OMG I think my head is going to explode

Ok, I try reall hard not to complain about many of the crazy things and phases that my girls go through because I know for the most part they are just that...phases. However, this one phase is driving me absolutely insane. This specifically refers to my one dd although the other one does is at times as well but not to the point that it drives me so crazy. It's the repetition phase. It's not just the repetition but almost obsessive/compulsive way in which things HAVE to be said to her. For example, if she is looking at alphabet book, she will come running over to me and say "M. M. M. M. M. M. M." and she will keep saying it until I say "yes, it's an M." If I simply answer "Yes." that is not good enough. I have to say "Yes. It's an M." Then she says "what sound? what sound? what sound? what sound?" and I HAVE to repeat back to her "what sound does it make?" and then she makes the sound. And then she says "what word? what word? what word?" I HAVE to say "what word?" and then she will say "monkey." then she says, "what sound does a monkey make? what sound does a monkey make? what sound does a monkey make?" and I HAVE to repeat it back to her and then she makes the sound and will keep making it until I say "that's right" or "good job." Now mind you this is JUST ONE LETTER OF THE ALPHABET!!!! OMFG, this goes on ALL DAY LONG! With shapes, colors, numbers, whatever she is watching on the tv or playing on her Vsmile she has to come running to tell me EVERYTHING that she sees or is doing. It doesn't matter if I'm on the phone or on the computer or sitting there reading a story to her sister. She will just keep at it until I answer her in the "proper manner." I'm exhausted and find myself wanting to just scream "shut the f--k up!" Of course I don't but I am definately starting to lose my temper. I have tried to encourage her to do it herself or tell her that I know she is so smart and that she doesn't need me to tell her so but she seems to really thrive on my acknowledgement to everything she does. I don't want to discourage her from sharing her excitement but she is doing it with things that she has known for months and months.

She has actually run in her 3 times in the time it took me to write this post with things that I had to repeat back to her. :wacko: HELLLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do I do (besides a lot of deep breaths?). I seriously feel like my head is going to explode. I have tried ignoring her when she does it but it doesn't work. She just starts saying it louder

Thanks for the vent.

 

I'm sorry to laugh but that is soooooo funny, I have tears rolling down my face. Brings back so many memories, yes deep breaths, or go lock yourself in the bathroom for 5 minutes..

 

I'm sorry but that sounds like hell!

 

She's got what I call the Repeat Disease. My nephews have had it. I'm sorry to say that the last time I saw the 6-year old, he STILL had it.

On the positive side, your kid sounds like she's really smart! It sounds like she knows so much already and she's still so young.

There's got to be a way to break that cycle. Is that how the VSmile sounds? (*Making mental note not to buy one for my girls, just in case*) What would happen if you turned the tables....YOU took the book and chased HER around the house repeating that stuff over and over???!!! Would she think that was great fun, or would it shock her into silence??!!

 

OH I feel your pain! My kids can't talk ANYWHERE near yours, but the few things they do say OVER & OVER & OVER drive me nuts. My son has a friend named Sasha, and so he says "mama? SASHA!" 800,000 times a day. I actually DID once say under my breath "I don't give a d**n that you can say Sasha!" Luckily he never heard me. Although, if he did he probably wouldn't have cared. ha ha
I wish that I had some advice for you! Definitely take the 5 minute break A LOT

OH I feel your pain! My kids can't talk ANYWHERE near yours, but the few things they do say OVER & OVER & OVER drive me nuts. My son has a friend named Sasha, and so he says "mama? SASHA!" 800,000 times a day. I actually DID once say under my breath "I don't give a d**n that you can say Sasha!" Luckily he never heard me. Although, if he did he probably wouldn't have cared. ha ha
I wish that I had some advice for you! Definitely take the 5 minute break A LOT

 

Thank you so much for posting this today. I had thought that I was alone. We have been in this phase for quite a while now. The good part is that their language is improving so that we can now often understand what they are actually saying. Goodness forbid that we can't figure out what they are saying - that is when the repetition escalates into all out screaming (which makes it even more difficult to understand them!)

 

:rotflmbo: Sorry, but it's funny! Mine don't repeat up to that extent, but one of my sons will bug you until you answer him...and yes, there are times I want to scream and tell him to shut his trap!

Their main thing is "WHY?" Which I guess is great, they want to learn about the world, but sometimes I just say "Because I said so!!!"

 

lol. Not laughing at you but the game she's playing with you would drive me nuts as well.
No solutions come to mind, I swaer kids come up with new things daily to drive us nuts!

