Constant Talking anyone?

I am wondering if anyone else has kids who TALK constantly, and if so, do you have any ideas for dealing with it? I am a SAHM, and I have always been pretty involved with them, talking about the things in their world, asking them questions, etc. Now I am wondering if that was a bad idea. They just seem to want to be talking all the time, thinking out loud, interrupting, etc. We just went for a hike and I watched other families whose children follow behind quietly, while mine seem to be pointing out everything and wanting a response to every thought. Have I screwed them up by trying to make them smart?

Any thoughts? I'd appreciate any, even constructive criticism...

Thanks,

Sheila

 

QUOTE(wengdddeng @ Jun 21 2009, 09:43 PM) [snapback]1363009[/snapback]
They just seem to want to be talking all the time, thinking out loud, interrupting, etc. We just went for a hike and I watched other families whose children follow behind quietly, while mine seem to be pointing out everything and wanting a response to every thought. Have I screwed them up by trying to make them smart?

Sounds like a good thing to me. I know it's more draining (irritating sometimes) to have children that are constantly talking and asking questions, but given the choice I would take a 'talker' over a 'non-talker' just about any day. One of my favourite things about Alyssa is that if she hears a word or phrase she doesn't understand she always asks for an explanation of it, I love how she wants to know things, that she has that desire to work out the meaning.
The only thing I'd think you need to work on is the interrupting thing, I still have to remind my lot sometimes to take turns speaking and let other people finish what they're saying, I can only listen to one thing at a time!

 

QUOTE(Twin nanny @ Jun 21 2009, 06:16 PM) [snapback]1363056[/snapback]
The only thing I'd think you need to work on is the interrupting thing, I still have to remind my lot sometimes to take turns speaking and let other people finish what they're saying, I can only listen to one thing at a time!


I agree with Zoe. :good: The interupting thing is the only thing that sounds like needs to be worked on. I know I'm working on it with my two and they haven't really grasped the concept. :lol:

I have talkers, especially my son. He talks and talks and talks.... but I'd rather they talk then not. I know it gets irritating/annoying at times, but ardon: we'll deal, right?

 

Yes, I can relate! Sometimes I have had to say "let's just be quiet for a few minutes" because the constant noise all day long can start to grate on my nerves. I know it might sound wrong or horrible to say I want my kids to stop talking for a few minutes, but when it's all day, no moment can seem to pass without it being filled with some sort of noise, by the end of the day I'm ready for a padded room. And every observation needs to be acknowledged "Mommy I see a bird!" and if I don't say "Yes honey, I see it too." or whatever, then it's repeated over and over until I say something. :blink:

 

I think it's totally normal. Some kids talk more than others -- I have one complete motormouth and one who is a lot quieter. But even she can talk your ear off when she gets going.

As far as the interrupting, etc., that's normal too, and I've noticed that mine are doing it more now than they did six months ago. It's like they have so many thoughts and are so excited about them, they just can't wait their turn while someone else is speaking. We work on it a lot, especially because I really need Amy to be quiet if I want to understand what Sarah is saying -- Amy is much louder and her articulation is much better, so if it comes to a shout-out, she always wins.

 

Yep, my Emilie is a little Chatty Cathy! She never stops talking! But I love it, I'd rather that than to have her not talk at all. We are working on the interrupting too.

 

My youngest (a singleton) is EXACTLY like that - he NEVER EVER stops - even in his sleep. As much as it drives me nuts and I wonder sometimes if I should have taught him to talk in the first place, I'm just doing what other posters have mentioned - working on that interrupting/taking turns part. Oh - and not SCREAMING my name when i don't respond within 2.5seconds of him calling me.

 

QUOTE(ChaoticMum @ Jun 21 2009, 10:03 PM) [snapback]1363245[/snapback]
My youngest (a singleton) is EXACTLY like that - he NEVER EVER stops - even in his sleep. As much as it drives me nuts and I wonder sometimes if I should have taught him to talk in the first place, I'm just doing what other posters have mentioned - working on that interrupting/taking turns part. Oh - and not SCREAMING my name when i don't respond within 2.5seconds of him calling me.

Yes, that too!

