How can I help ds8 to stop gabbling? He's getting difficult to understand

[BlooCowWonders]

I need to slow him down, presumably, but don't know how to do it. It's the same with everyone, though, so whoever he speaks to finds it difficult to follow.

I have one to,just keep telling him to speak slow and clear.

Our DD is a dreadful gabbler, she has so much to say all the time.
We just tell her to slow down (whoa Nelly) and it works up to a point.
Her teacher has also spoken to her because when she is reading aloud nobody can understand her.

thanks all - glad it's not just him!

I've tried asking him to slow down, but he never remembers for next time, so I was wondering if anyone has any longer term strategies? I'd hate to get into a cycle of just repeating 'slow down' because I want him to do it with everyone, and I'm afraid other people will just switch off :(

I want to make it more positive if that's at all possible...

If you "don't understand" when he wants something, I'm sure he'll soon get the message ... sorry, that's not the positive approach you're looking for. Have you spoken to his teacher? Maybe drama would help?

I asked his teacher; she has no ideas....

I wondered about drama, but am worried that being 'on stage' might be too much of a leap for him. I just want him to have intelligible conversations...

I'm disappointed the teacher had no ideas. Is there any after school drama, or a reading (aloud) group, and can you talk to that/those member of staff? Or how about singing, especially group singing where he will have to keep time with everyone else?

Might be worth a phone call to your HV?

My DP complains my eldest DD does this, although I am most other people understand her fine. He also says I do it though so it's obviously his hearing at fault.

When she was about 7 or 8 sat her down and said I am not going to keep telling you to speak slower. You should know by now how to speak to make yourself understood. So if you gabble at me I am not going to respond. When you speak to me clearly I will respond.

For about a fortnight it was tricky. He'd be in the kitchen manking sandwiches and she'd come in and say to him something like mummysaysthecheeseonthetopshelfwantsusingfirst and he would totally ignore her. So she'd stomp back into the lounge in a huff and say "Mummy he's not listening to me". So I'd say "he probably didn't understand you Dear, go back and have another go and if he's really ignoring you and not just failling to understand I will have a word with him". So she did, and she spoke slowly (sometimes laboriously slowly, like DP was an idiot, but he did not rise to it) and then he understood. He made a point of always being polite and thanking her for telling him when she said it intelligably.

Its worked, she rarely forgets to speak to him a little more clearly. Usually only when she's very tired. After that first fortnight she got into the habit. I don't think it would have worked if we hadn't sat her down to tell her first.