Dealing with a toddler interrupting

[Greenknees]

DD is 2. Every time I talk to someone else she will start shouting ‘mummy, mummy’ getting louder and louder until I speak to her - and even then she doesn’t always have anything to ask, she just wants my attention so continues to repeat ‘mummy, mummy’.

The first time she says it while I’m talking, I look at her, smile and say ‘Just wait a minute, I am talking to XX’ - but it has no effect. I have had a talk to her about waiting her turn to talk and she now sometimes replaces ‘mummy mummy’ with ‘I’m waiting, look how good I am being waiting. Mummy! Are you proud of me?!’

Anyway, not the hugest issue but if anyone has successfully trained their child to wait patiently I would love to hear how!

DS is nearly 4 and still does this it drives me insane!

That is quite normal for a two year old, she is too young to have learned that sometimes you have to be 'on hold'.

She's very little still and clearly very verbal so while I agree it's not too early to instil manners about waiting her turn, it might be a bit early for her to listen, esp if she's trying to be involved in the conversation. You're doing the right thing by asking her to wait. I would keep doing that and reinforce the message once, then involve her in the conversation and speak to her after about how important it is to take turns and you needed some time to talk to whoever first. She'll get there in the end. Just keep modelling good manners

I read the tip I used somewhere - possibly here.

I got dd2 to, just lightly, hold my forearm when she wanted my attention but I was busy with someone/something else. I think it'll have taken some repeated explanations (honestly can't remember) but she still does it sometimes now & she's 11; or she'll come and stand by the side of me & wait until I'm done.

You have to acknowledge that you know dd's waiting, but make sure she knows you're finishing what you were doing first before breaking off to deal with whatever she wants *obvs not if there's imminent danger or it might be serious!

@MerryDecembermas

DS is nearly 4 and still does this it drives me insane!

Thank god it's not just my 4 year old dd!

I'm so consistent with her, every time she interrupts I tell her when the grown ups are speaking she has to wait patiently until it's her turn to talk... doesn't bloody work. She's a bright wee thing, she knows fine rightly not to do it but she couldn't care less, it seems.

I have a friend who has a Son that did this... he's 13 now and it's as rude as ever..

If you (in the olden days of free movement) bumped into each other.. and stop for a chat .. he would literally stand in front of her .. his back to me.. and do the exact same thing... Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum ... til she caved... she would apologise stop chatting and leave...

I feel for her... its no way to live 🌺

Being consistent. 'DD remember we need to wait for our turn to talk' Every Time. Don't reward interruptions, but do make sure there's a gap in the conversation where she. can have a turn (it's a learning process so try not to say 'yes DD, what did you want' try to teach her the natural flow if conversation

By the time she's 21 you'll have cracked it. 🤣🤣

If you're with people who don't understand toddlers, it pays to explain you're teaching her, but you've a way to go 🤣

Don't smile or give a long winded reason why she can't speak, just a sharp "shhh! I'm speaking" and carrybon with your conversation. Honestly there's no point pushy footing around it. Nip it in the bud or they never get the message and carry on doing it.

We had the same. DH asked her to hold onto our hand or clothing and wait then we know she wants to interrupt. It works, I can give her some eye contact to acknowledge I'll get to her when we can and she enjoys the secret code aspect!

To add, before this we tried being consistently terse when she interrupted but it just bounced off her!

As per the above, but I also taught dd a 'code' for emergencies - 'excuse me mummy' for when she can't wait so in the early days of toilet training for example. Granted our idea of emergency don't always match up, but you can't win them all!!

Yes,mine is 4.5 and still does it, and shouting for me from another room is equally annoying. Esp when I'm working.

Agree with above, teach "excuse me" early on. It pays dividends!

I would try and distract if u can. Can u build the blocks and then show mummy. Well done. Now can u colour this picture while I talk to x. Or maybe mummy is going to be chatting for 5 mins and then we will make lunch together. Jigsaw or colour while mums chatting? So she knows what to expect and that she will have your attention afterwards. At that age mine would stand on a stool with a sink of bubble water (washing up liquid) a sponge and plastic dishes for ages i could chat away (floor got wet but not hard to dry). She will grow out of it. Mine is now 9 and increasingly the tables are turning and its me always wanting to talk to him whilst he wants to talk to his pals on the PlayStation. Dont stress it is just a phase due to her young years.

@Halo1234

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how strange ... 🤔

So no quick fix then! I like the idea of holding onto her hand. She is very little so I never make her wait for very long but I want to get her used to the concept of it being rude to interrupt.

We had some practice conversations tonight where I spoke to the wardrobe pretending to be her daddy and she had to quietly wait. Then she insisted on doing the same and put on a funny voice to be daddy. Not sure the message got through but we were both in stitches!

My Dad is 76 and still does this 😳

Let me know if you find a solution that works 😁

@bluethistles that is weird. I just said I would distract her with blocks jigsaw colouring or washing up with plastic dishes at the sink and that she would grow out of it.

@dingledongle

My Dad is 76 and still does this 😳

Let me know if you find a solution that works 😁

Does he have Autism or Aspergers by any chance?

How cute! Sorry I know its bloody hard but I miss those days

I only ask, as my 6yr old DD still does this and she has ASD (what I would controversially describe as 'mildly')

Tried everything. When I ask her why she does this, she becomes very frustrated & says quite emphatically that she can't help it. She always seems extremely perplexed when I tell her not to do it again!

I wish some of the children in my junior school classes had been taught this...

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

Don't smile or give a long winded reason why she can't speak, just a sharp "shhh! I'm speaking" and carrybon with your conversation. Honestly there's no point pushy footing around it. Nip it in the bud or they never get the message and carry on doing it.

At last some common sense spoken.

costadelcovid I think so but he has never been diagnosed

[quote Halo1234]@bluethistles that is weird. I just said I would distract her with blocks jigsaw colouring or washing up with plastic dishes at the sink and that she would grow out of it.[/quote]

it's very strange... what odd is that it was never addressed... even using the great suggestions given on here..

Mum would cut off the conversation with whichever adult she was talking too and give him her full undivided attention..

I actually started to dread bumping into them ... she had not a minute to herself 😳