 

QUOTE(Snittens @ Jun 21 2009, 08:25 PM) [snapback]1363187[/snapback]
Yes, I can relate! Sometimes I have had to say "let's just be quiet for a few minutes" because the constant noise all day long can start to grate on my nerves. I know it might sound wrong or horrible to say I want my kids to stop talking for a few minutes, but when it's all day, no moment can seem to pass without it being filled with some sort of noise, by the end of the day I'm ready for a padded room. And every observation needs to be acknowledged "Mommy I see a bird!" and if I don't say "Yes honey, I see it too." or whatever, then it's repeated over and over until I say something. :blink:



Kelly, I tell Lennon that "Mommy needs a little quiet time, please let's not talk for a few minutes". It is for my sanity!! I don't see anything wrong with it. For goodness sakes, we have to be able to *think* sometimes! :lol:

 

Thanks everyone! It's just good to know I'm not alone. I think it's perfectly fine to ask for "no talking for a while," but mine have a tough time controlling themselves even after I say that!

 

I'm a special needs teacher, and I can tell you that developmentally, your kids are right on track. Even with the interrrupting. Cognitively they are still in the Narcissist stage, where they genuinely think everything is about them, and what they have to say, so they have no way of mentally processing the fact that other people want/need to talk as well. They will interrupt you, their teacher, each other, other kids, etc til they're about 5, no matter how much you correct them (even though correcting them now certainly won't hurt them any!). At that age you can begin to work more seriously on "Let other people finish their sentences please."

You're doin' fine, Mama!

 

QUOTE(Neumsy @ Jun 22 2009, 08:19 AM) [snapback]1363471[/snapback]
I'm a special needs teacher, and I can tell you that developmentally, your kids are right on track. Even with the interrrupting. Cognitively they are still in the Narcissist stage, where they genuinely think everything is about them, and what they have to say, so they have no way of mentally processing the fact that other people want/need to talk as well. They will interrupt you, their teacher, each other, other kids, etc til they're about 5, no matter how much you correct them (even though correcting them now certainly won't hurt them any!). At that age you can begin to work more seriously on "Let other people finish their sentences please."

You're doin' fine, Mama!



Thank you Becky! This is very reassuring.

 

You are so not alone. I feel like the worst mom in the world when we are taking a walk down the street and I tell my DD to "stop talking!" :lol: Some days I just cant take the constant chatter. :gah:

 

Both of mine talk a lot, but Ian asks questions ALL THE TIME! When he gets in the groove he can go for hours straight just asking follow-up questions! "What does a bird eat? Why does a bird eat worms? How do they find the worms? Do they fly with the worms? Where do worms live?......." Even "I don't know" leads to more questions! And when someone answers with a word he doesn't know, watch out! I have to tell him all the time that he isn't allowed to ask any more questions for a while. That way, he might still be talking, but I don't have to think about it too much!

 

My girls don't do this to me, mainly just to each other....but my son, Luke, would talk to me non-stop. I did make him take a time-out for me. He would talk, talk, and talk, and we would have some very creative and wondrful conversations, and then I would tell him (if we were in the car, etc)..."Okay, mommy needs a time-out, so for two songs no talking, just listen" It wasn't a big break, but it would give me a little break to catch my breath. He is still a huge talker, so I don't think they grow out of it. We went shopping just Saturday, and he talked non-stop the whole way there and the whole way back...45 minutes both ways. The kid doesn't come up for air. Plus the whole time we shopped..talk, talk, talk...but it's all good

I have had to work with him a lot on interrupting, because he has a bad habit of doing this as well, he just can't help it sometimes. He gets so excited about something he just has to say it, but as he has gotten older, he has gotten better. Just re-enforcing good manners when your in public seems to have work for him..and maturity has a lot to do with it too, the more mature they get the more they realize how to handle the talking so much.

 

I'm ashamed to say I took to turning up the volume on the radio in the car to drown them out. :blush:
I also do the umm, uhh-huh thing because they demand some sort of response.
For questions I started turning them back on them, Why do you think that is? What do you think it's for? What do you think would happen? That actually seems to have helped.
I also think they've learned to read the exasperated sound of my voice when I say, "I don't know honey." and wonder off to do something else.