My kids over stimulate me and it makes me an irritable cow - what can I do???

[BrownPaperandString]

I'm someone that needs lots of down time (about 29 minutes per every half hour I think).

I have a 3 year old (constant chatter) and a neary 2 year old.

When they're in bed I'm full of good intentions for the next day but as soon as the day starts again, I find myself clawing for some quiet time. I am just getting so irritable with all of the totally normal small child behaviour. I was tucking DD (3) in to bed tonight and I was trying to talk to her ahd she kept putting her fingers in my mouth and it was so annoying and I asked her to stop but she kept doing it. Am I the only person who finds the constant chat, physical pawing and endless mundaneness of it all frustrating??

I need some techniques to stop me feeling annoyed by it all and to enjoy it for what it is.

Sorry belle, wasn't being snippy (well I was, a bit but I forgive you)

lifesabeach, you chose that job and get paid for it, no sympathy for you!

This is my life at the moment as well! I'm your textbook 'highly sensitive person' and am also very severely claustrophobic, and DS is 3, talks and talks and talks all day without drawing breath and usually wants to be standing on me/swinging from my neck/playing with my face while he's at it. Most of the time he's delightful and cute and hilariously funny, and I'm always getting comments about how articulate he is for his age, but I find myself getting irritated far more than I should, especially now that we are deep into the 'why?' stage. OH works long hours and truly has no clue what it's like - he gets, at most, a half-hour monologue when he gets home from work, and has never had the ten-unbroken-hours experience that is my daily life!! It's a bit like living with a very small, very persistent Eddie Izzard. I also find myself feeling totally touched-out and not wanting cuddles'n'stuff, which is unfair on OH. Will watch this thread for words of wisdom!!

Over exposure. Give them ALL the attention they need. Over indulge. They are pestering you constantly because they know you want the peace. If they know you will indulge them when they come to you, then the will leave you alone more often. It's bloody hard, but it works.

I'm obviously some kind of genius because I got the answer from MN sussed this out myself when DS was about 18mo. I switched my perspective, gave him constant (argh) attention, and it blardy worked.!

Ugh, I am so dim Jareth. Of course that'll work, as yesterday shows when I let them do whatever they wanted to have a party for their toys and I got hours of peace while they played after doing some cooking and drawing together.
Right here goes!

no need to be sarky

Damn you, it worked. An hour of full on me and they ran away

Wasn't too bad as well, they haven't climbed on me or grabbed me since, and because I let them sit on my lap while we played tea party they didn't grab at me either.

and the touching... the pulling on arms ahhh
leave my body alone will you!

haha, brilliant

it's so worth a hour or two of mind-numb ingly boring pretend play, for them to pretty much leave you alone for the rest of the day.

If that doesn't work, there's always CBeebies

Know exactly what you mean!

My DD talks constantly. I didn't really notice how much (have become immune to it I think), until my friend (who has a DD and DS around the same age) looked after her for the day. Friend commented that she couldn't believe that she literally talked for a full 30 mins in the car - hardly taking a breath!. I was amazed that this was not normal tbh.

On the (very rare) occasions I try to listen to something on the radio or TV, DD will sing a song incessantly. I've given up now, but I often admire the way that DH stoically tries to watch telly on a sunday afternoon, often just lipreading by the end I think!