Coping with a very talkative DC

[Daffodilly]

DD is 3 and very talkative. It is incessant. Some of it is quite nice - I like interacting with her and listening to her chatting out loud but to herself.

However, I feel that I can hardly have a moment of peace or a quiet thought without her voice in my ear, "Mummy..." "Excuse me..." and the questions are endless, usually asking me to repeat what I just said "What? What did you say?"

I feel mean, but it is driving me mad. Would ear plugs be too harsh????

[onepieceoflollipop]

Daffodilly I have two like this!

Both girls, one aged 6 and one almost 3. Sometimes they talk at me together.

About 90% of the time I love it. Other times it is so hard to concentrate on anything or get day to day stuff done.

Thankfully they talk to/at each other as well as me!

Sometimes I have to be firm. e.g. if we have to leave the house in x minutes and both are yapping away I just say very firmly "coats, shoes, get in the car. NO talking until I am off the drive" It works if I do it occasionally rather than all the time.

[onepieceoflollipop]

p.s. get her some imaginary friends!

dd1 had quite an extensive collection at the age of 3. They have all moved away since. lol.

It was v useful at the time. On one occasion she shouted at dh as he went to go into the bathroom and she made him wait as she had an imaginary preschool class queueing for the loo and dh apparently trod on them.

[onepieceoflollipop]

Silence in the courtyard
Silence in the street
The biggest mouth in (insert name of town)
Is just about to speak.

My colleague uses this on me

[thisisyesterday]

ha! it's great isn't it

it doesn't stop either, ds1 is 5 now and if anything it's got worse

[weaselm4]

Oooh yes, burble, burble, burble ALL DAY LONG! And if I give a non-committal answer, I now get "Was that a yes or a no?". Hilarious. If a little wearing.

And that's just DS. DD can't even talk yet. Eeeek!

[Daffodilly]

Onepiece - TWO! I think my ears would bleed. Thankfully my other is a DS (1 yr) and I am hoping he will be the strong silent type. With any luck she will start bending his ear soon.

That is the other thing she is often talking so much she can't get anything else done - she seems incapable of talking and simultaneously getting dressed or putting her shoes on. I have taken to saying "No more talking until you have done X".

Might have to invest in some chocolate buttons and bribery soon!

[scattyspice]

I have 2 like this too. Sometimes I feel as if my ears are bleeding!

[onepieceoflollipop]

Daffodilly I had hoped that dd2 would be one of those children who "let" the talkative older sibling do all the talking

hahaha

If anything she is worse.

Both of them shout at me if I lose concentration and dare to ask them to repeat anything.

[LieutenantPigeon]

My DD does this too, she's nearly 3.

I can cope with it most of the time, but at the moment she has a bad cold (as have I) and EVERYTHING she says is in a really whiny voice.

I have been retreating into the kitchen to 'clean up' with the radio turned right up quite a lot today

[Hulababy]

DD is almost 8y. She said her first word at 6 months, She never stopped from that day. If she can't find a person to talk to she talks to herself or her teddies/dolls, etc or she just sings. She had two imaginery friends right through her toddler/preschool years and jabbered to them too.

Apparently I was the same, as was my sister and also my mum! (my brther wasn't though).

I admit that there are days when I turn off completely.

[Divatheshopaholic]

I have dd who is 5 soon,and she is like human gramophone. She never stops,zillions of questions and very loud,too
I never tried earplug as i have ds who is 2.5 but hardly speaks at all.
My experience is, i developed selective hearing myself. I tend to just mute her in my mind, i know, im horrible aint I
Sometimes she does " Mummy, are you listening to me?"
Sorry, not much help there Good luck
But be greatful she talks and speaks out.

[Daffodilly]

I try tuning her out from time to time and she has started saying in a very serious voice "Mummy. I am TALKING to you." Great.

There is no respite. I look forward to her going to school some days - I will wander around my (silent) house just listening to the quiet.

[SinninHinny]

Never mind chick. It only lasts until....erm.....actually DD1 is still prone to this and she is 12 in less than a month.

I have 3 daughters. Even DD3 (10 months) makes endless noise.

[Nettiespagetti]

Hee hee daffodilly I have the "mummy I am
talking to you" all the time from ds 3.5 and get told "don't say hmmm mummy"

Dd1.5 talks just as much although the words aren't quite so clear but she gets quite anooyed if she thinks you are not listening!!

Ear plugs a must lol I wish!

Sorry absolutely no help as I have no idea how to control it either!!

[Divatheshopaholic]

Lol, Nettie
You made me laugh. My dd also says " Mummy stop saying "mmmh" im asking you question"
Obviously i was on auto pilot, just nodding my head and saying "mmm. mmm"
Arent they alike?

[Nettiespagetti]

Lol Diva perhaps all overly talkative children should get together and talk each other out!! sometimes you have to shut off!! I mean today at his music/movement he is shouting out whole time but it's not even related to what's going on!!!

Might not be much help daffodily but I always find it comforting peeps in same boat !!

[RedLentil]

DH looked over my shoulder, read the thread title and said 'Did you start that one?'

DS (6) was like this, DD1 (3.5) is like this and DD2 (18 months) spent the whole day saying 'Mommy. Don't doo dat'. Some days it is fine. Others I am going mad by 8.45am.

I am quite rigorous about saying that my ears are full up or that something is bunkum (talking bunkum has become a badge of honour though). I had great success with video-ing DD1 while she was at full pelt and even she could see that, when she was ranting, people weren't listening.

The best medicine though came from her friend who told her recently 'It isn't all about you, you know.' She really took this to heart and while it hasn't dented her confidence at all she has become a mite more careful about giving other people a chance to talk too.

I do think that if they are incessant talkers (as I am) they need to learn to think about their victims and about choosing what to say. DD1's favourite thing to do last week was to ask people to ask her to do 'a sponsored silent.' The longest one was about 25 seconds and her head practically exploded with the build-up of restrained words.

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

I have 3, yes 3, like this! dd1 is 6, dd2 is 4 and ds is 2, and has learned he needs to speak up to be heard (sigh!) The conversation o the way home from school bus/ nursery often goes like this

"So then we found a metal thing in the playground..."

"Can we collect leaves when we get home, mum? Can we, can we? Miss F says there are all different kinds..."

"Nook, mummy, nook- its a fire engine. Nook, it's a fire engine! Nook, it's a fire engine! Nook..."

"and we're going to build a car! Can I bring in some old metal things from home? Sophia said she was going to.."

"And pine cones too! What kind of trees do they come from? Is it oak trees?"

"Nook, mummy, nook!...." etc etc!

I sometimes think my head will explode!

Not sure how you stop it, but be assured you are not alone!

[RedLentil]

Ah, we have the reversing rule as well.
Now I just start reciting the rule as I put the car into gear.

[piprabbit]

My two DCs (6yo and 3yo) don't talk all the time. Oh no.

When they run out of things to say they hoot, sing, scream, squeak, giggle, shout, cry and make silly noises at each other.

That is why I am sitting here at half past midnight. In Silence.

[piprabbit]

(Sorry should have been 6yo and 2yo).

[bruffin]

I have a DD 12yr and DS 14yrs and they are still like this to some extent!