How do you teach them to be quiet?

My DS talks constantly. I'm glad he is learning, but there are times that he needs to learn to be quiet. I've tried demonstrating how to whisper, but he just talks normally. I've said "be quiet" and "shhh" but don't really think he understands what I mean. I've even tried putting my hand over his mouth, but he just talks louder.

How do you teach a child what it means to be quiet? I really have no clue.

 

We had to demonstrate the VERY LOUD OUTSIDE VOICE, the normal inside voice, and the very quiet church voice (whisper). We would practise our voices at times when it could be just a game.

Marissa

 

I think mine are somewhat grasping this concept! A little off topic, but on the same note, my daughter shushes. She will finish nursing and then knows she has to be quiet, so she'll start shushing. One night, when I put DS in his crib, I heard SHHHH.. coming from the other crib. After I went upstairs, with every creak of the floor boards, every noise from her brother, a resounding SHHHH would happen! LOL IT was quite amusing! So, they are kind of learning through living.

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ Jul 12 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]328497[/snapback]
I think mine are somewhat grasping this concept! A little off topic, but on the same note, my daughter shushes. She will finish nursing and then knows she has to be quiet, so she'll start shushing. One night, when I put DS in his crib, I heard SHHHH.. coming from the other crib. After I went upstairs, with every creak of the floor boards, every noise from her brother, a resounding SHHHH would happen! LOL IT was quite amusing! So, they are kind of learning through living.


That's adorable Jackie!!

Kaitlyn still is our chatterbox and has volume issues. I'm hoping to get her loudness under control by the time the baby is born. I tell her to speak softer but she still is naturally loud.

 

We live in the country, so we have pretended to hunt deer. Now before i get blasted (no pun intended), DH doesn't hunt and neither do I. So we play this game called hunting deer. We have to be very still, and very quiet. I say, "no noise". if they still grunt or talk then I say, "don't let sound come out of your throat" and I touch their throats. Then we go outside and tiptoe around in the grass and try to sneak up on the deer in the back yard some nights before bed. of course, they move too quickly and scare the animals away but it helps them be quiet for a goal. We also try to catch chipmunks this way. It's pretty hilarious.

Now if I need them to be quiet for any other reason, I say, time to be quiet like when we hunt deer. they totally get into the "hunter mode" and get all still and quiet.

Maybe a similar role play will work for you.