I've reached my noise tolerance threshold

[DueyCheatemAndHow]

I'm sat on my bed listening to our 20 month old scream for me. She has suddenly decided that she doesn't want to sit in her chair at mealtimes, she wants to sit on my lap. Course I then end up covered in food and can't eat my own. If I'm not around she is totally fine. But tonight dinner has gone uneaten again. It's starting to totally ruin mealtimes. I get fed up of cooking, serving it up, have DD scream for the duration then wipe it off the floor. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a family meal.

DS is nearly 4 and seeks constant feedback. 'Look mummy" - he's literally standing there. I've no idea what he wants me to say.

I just feel totally drained of it all. It feels like chaos all the time.

I so get you OP. Similar ages and issues (and a NON STOP talker) and it’s just exhausting. My only tip is when they are out if the house at nursery or whatever, take some quiet time for yourself and zone out in the silence with a brew. Prioritise it. Sending hugs

I hope you're feeling a bit better now @DueyCheatemAndHow. I really sympathise. I'm grumpy enough in this weather and I'm 39!

Thank you everyone. We put the children to bed, poor things their rooms are so hot, then I went to the gym. I feel better now plus tomorrow is a childcare day.

We've all been there OP! Honestly would suggest you drop family dinners for a week. Kids have tea together (B&M do small kids tables with 2 chairs for £25 if you have room for one) that is either a food you know they'll love (pasta or toast for mine), while you potter around with the radio on. Adults eat when the kids are in bed. Repeat all week, and consider it a reset. Then, start having BREAKFAST together, and go from there. They're very young still there's lots of time to get them eating nicely at the table.

When it's time for her to have her dinner leave the house for a bit, ask DH to deal with it, go for a nice walk. Maybe a coffee, a few weeks of that an hopefully she will stop, because she is not getting the reaction she wants. X

I have a talker. He hasn't grown out of it. He wants attention all the time. Mummy look at this, what is that, what are you doing, why. Some kids are just wired that way.
Probably a sign of intelligence.
The more you try to ignore them the worse it gets.

Hard for their poor mum though.

Oh dear OP, that sounds tough. It will get easier! Not sure about the taker though. I had an incessant talker who is now an adult incessant talker. She was talking really clearly and precisely at a very young age and hasn't stopped. She represented her school in debating competitions. I don't think she had to prepare.
I had four kids fairly close in age and when they were little I tried to make a defined time where they knew to leave me alone. In return I would make time to really interact with them. What I tried to avoid was the, the sort of, half ignoring them that's so easy to do where you are fobbing them off and not really listening to them. I think that might be more tricky with your age of kids though.
My kids did end up being good at occupying themselves but I've honestly no idea whether that was my parenting or the fact that that was their personalities.