Hi Kelly / Kristie. Could you please post to Facebook
This may sound silly but it's doing my head in.
My 4.5yr old does not stop talking. Ever!! From the second he wakes up until he goes to bed he is talking. It's so hard to concentrate and do things with the constant chatter and him wanting responses.
He's been like this since he could talk but lately family, friends, daycare teachers, sports coach are commenting on it. He's just SO full on!
Any ideas on how to stop it and slow him
down?
I've tried talking to him about it and explaining he doesn't need to talk so much. I've tried ignoring it. Tried telling him mummy can't think straight and concentrate on getting to his friends house etc if we driving. Nothing works for more than a few minutes.
I'm going nuts!! Just need some peace occasionally
Distraction doesn't work, even at the park or game centre or his favorite cartoons he still talks the whole time and gets cranky if no response, he'll just keep repeating until he gets a reply
I feel so guilty ignoring him but I have to to get anything done. Can't even feed baby properly as she gets so distracted from hearing him talk constantly
He is a very intelligent boy and very social and happy, well accepted by peers and has loads of friends at daycare and excels at his sport classes. He's kind and always happy and has great manners and behaviour it's just the talking .....
Has anyone else had this and got advice?
Please don't suggest a child psychologist or specialist as I am not going to go down that path unless it becomes obvious in the future there is a problem. If so I will happily take him but do not believe he needs this now.
Apart from the talking he is an awesome well adjusted intelligent boy
7 Replies
Unfortunately this is what all the girls are like in our family. It's actually fantastic but terribly annoying!
I find mental stimulation really helps. So giving him an activity he has to concentrate hard on, something that is on the upper end of his skill level. Also setting timers. We are not talking until the timer goes off. If you have anything you want to say save it up did after the timer :). Also structured 'rest time' in his bedroom on his own. It's time for a rest now in your room you can read books but not to come out until mummy says so.
Thankyou! I've been doing the mental stimulation with things that are a bit hard but he still just talks through them while trying to work it out.
Haven't done the timer though, that may work for him so will definately try that tomorrow. Thanks
It can also be a symptom called pressure speech....unless and until there are acute behaviour issues they wont do anything about it. Does it come and go or constant.
She is pretty full on even between episodes but at times it just erupts to a whole other level.
Thank you for replying , it's constant. Never stops.
I'm sorry to hear I assume it's your daughter is similar? I hope you find a way to manage it!!
As said I dont want to be diagnosed with anything I'm just after tips from other IMs who have had similar over talker kids.
She was diagnosed this year with bipolar the mood stabilisers have worked brilliantly its almost sane around here lol. But its not something they normally diagnose in children.
Pressured speech isnt generally something anyone really takes much note of if they are coherent. Best you can do is try to keep them busy and ask them to slow down when speaking.
She doesnt ever really stop. Its during episodes her speech gets even faster still and is basically incoherent.
I have chatty kids. its great! their brains are wired and working! Try to respond as much as you can! Its a priviledge you have bright kids respond as much as you can. Others aren't as lucky as u!
Probably not what you want to hear but I'm 22 and I'm still like this. It drives my mum and brother insane!! Apparently I have been like this since I could talk. At 22 I don't throw tantrums to get a reply so something to look forward too ;)
I don't feel bad for being ignored (mostly) nor do I take it personally when it annoys them. It's just my personality. I'll commentate through movies and games etc like he is doing even know. My head doesn't switch off and my outlet is talking. Some days my head goes a thousand miles a minute and I'll speak a string of words which are too fast for anyone else to catch but speaking what's going through my head just helps me memorise and keep track of everything.