To hope that one day my children might stop talking all at the same time?

[Somethingwicked]

They are 4,3 and 3. They all talk constantly, all the time, at length, angrily, philosophically, urgently, lovingly, intelligently, curiously, jealously, inanely.... am at wit's end. I can't concentrate properly on or listen attentively to any one of them, it is near impossible for anyone to get a good long thought out without deep stress as others around them champ at the bit to get in there. Noone getting enough attention. Does this ever get better? Any tips on what I can do? End of tether.

YABU. It's never going to happen and you may as well get used to the fact now. HTH

I'm doggedly persevering with the line "If you both talk at once, I can't hear either of you!" Then making them take turns to say what they want to say. It works, until the next time when they hit you with the wall of noise and you have to do it all over again. I'm hoping they might get the hang of it themselves without reminders in a decade or so.

No! Thinking of instigating a hands up to speak rule, can't go on forever.... I have a 'tick' of unfinished sentences, I can't seem to finish them even when I am not with the children, I just start one and then fade out halfway through. In a few years I will just be communicating in random barked words, mostly nonsensical. This is inevitable too I suppose?

I do the same pjmama but it just never sinks in. There hasn't been a fluent conversation in our house since twins learnt to talk.

Doesn't change! Mine are 13,11 and 7 and they all want to tell me something at the same time!! I put a hand up to stop them until I'm ready for them. Told DD the other day that she hadn't stopped for about 3 hours - she was proud of herself!!

I thought I was bad with my constant involvement in two overlapping conversations. One with DP and one with DD (3.9).

But three?

Ah bless you OP.

it will never get better

Knowing it will never get better somehow makes it better though. If you can't fix it, there is no point trying, I just have to sit back and wallow in the soundscape for the next 15 years. Is that what you suggest?

At least my dp is commutertastic though domestic goddess, so never here. Not sure if that helps or doesn't. I usually think it doesn't, but your post puts a positive spin on that!

No, it will get better, please don't ruin my illusion that one day it will get better.

Very true small town. I remember when mine were little, DH couldn't understand why I didn't want him to touch me when they had gone to bed. After I'd been mauled about all day!

I put a stop to this.
It took ages,but i considered it had to stop.
I have several children,dont want to say how many,all very close together in ages including a multiple.
Will try and remember how I did it.Perseverence mainly and determination.
I considered it very important for social interaction inside and outside the home for it to be overcome.

smalltown I say to mine that if they want me to be an octopus then that's fine by me but they will have to put up with the slime and tentacles and cold slithering cuddles. Makes not a jot of difference.

If yours have a need to talk,then also get them to talk on the phone,to their teddies,next door neighbour,any safe person if they have a need to converse,which it sounds like they do. Even buy a voice tape recorder.
And yes be strict about one has to finish before another starts if they are talking over each other.
If they need to talk what they think is urgently to you all at the same time,I used to hear very briefly what they wanted to say,then told them to shut up,and gave them numbers in order of what I thought was importance.
So,I would say,you DS2 1st,DD1 2nd etc.They used to quite enjoy that!

YANBU - they'll be teens soon enough though and will grunt at you.

Arf at lose the talking stick

ah those longlost halcyon days, when you want 'em to walk and talk, never suspecting that one day one will be on one's knees wanting 'em to sit down and shut up

It is literally like they cant hear each other and they think they are the only one talking. Fair enough for the toddler. But fgs DP is a grown man!!

And then they wonder why I hide under the duvet and ban them from the room. The two of them slope off downstairs all rejected.