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Original poster

To be ground down and exhausted by DS’s constant talking?

110 replies

Justsorelentless · 06/04/2026 17:38

As ds (now age 5) gets older I am increasingly finding him so hard to manage. The worst thing is he isn’t a bad child or horrible or anything but he just exhausts me because he just never, ever stops talking.

It is constant jabbering from him. A lot of it is nonsensical, a lot of it is questions but then he doesn’t listen to the answer and just starts rambling about something else (a conversation at the dinner table goes like ‘mummy which country do we live … England … no no NO, mummy, we live in … live in England …’) if he decides he wants something or is interested he says the same thing over and over and over - I do acknowledge him and reply and show an interest but he just keeps saying it.

He also makes noises a lot, like ‘being’ an aeroplane or a fire engine so there will be these random whoops and shrieks. It makes me edgy and irritable.

I have tried asking for some quiet, it never works. He is quiet for about ten seconds and then starts up again.

He is better on his own, so I don’t know if it’s an attention thing (he has a two year old sibling.) It’s just so, so constant. It affects eating as he won’t stop talking at the table so food goes everywhere (yuck) and everyone else has finished.

I wouldn’t mind if it was a sense of a reciprocal conversation but it’s just … bollocks, which I know is harsh but true!

OP posts:
Original poster
Justsorelentless · 06/04/2026 17:59

@CharlotteCollinsneeLucas I wish it was a kind of ‘wow, how funny he sees the world like that!’ but for the most part it is just this stream of nonsense. And he demands your interaction by asking questions and then asking them again and again.

So eg

’whats the time mummy?’
’Nearly six o clock.’
’How do you know?’
’there’s a clock there!’
’I have my watch mummy … my, my, my watch, mummy I have a watch, mummy I had -‘
’yes ds I know, it’s great isn’t it?’
’yeah yeah and I … I … I … my watch. What time is it now?’
’six o clock,’
’is it STILL six o clock? My watch says …’

arrgggghh

OP posts:
CharlotteCollinsneeLucas · 06/04/2026 17:55

Aw, this was my DS - and still is at 18! Definitely teach him no talking with his mouthful. But otherwise, try to view it as an opportunity to see what's going on in his mind. I had years while DS was growing up of hearing way more than I was interested in about whatever interested him at the time (gaming and rap have been two recurring themes). I did/do zone out quite a bit and just nod, "mm-hmm" and "oh, really?", but I've listened enough that I can interject relevant comments here and there and, bless him, he's often surprised I've listened.

DS probably has AuDHD (not diagnosed), but I'm also probably autistic, so not the best person to teach him conversation skills. He mainly treats conversation with me like a stream of consciousness.

Sorry, this is probably not much help. Basically, he's unlikely to change, so enjoy it whenever possible, if not, try to tolerate it, if not, try to survive it. He will appreciate it in the long term.

NormasArse · 06/04/2026 17:54

I work with someone like your son….

Original poster
Justsorelentless · 06/04/2026 17:53

Sometimes @Noshadelamp , to be fair - he’s not bad at independent play (although this does tend to feature whoops and shrieks but fair enough I guess!) but I do get jabbered at relentlessly in the car, or when ‘watching’ a film (we went to see The Magic Faraway Tree last week and I swear he just wouldn’t. shut. UP) or at the dinner table.

Meeting expected levels - so so. He’s in reception so early days but he is behind on his reading which worries me.

I don’t think he’s ND. The main issue for me is I find it so irritating it sort of grinds me down so I have less patience and inclination to be nice about other stuff. I’m a lot kinder to my less irritating child, which I feel sad and guilty about.

OP posts:
likelysuspect · 06/04/2026 17:51

Well you know someone is going to mention ND dont you.

As another poster said, its important this isnt happening at meal times as the risk of choking is higher if he is jabbering on and not concentrating, so I would focus on that first.

sharkstale · 06/04/2026 17:49

I know how you feel, my 8 year does not stop talking sh*t from the minute she opens her eyes. It is exhausting, sometimes I just want a minute to be with my own thoughts.

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 06/04/2026 17:49

academically - is he meeting the expected levels?

Noshadelamp · 06/04/2026 17:49

What else is he doing whilst talking? Or rather, if he's doing something else such as crafts or something physical, does it talk less?
Could you get him to do activities that take up his focus and concentration to give yourself a break?

Original poster
Justsorelentless · 06/04/2026 17:47

It is all very well being firm with him but for it to have any effect at all I have to be really brutal and quite annoyed with him. He is talkative and I know he’s been separated from one of his friends but I think the jabbering bollocks is solely for home time!

OP posts:
Maray1967 · 06/04/2026 17:44

Does he do this at school? If he does, I’d ask the teacher how s/he is handling it. If he doesn’t,then you know he can sit quietly at times and I would start to get very firm with him. I’d start with the talking while eating as that needs to stop. Then I’d build from there.