I can't stand the noise they all make. Any tips?

[1000cals]

I love my dcs dearly. I find myself feeling totally wound up by the noise levels every day. They're children, so they're never going to be quiet. What should I do? Wear ear plugs? I can't concentrate and I feel really irritated by the noise level when they're all home from school. The babies start yelling and I feel like screaming. What should I do?

what ages are they?

6 years, 4 years and twins of 6 months.

ear muffs and sauvignon blanc - doesnt cut it out but it softens the screeching.

Sauvignon blanc is a good idea - must try that...

I'd second the wine... and the ear plugs .

Seriously, ear plugs saved my sanity when DS1 (one, only one!!) screamed incessantly or so it seemed in his first few months.

do a mrs large and lock yourself in the bathroom.

with earmuffs and wine as necessary.

Probably not very helpful but the best tip I can give is to find a way to get used to it/block it out as its only going to get worse
I have 4dcs, older than yours, and there is never a moments silence. There's always at least one extra school friend round and three of them play the drums which means that every communication has to be at the level of a shout.
I'm lucky that noise doesn't get to me, when I worked in an open plan office I was the only one who could concentrate through anything.

I only have two but I have thwarted this problem. It is called I got soap in my ears not following me, right I will explain- you run a nice hot bath put lots of bubbles in get a book and some ear plugs lock the door and then when dp calls to say the kids are being naughty you shout back sorry I have soap in my ears so I can't hear you let me know when I get out .

Or another favorite in my house is the fact that I seem to be constantly constipated dp cannot understand why it takes so long for me to go to the toilet .

when mine were tiny I used to put in headphones for an hour once in a while to give me a bit of a break! So long as they are all in eyeshot, it isn;t going to hurt.

I also used to disasppear into the kitchen when the dt were smaller, as soon as dp got home. Shut the door, and be busy cooking for an hour or so with a glass of wine.

Now my four are a bit older I tend to seperate them into pairs. All four in the same small room is asking for trouble!

Mine are 5, 3 and 1, and I frequently send the two older ones to play in the garden, if only for 5-10 minutes. We also have compulsory rest/leave mummy in peace in the afternoon. I find that if I know that I can have an hour or two of quiet I am much better equipped to deal with the inevitable impossibleness of 4pm to bed time.

I suppose that is not much help, but I find mate afternoon really tiring, and I know that the more I prepare myself for it to be difficult, the easier it tends to be. In the summer I take them all out to the playground, give them a quick dinner and put them to bed. Winter is much more difficult, but when its all too much I do put them to bed half an hour earlier, just so we can finish the day on a good note.

I second sending the older two into another room to do something. I have 6yo and 3yo and they quite happily play playmobil, playdoh, lego or do puzzles next to each other whilst I look after dt's in living room (they're 14mo). It works for half an hour if I'm lucky.

If it all gets too much I get out of the house, it doesn't seem as loud outside.

If it helps, I feel totally wound up by everything my 4 do at the moment but I think that's depression. Does get easier as dt's get older, when they can crawl less screaming from them.

I used to hide under the bed with a book but I was/am a very bad mother. all survived though

I hide in the bathroom sometimes playing a game on my iphone shouting 'I'll just be a minute' periodically to 3yo. Bad mother too.

I am dreading the weekend. My 4 year old autistic son has discovered screaming at the top of his voice, and 6 year old keeps finding reasons to shout
Not even Saturday and am counting the hours till Monday. That can't be right

parcel tape works a treat

Some great ideas! Thank you.

I've never been very into cooking Chopstheduck - but suddenly I can see the advantages - great idea. Will be a martyr over a hot stove now. Might even take a cookery course and throw myself into it.

Think I need a bigger house too.

I need a bigger house, but seriously the Duggars mother said in an interview she whisphers to all the children so they all have a very light response and nobody is allowed to raise their voice in anger or to call to somebody in another room. I'm going to give it a go over the holidays as I am actually going deaf as a result of the noise.

I hide in the kitchen cooking too, or I take my iPhone for extended poo breaks and lock the door, if not they would even bloody follow me in there. I went to bed at 9.30 last night just so I could lay in the dark alone and listen to the quiet and I want more I must be mad!