Anyone else got a 'chatty' child? How to shut them up in class..

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

DS1 now 13, and a perennial chatterbox. From day 1 in P1, he's talked in class, with every parents night going the same way "very bright, talks too much". As well as being bloody disruptive, it's disrespectful to the teacher and his classmates. Now he's in S2, and we've had (at our request, following the same "bright, talks too much" S1 report) a mid term report, with - guess what - the exact same thing, despite promises from him to the contrary.

We're going to meet his year head on Wednesday to decide what course of action to take next. He sits on his own in most of the classes now, but still seems to be very quick to stick his tuppence worth in when it's not required.

DH and I are going to sit down with him tonight to hammer things home (again), and decide what punishments to put in place here. Has anyone got any positive experiences of things that you did that persuaded your child to zip it in class, and anything that the school did? He's not bad as such, but he's being a pain in the neck and just can't seem to keep his mouth shut.

Wish I did ... have kind of learnt they are who they are ... maturity will play a big part though. Looking back on all my school reports .. they are exactly like your sons and you still can't shut me up Good luck with the chat.

Perhaps determine whether the chatter is relevant. If his chat and classroom input is relevant to the discussion, I guess things will get easier for him as he gets older and teachers encourage independent thinking and student-led classes. He might just be feeling bright and keen - I would be reluctant to squash that instinct because it will serve him well in the longer term.

However, if his input during class is irrelevant and off-topic, it's a much bigger issue and will need different kinds of intervention. If this is the case, maybe he's feeling like he's not being listened to at school, or like he's not being given enough attention? A much bigger challenge, I would think.

But, if he's just being bright and interested, maybe it would be worth talking to other schools about how they might accommodate your clever boy - or look at activities that will challenge him - he might need extension activities to keep him on track?

I hope it all goes well for you - good luck!

Agree neverending, the relevance part is important. Off track is usually a warning sign. My ds2 dx with ADHD was well off track most of time .... deflecting his inability to concentrate and pay attention, but his was affecting his learning.

Thanks

Well, the family meeting went OK, with DS losing all FB privileges until we get confirmation from the school that his behaviour has improved. Needless to say, he's in shock and is now lying down in a darkened room with a cool flannel of his forehead!

Maturity (or lack thereof) was mentioned by more than one teacher on his midterm report, and it's a fair summation. His chat is certainly not always relevant to the lesson, which is why we're so keen to deal with it. He doesn't have ADHD or anything else, but just doesn't seem to be able to understand that his chatting and low level disruption is disrespectful to himself, his classmates and his teachers.

I'm looking forward to speaking to his year head on Wednesday - she's a very formidible, but incredibly supportive person who will do whatever she can to help us. I'd be loathe to change schools, as it's ethos is very positive.

Madame - did anything that the school did work for you, or did were you still talking as you walked out of the school gates for the final time?

No, not really. I was manageable in the moment so to speak ie: being told there and then to shut up. But 5 mins later I'd have something else to say. I think I was honestly oblivious to the annoyance of it. However, as an adult, I still have to 'manage' my enthusiasm to talk. If I'm honest, I probably have a mild form of ADHD which is not surprising that my son has it as it's highly hereditary. It's quite impulsive to chat alot and sometimes some peoples' brains just don't allow them to regulate themselves. Maturity and learning from mistakes is usually the remedy