DDs (lack of) listening skills / interrupting when I'm talking to her...arrrgh!

[newfashionedmum]

DD is 6, has quite a 'busy' personality, always has to be occupying her mind with something. She does something which is beginnning to drive me nuts. She will ask me a question and then interrupt me midflow when I'm answering. Sometimes with a guess (almost always wrong) of what I'm going to say next, sometimes (and this is the one that REALLY bugs me) with a completely different topic!!
This happened about 4 times tonight in the space of half an hour or so, but she doesn't always do it. I haven't worked out what triggers it if anything..

How can I teach her the cues, and the will, to actually listen to and process what I'm actually saying rather than just wait for it to be her turn to speak.

In the meantime does anyone have a ?

I think I know what you mean, I have a similar problem with my DS.

Sorry, no advice.

I have the same problem with 5yr old DD. Until someone comes on here with the answer I'll join in with the please BlackCat

thanks for the moral support and the anyway blackcat...

Sounds normal to me, unfortunately. Ds is 7.5 and rarely listens to anything said to him even when I'm answering a question he has asked. Even if I tell him to be quiet you can just see him waiting to pounce on when he can speak and not listening to anything I'm saying. Lots of not listening comments in his school reports. I'm strict at home with stopping him interrupting but it is a never ending battle and there are some days where I just give up. You'll need a few of these

Watching with interest. I have one if these models as well! 2005 vintage. Drives. Me. Batty. He interrupts EVERYONE!

Last year ds's class teacher was the deputy head. She said that if the head came in to see her ds had to have a word with him too (as if had popped into the classroom especially to see ds). I spent most of my parents' evenings being either or at what ds got up to.

I've had this too with my 6 yr old. I bought this box set of books a while ago and 'interrupting' is one of the topics covered. They are brilliant books, cost a small fortune but worth every penny IMO. Now, DD knows exactly what it means to interrupt and why other people aren't keen when she does it. The down side is, she tries to give me into trouble when I interrupt her when she's mid tantrum/whinge/whine/arguument with me

DD does this (also 6). The first time she interrupts I just stop talking and get on with something else.

If she asks me another questions I ask her 'Are you going to listen to my answer this time?'. If she interrupts again and then asks another question I refuse to answer any questions for a whole hour, which is torture for her. I just tell her she wasn't listening so I am not talking and remind her I listen to her.

It has worked quite well, I haven't had to do the refusing for several weeks now. I have also taught her that if I am explaining something and she has a question she should open her mouth and go 'ah' and then stop. Then I will acknowledge her and either ask her for her question or if I am in mid-spiel I'll say 'wait DD, I'm almost finished, then you can ask'.

Ds is worst when I'm talking to someone else. If its just the two of us I do the same, stop talking and get on with something else.

Even Santa told my 7y.old DS to work harder this year on not interrupting people when they're talking :) in his video message from Portable Nothern Pole.

He also keeps saying 'look at this', 'watch me', 'look what i've made!' every 10 mins or so at the moment :( which also interrupts my activities / conversations with others. I recently lost it and thrown his model on the floor, after he was waving it right in front of eyes trying to get my attention. He was very upset, and I was very sorry...

Books is a good idea - because obviously it's best to discuss this subject separately, and not in a heat of a moment.

.

at father christmas' video message - sadly she no longer believes! The stopping talking and then refusing to answer any more questions I've tried - but she just seems helpless - its like she doesn't realise she's doing it or how to stop. I've ordered a couple of books, the one mentioned above and another called my mouth is a volcano, which might at least help her understand why its so annoying for me - though maybe it'll just teach her that THAT is how to push my buttons when she wants to!

Sometimes children this age with busy minds flit fast from one idea to another. When my dd did this I would try and remember to give really short answers. Its really annoying when you're trying to given a proper answer and they interrupt - but their minds already moved on and they don't have the concentration at this age.