Anyone elses child (4.5 to) Never stop talking?

[Flimflamfloogety]

I am at my wit's end, I generally don't like lots of noise anyway. But my god, it feels like my DS4 NEVER STOPS TALKING. From the moment he wakes up to the time he passed out at night it is a constant onslaught of words. Most of it doesn't even make sense!

I was out shopping yesterday and had to go home, the constant barrage of words (not even questions, just words) made me forget what I needed in the first place.

I always feel really bad as I know he can tell I'm getting wound up but I can't help it. I've asked him what he thinks will happen if he stops but he just shrugs. I've tried talking to him to see if anything is making him nervous but this doesn't seem to be the case. He just seems to be uncomfortable with silence and has this compulsion to fill it with noise. He hardly ever spends any time doing activities alone, either me or DH have to be involved. Even if he is doing something alone the monologue continues. It's as if he has to verbalise every single thought he has, the minute he has it.

Please tell me this isn't just me?!

He should meet my mother. Together they could launch a sonic attack on the world.

My youngest two were constant chatterboxes, now aged 16 and 18 they just grunt most of the time, i get more conversation from the cat

I'm honestly so relieved it's so common!

How do/did you all cope without losing your shit?

Could you divert that expressive force elsewhere? Music, singing, dance?

Dance is great as it teaches ways of expression and being noticed without words and discipline.

Mine reached a crescendo once my twins turned 7, it's never ending talking from both of them. Sometimes it makes me want to cry.

Early bedtimes, shutting myself in the kitchen to make dinner...

Erm I think I learnt to blank a lot out. Had another 3 children and only the eldest and youngest were horrific for constant chatter so I used to let them talk at each other...

You really miss them when they move out, honest!

We used to joke that DS only ever said one sentence a day. It started when he woke up and finished when he went to sleep. I'm sure he'd gained an internal filter by the time that he changed school at 11 but I can't remember how much earlier than that it was.