How can you tell they’ve got it: Patience and Delayed Gratification?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Wait for their turn in a game or activity without constant complaints; Describe what they do to help themselves wait, such as thinking about something else; Explain why sometimes we have to wait and that it is a skill they can practise. Or just try it together: If your child has to wait their turn for something they really want — like a go on the iPad or being served dinner — can they wait without a big fuss?

Personal & Social Development Self-Regulation & Resilience Ages 5–7

Patience and Delayed Gratification

Your child can wait for something they want without a big fuss, like waiting their turn. They know waiting is a skill they can practise.

In curriculum terms

Wait for things they want without becoming very distressed — practising patience and delayed gratification in everyday situations like waiting their turn, waiting for a treat, or waiting for help

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Wait for their turn in a game or activity without constant complaints
Describe what they do to help themselves wait, such as thinking about something else
Explain why sometimes we have to wait and that it is a skill they can practise

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Try this together

If your child has to wait their turn for something they really want — like a go on the iPad or being served dinner — can they wait without a big fuss?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Words for Big Feelingsages 5–8Patience and waiting practice requires understanding the vocabulary of coping and managing big feelings

Simple Calming Strategiesages 5–7Patience benefits from calming strategies when waiting is hard

Patience and Delayed Gratificationthis skill · ages 5–7

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1).

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2HP2P06low confidenceHealth and Physical Education · Levels 1 and 2 · Personal, Social and Community Health – Health Education strand

VC2HP4P02low confidenceHealth and Physical Education · Levels 3 and 4 · Personal, Social and Community Health – Health Education strand

VC2HPFP06low confidenceHealth and Physical Education · Foundation · Personal, Social and Community Health – Health Education strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Coping with Life Changesages 5–7 Learning from Mistakesages 5–7 Simple Calming Strategiesages 5–7 Words for Big Feelingsages 5–8

All Self-Regulation & Resilience skills →