Do any other toddlers out there REPEAT themselves?

OK, I looked online for information about this, but could not find any.

I am assuming it is a "normal" part of this age called toddlerhood.

My boys repeat themselves to me ALL the time and it makes me feel :wacko: by midday.

It goes on all day, over every little thing they do. They will repeat themselves until I say it back to them.

For example:
~Ryan will get in his chair to eat and say "I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair""I in my chair" etc......until I say "ok, you are in your chair"
~Colin will have his shoes on to go outside and I will tell him we are going outside and he will still stand there and say "I go outside""I go outside""I go outside""I go outside""I go outside""I go outside".....until I again acknowledge him and repeat that we are going outside.

These boys get interaction from me all day long. We don't watch TV (DVD's on occasion), we go out daily, we read constantly, they have my full attention.

SO WHY DO THEY DO THIS???????!!!!!!! Has anyone else dealt with this??? How did you handle it??? Should I ignore it (which I have tried but by the 10th time they say it I HAVE to say it back or risk :shok: )

:help:

 

Please don't hate me but I had to chuckle about the repeat in your subtitle.

I find K&K do that on occasion when they are anticipating a response but don't get one. I, of course, didn't realize they were looking for a response so they would repeat. I do think it is normal. I don't think it has to do with general attention just that they think they are making conversation with you and a conversation requires a response from a second party, KWIM?

 

QUOTE(Dianne @ Jul 26 2007, 01:12 PM) [snapback]344583[/snapback]
I don't think it has to do with general attention just that they think they are making conversation with you and a conversation requires a response from a second party, KWIM?


That is SUCH a good point Dianne, I didn't even think of it from that perspective. Boy, that really helps reframe this whole situation in my mind, thank you!

 

I agree that they are just looking for you to respond, or ackowledge what they say. I know already how it feels to sound like a broken record all day long!

 

YES!!! Bea does it all the time, Ainsley not so much. If Bea wants something, like say she wants me to read a book, she will repeat "Mama read book" until I start to read it, even though I am clearly in the motions of going to read it; opening the book, sitting down, and even though I DO give her a response "yes, I will read the book", she stil keeps it up until it start reading it.
She also does the repeating an observation like "Cat on chair!" And yes, it does make me want to scream sometimes. 8P

 

Wow - this post came on a morning where I was just pulling my hair out over the repeating thing. My son is almost 22 months and he does this repeating thing all the time - even when I do answer him. Sometimes he stops when I answer him, but I find if he doesn't understand the response I gave him he will keep asking the question. For example this morning on my way to drop him at daycare he noticed that the tractor that we usually see on the way was gone. So he asked "Where'd the tractor go?" I answered "I don't know" and he proceeded to repeat it no less than ten times even though I answered him every time. I think it was his way of processing my answer - but so annoying none the less. Finally I stopped answering him and he stopped repeating it. I definitely think at this point they are thrilled to be able to make conversation with us, but since they only have a limited vocabulary they stick with what they know and just say that over and over again. On a similar note - do your's say "Huh?" or "What?" after everything you say? Mine has been doing this for 3 months and it is another one that drives you crazy. I've learned that while 50% of the time he just says it to drive me nuts, 50% of the time he says it because he can't understand my answer. When I reword it into something simpler for a toddler to understand he stops saying it. I love that he can communicate with me, but some days - ugh! 8P

 

MINE do!!!

I try to respond to them quickly so they don't keep repeating themselves!! They are mostly looking for acknowledgement...and that's a good thing. However, when it's repetitive requests for food while I'm trying to get dinner on the table, then I put my foot down. All my kids have learned that when mommy is getting dinner on the table they need to wait quietly in their chairs and not continually ask for things. They still do occasionally but dh and I remind them that they need to be quiet and wait for us to get everything ready. And they usually do at least change the topic...like talk to each other about something else, something silly, whatever.

 

I get constant requests for certain things from my DD - "Mommy, I want my hat (shoes, jacket, etc.)." Over and over and over and over. Even if it is 90 degrees outside she wants her coat. Silly girl. So, I after responding to her requests several times, I am beginning to think that she is playing a game to see if I will give in. Just recently, I stopped responding to her question, and ask her, "Mommy just gave you an answer. Do you remember what I said? Can you tell mommy what the answer was?" And, then I see if she is listening, which she usually knows the answer and will even tell me why - for instance "I don't need a coat. It's too hot outside." And, she will even laugh about it. So, maybe she thinks it's a game.

All I can tell you is that is what my DD is going through. Since our kids are about the same age, I thought I would give you another idea in case you have one of those "ready to pull your hair out" days. I can totally relate.

Thanks for posting. Let's me know I'm not alone too.

 

Yes, yes, yes. And I agree that they are just looking for a response. They think that they are having a conversation with you and so you have to acknowledge every comment that they make. As long as I say, "Right, you..." or "I see, you..." that is the end of it. They are very proud of themselves at this age and they need that CONSTANT validation.

 

OMG, Arwen does this too!!! She will say ball? ball? ball? ball? ball? until I say yes, ball. Elmo? Elmo? Elmo? Elmo? yes, Elmo. Shoes? Shoes? Shoes? Shoes? No, honey no shoes now. No bye bye. Bye? Bye?Bye?Bye? No, baby, no bye bye. At first it was funny but now it gets annoying so I just have to take a deep breath and say the same things over and over calmly. Yesterday I snapped a little and said YES!!! BALL!!!! She just kind of looked at me like what?? and I smiled back and saide yes, honey ball. I felt bad.

 

Yes, my oldest use to to that. Now she asks "why, why why?" all day long. Just wait! It really makes me want to pull my hair out!

 

My Nate does it more than his brother....He will repeat what he is telling me until I repeat it back to him correctly. If I say what I think he said and it's wrong he will continue to repeat himself until I can figure out what he is saying. Sometimes it drives me bonkers!

 

Mine are just beginning to do this. They aren't repeating whole phrases, just 1 word. Mikayla will say, Ma Ma and point to me. I say, "Yes you are right, I'm Ma ma, I'm mommy." Then a second later she points to me and says again, "Ma, Ma....Ma, Ma." This goes on for quite a while or until I can distract her with an activity.

Michael's new word that he repeats is, "turn...turn...turn" Like he want it to be HIS turn. I say, "Yes, Ok it is Michael's turn now." He continues to repeat, "turn, turn...turn!" I know how you feel...it drives me crazy too sometimes, but just think...they are overlearning their words and it will really help with language development!!

Bridget