Toddler repetition. How do you cope with it?

[BusyCee]

Seriously? It's like a form of mental torture for me. I'm at breaking point this morning and have already shouted, not because he was doing anything that needed shouting about, but because I'm on my last ragged nerve. At the moment it's constant stream on consciousness. I know it's his age (2.5) and that I'm lucky he's so chatty and happy and that it'll soon change and I'll miss it I fucking won't.

I'm hiding in the kitchen now, but he keeps popping in for for a repetitious chat. I'm gloomy and longing for 7pm already. Drained. Brain fried. Bleak.

"Mummy?"

"Yes"

"Mummy?"

"Yes?"

"Mummy?"

"What do you want?"

PAUSE

"Mummy?"

WHAT?? WHAT??? WHAT??????????????????????

Like that?

It gets to you doesn't it? DS (2.1) is all about this at the moment. This morning "da orange juice... da orange juice... da orange juice..." 30,000 times. Only so many times I can say "yes, I heard you sweetheart".

Is there a technique though? Zen toddler care or something?

Does it help to know that you can't feel pain when you are breathing out?

My dentist tells me this and i believe him. Good luck.

I've just given up on sanity. It's gone.

Feeling your pain

I hate burst any bubbles.... But it isn't just a toddler phase - mine are 11, 9 & 6 and they still do it.... perhaps I need to pay more attention when they speak to me 😀

Earplugs and gin

Finally. Thanks for that - I've been trying the breathing out all afternoon. Am now blue and looking longingly at the gin. I have a self-imposed yard arm of 7pm or id be arseholed at breakfast

I have a 4.5 year old DS who asks the same questions repeatedly. It's very wearing. He's got a field trip with preschool today to the local really smelly recycling plant.

He's about to combust from excitement. I need gin. Sadly, it's only 10:38am here.

Beat him at his own game.... Ask lots of questions... And yes, sorry, if you have a chatty inquisitive one, it doesn't end at toddlerhood. Learn to love it, or get them to write stories, teach them how to google, get lots of information books..

Mama, more!

More what?

More pleeeease...

Yes, but more what?!

More pleeeease

Yes but more what? What is it you want?

More please...

And breathe...

4.5 and still doing it?!

dies

I feel your pain.

Someone advised me to use a counselling technique of "repeated affirming" - you basically repeat back a few times whatever your DC is saying to you. I used to say "ok", "yes" "I know" etc when my DS told me 75 times he had seen a blue truck out of the car window. Now I say "you saw a blue truck...you saw a blue truck...you saw a blue truck". Feels v weird doing it but does stop him in his tracks.

Isn't t strange? You love it when your baby can actually say the word "mummy" , but can dread hearing it in later years.

Just feel pleased you only have the one

I have a 2 yr old and a 3 yr old.

I have developed a serious wine problem.

One would be my idea of a rest! (and is, one morning a week!!!)

I agree with repeating whatever they're telling you. Seems to work for me, at least to getting them to say something different 100 times

When DS was a baby I went out to lunch with a colleague and her toddler DS. He kept repeating mummy this mummy that, I felt so sorry for her. Now my DS is 2 I feel sorry for myself and ragy too, often. I should have enjoyed more the baby days.

My toddler (2.1) will say something specifically so I can repeat it back with the proper pronunciation of words.... If I get it wrong then he has a tantrum..... But I usually don't actually know what he is trying to say, so I always get it wrong. He is like a walking volcano full of frustration, ready to erupt at any moment!

Was I cruel to teach them 'You only need to say it once?' or just lucky they were biddable?

You were lucky!