

Lists help him prioritize and see which items he truly wants. You can help him write lists for special items he’d like to have, with the agreement to only buy one or two. These limits force him to avoid instant gratification, like saving enough money or waiting for the holidays.

Lists also teaches him how to save to buy a coveted item or wait for an upcoming event, a skill he’ll need in adulthood. He’ll develop the discipline to set money aside for important but long term goals like retirement or a down payment.

Conclusion

Having your child wait is a work in progress, and he might show his displeasure. But making him wait promotes delayed gratification and better success in the future.

The best part is that you can teach delayed gratification through simple, daily activities.

Cooking together and having him wait for meal times teaches patience. Playing independently develops the creativity to cope with the discomfort of boredom. Setting limits as well as writing lists teaches him that not everything comes instantly.

And that sometimes, learning delayed gratification can be the skill we need for success—and not just a second marshmallow—later in life.

Get more tips:

Don’t forget: Join my newsletter and sign up for the Better Parenting 5-Day Challenge:

Better Parenting 5-Day Challenge

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Love your list of suggestions. Would you please elaborate on which one is appropriate for which age range? Thanks so much!

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Thanks! These are appropriate for the toddler age and up.