How can we all stop shouting at eachother?

[curiouscat]

Our household is too noisy for comfort. DS9, DD6, DD5 are lively and the only way to make myself heard sometimes is to talk louder than them. I'm developing this awful hectoring tone. Has anyone got any tips on how to make kids listen to me? How they can talk at a normal volume? It's driving me mad. I've got the book 'How to talk so your kids will listen and listen so your kids will talk' but it's too American for me. I grew up in a shouty house and don't want to be the mum in one. DH is getting louder too. Thanks in advance for any help before I have to buy a hearing aid.

Talk quietly or at least normally yourself. If the children want something ignore them until they can speak at a normal level. Tell them in advance that you will be ignoring them until they speak normally and then if they shout, quietly remind them.

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Hurrah. No curious you'll get used to the americanisms, and you can adapt them a little too. Is the answer.

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tick tock tick tock.

No, is marvellous coincidence.

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tick tock. okay.

Honestly, the How to Talk thing does work. Give it another go, and gives you somewhere to go before you resort to shouting.

menace your children using a low tone.

works for me.

turn things off. telly downstairs and upstaairs plus hi fi, mobile phones microwave dinging and the smoke alarm going off as you cook whilst your kids fight over the existing noise to get your attention.

lower the general acceptable volume.

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Thanks for these, I guess I'll dust off the book again.