To be fed up of hearing the same songs over and over all day everyday?

[SparklyHairGlitter]

My autistic children are obsessed with Matilda the musical! They literally play the songs from it 24/7 all day everyday, it’s been over 6 months. I know they like it and it brings them joy and helps to keep them calm but I’m getting fed up of hearing the same songs over and over all day everyday! AIBU to be fed up of it? My friends think I should just “put up with it” which I understand but it’s not normal to hear the same songs all day everyday and I feel bad for saying it but I am getting fed up of it.

This would drive me mad! Try and find some other songs they can enjoy!

I have tried multiple times previously but it doesn’t help and they just go back to playing Matilda songs instead. It’s driving me insane.

I feel bad saying it because I know my children enjoy it but it is driving me mad.

Aw gee the cd broke!
Then again, given the time of year, Matilda could be a better choice that some Christmas songs!

Headphones?

Just put some headphones in and listen to something else.

CD 😂 showing your age there

They won’t wear headphones, they just take them off.

headphones for you then?

I thought that you are fed up with Xmas songs. If I hear Nodďy Holders voice saying "It's Christmaaaaaaass!" one more time I won't be responsible for my actions. (Especially when other new aspiring artists don't even get a look in. )

YANBU.
Yes autistic children’s interests are more fixated on/ repetitive, and while being understanding of this and tolerant within reason, it is still good to encourage them to learn to feel more comfortable with variety. It’s okay to put boundaries in around Matilda! Save it for times when it will help most (perhaps for whenever if stressful for the kids and you need a sweetener, like breakfast time or car journeys or whatever, but other than that - different music!

I do realise though that it’s difficult to actually manage this, as I imagine the music is on your children’s devices, not a CD you just pop on the top shelf.

Maybe you need to explain to them very clearly and simply that you don’t like hearing it all the time, and how would they like being forced to listen to YOUR music constantly every day?

It’s on their iPads, not a CD.

I’ve tried this but it’s so hard because they eventually then just have a meltdown until I let them listen to Matilda. And unfortunately it’s hard to manage anyway because it’s on their iPads so they can play it anytime, it’s not on a CD.

Apologies if I’ve missed that you’ve already done this! I’d explain to them that it’s getting on your nerves (in the most appropriate way they’ll understand but it’s fine for them to know how things affect others) and that if they want to listen to it they can do so in their rooms with their doors closed no problem.

I’ve already done this unfortunately but it makes no difference, they just keep on playing the songs anyway.

I'd make the headphones non-negotiable. If they won't wear them then the music goes off. There must be a way to control it externally on the iPad. That seems like the simplest boundary to draw that respects your need to not listen and their need to listen. They can choose to tolerate the headphones (a good lesson for life anyway) or to not listen to the music they want.

I’ve tried but they just point blank refuse to wear the headphones unfortunately, its so difficult.

How old are these children?

You say they have literallyhad it playing all day and night for 6 months?

Changing that is going to take some major adjustment, but it’s doable.

To be honest, if they’re young enough not to clock what you’ve done, I would be tempted for the ipad / whatever they’re listening to it on to ‘break’ / be ‘lost’ next weekend.

They will be upset, but hopefully they won’t direct anger at you. This experience will just let you (and them) see that they can in fact cope without it. Yes they will melt down, but it will be interesting to see how long this lasts & how they get over it.

The ipad can be ‘fixed’ / ‘found’ on Monday, but they and you will have a glimpse of what life without Matilda looks like (and tha it is survivable).

This happened for real last year in my area when there were storms and power cuts for days. Once the batteries on their gadgets ran out, all the kids addicted to their gadgets had to find something else to do. It was amazing what they were in fact capable of doing when they had no choice.

I found it was possible to "contain" obsessional behaviour with rules. eg. You are not allowed to talk to me about trains when I am sat at the dining room table (cue me sat there for an hour of peace while child anxiously paced waiting for me to stand up). But I had a "rule follower".

Second suggestion is to disable the speaker on the ipad (and lock settings) so that it can can only play sounds through headphones. Shame the ipad is a bit dodgy. My iphone stopped playing sounds and I could only listen through headphones - it drove me nuts until one of the kids showed me I had changed the settings by accident.

You have my sympathy.

The children are 6,8,11 and 13

Just spoke to another friend today who has just told me to “put up with it”! Hearing the same songs over and over is driving me mad!