 

I had to laugh too because I am always thinking the same thing...OMG Shut the F...Up! Both of mine will do this pretty often and I find myself not being able to do simple things or concentrate because I am constantly interrupted and have to answer them back, I can't even hear when they both do it because they try to yell over each other, it's ridiculous... and to top it off DH says "they never do that when I am with them all day" What!
I am sure/hopeful this is a short phase because sometimes I feel like I'm insane...LOL!

 

QUOTE(sunshinetwins @ Sep 4 2008, 07:47 PM) [snapback]963796[/snapback]
She's got what I call the Repeat Disease. My nephews have had it. I'm sorry to say that the last time I saw the 6-year old, he STILL had it.

On the positive side, your kid sounds like she's really smart! It sounds like she knows so much already and she's still so young.

There's got to be a way to break that cycle. Is that how the VSmile sounds? (*Making mental note not to buy one for my girls, just in case*) Just wanted to say that the VSMile Baby does NOT do anything like that. She did not get it from that. I personally recommend the VSMile as a toddler's first computer. It is truly wonderful and age appropriate and has taught her so so much. What would happen if you turned the tables....YOU took the book and chased HER around the house repeating that stuff over and over???!!! Would she think that was great fun, or would it shock her into silence??!! Ha, I tried that once (though it was more done in a moment of frustration, and it scared her and she started to cry. I felt terrible and kept saying how sorry I was

 

lol! I'm sorry. My DS does things like this too, points to a picture and says the animal's name until I say yes cow or something or other. They just want the approval I think. oh mother hood! =)

 

Thank you guys for your responses. I guess it does sound funny from the outside but when you are in it, ODL (Oh Dear Lord), I want to just cry. I'm not even kidding but she did it about 4 times in the time I was reading your responses and posting back. It's absolutely insane. I was trying to tell her to just say it once but I don't think she understands. She just wants my undivided attention so who can blame her? But even when I'm reading a book to her, she will do this. I have tried telling her to Shhhh while mommy is reading but if there is an animal in the book, she HAS to interrupt me and go through the whole "what animal is that?" "what sound does it make?" but these are things she has known for months and months. I'm trying desperately to find other things to add to her knowledge base because she learns so darn quickly. I read her that Eric Carle book, Where is My Cat? and after the second reading, she knew the name of every single type of cat. It's crazy. It's like she has a photographic memory and can remember things she hears just once or twice. I just ordered the Leap Frog magnetic word maker because she is already reading about 15 words! I just can't keep up with her and I also don't want to leave her sister behind but she just doesn't have as much interest in all this. It's just amazing how completely different kids can be even though they came from the same exact gene pool :blink:

 

The repeated wordshere are "more" and when dh is watching tv "spongbob." It is quit annoying and not 'snapping' at the guilty child is so difficult, especially when you are trying to do something. :hug:

 

DS had this phase for about 2 years. For him it was "What is that dog saying?" "What is Mickey say" (his stuffed animal) I had to "talk" for all his animals and our real animals, then it moved into his friends, what were they saying now even though we couldn't see them?

Finally I started telling him he had used up all his questions for the day and try again tomorrow! That actually seemed to work for a while!

 

Wow Mel! I think it is one of those things that could be a little (big) quirk that can go along with being extremely smart. My nephew has as alphabet issue. He can never go out of order or he becomes a mess. It is nothing even close to your situation though. How frustrating. I wish I had advice but it may be one of those things she will have to outgrow. :hug:

 

QUOTE(j&jtwins @ Sep 4 2008, 11:18 AM) [snapback]963233[/snapback]
I'm sorry to laugh but that is soooooo funny, I have tears rolling down my face. Brings back so many memories, yes deep breaths, or go lock yourself in the bathroom for 5 minutes..

:rotflmbo:

Memories.....

I have spend many a time in the bathroom. It's the only place that the door locks in our house!

That is a VERY difficult stage to live through!

 

haha...my kids do this too, although not to the extent that you're little ones are. I am just honest with my kids and tell them that I love helping them, but that I can't help them right now and put my foot down. This doesn't always work; if they seem like they might lose it over this, then I suggest something else we can do together instead to distract them.

 

Oh Mel, you are not alone. Ella does the same thing, except she is always saying "mommy". Talk about hair-pulling...LOL

 

Your story is why I go to work I do feel your pain, my girls have their version only it's usually with songs, they repeat the same line over and over and over and over again. :lol: You just have to laugh or you'll cry or worse.