Being a great parent requires educating oneself on the normal and expected stages of child development.
One of the most heartbreaking things I see as a family life educator is when a parent gets upset with their child for behaving in a way that is normal for their developmental stage. Each stage of childhood (and adulthood, by the way) has it’s irritating or frustrating parts, ie: a toddler who wants to do everything himself, even when you are already ten minutes late getting out the door; a third grader who wants to tell you every detail of her day while you are trying to get dinner on the table and finish some last minute details on a report that’s due tomorrow; a teen who is sweet as pecan pie when she needs something from you, but turns into devil spawn as soon as she doesn’t.
Despite their annoyances, these behavior traits are normal and necessary for growth. If every parent would take the time to learn about their children’s current and future stage of growth they might find they have more compassion and patience.