Dialogue vs competing monologues

So, I've got a couple of chatty Cathys who have yet to grasp the concept of taking turns while speaking. We have a couple of strategies that seem to be working well (mostly we point out to the interrupter that her sister was speaking & that she needs to wait her turn) but I was wondering if anyone else had some ideas for teaching this important, hearing saving skill?

I will confess, sometimes we just let them ramble on over top of each other though cause it's pretty freaking cute (and sometimes results in some very hilarious over laps).

 

We just point out the interrupter as well "I'm talking to Daddy right now, I'll talk to you when I"m finished" or "Jack was talking to me first so when he's done you can have your turn" It works pretty well

 

Me too! Don't you also love it when they are so eager to tell you something that their words are just tumbling out and falling over oneanother.

We just use our normal reminder that we need to take turns with speaking just as we take turns with everything else.

 

I make sure they each have a time when they each have a turn. I do this by announcing who's turn it is and then if the other interrupts, I tell them their brother was talking, it is time to listen. I find this is harder to enforce at dinner time for some reason but we are trying. As for the talking over thing, it is cute but when three do it, it becomes painful to your senses.

 

My DDs are 6 and we're still working on this. One thing that helps is to somehow acknowledge the one you know is waiting (I usually put my hand on her arm -- unless we're in the car, of course).

The toughest aspect of that, at your kids' age, was that the one who had to wait would always forget what she wanted to say and then get really mad about it. That, at least, has gotten better.

 

I tell the one who interrupts to put their thought on pause and let the first person finish. Believe me, my mother drilled that skill into my head from a very young age, there is nothing that bothers her more is when someone interrupts a conversation (unless it's an emergency). I just figure being consistent about it is the best way to go and eventually they will get it.