A high strung, overly sensitive child who has difficulty with change would be more 'naturally' impatient. But parents can start early to encourage and nurture patience in their children. Even from infancy, a parent can allow the child to wait for a short time and then reward the youngster for doing so nicely. Distraction works well for young children. It's why restaurants have coloring books and crayons to busy the child who is waiting for food.
Parents can always bring along a game book for times when they have to wait.
As children grow, parents can reason with their child. Even children as young as kindergarten will select a larger reward for waiting over a smaller, instant reward. Dr. McGill suggests parents can polish their own patience skills while teaching their children. Instead, ask your child to say 'I can do this,' and then the two of you together can walk through it, starting at step one. Self-talking is an important way that we use to deal with frustration.