How to teach your chatter box to take a pause?

One year walking and two years talking – Most common phrase we use for kids milestone. But what comes after two???

At two kids start learning words and by three they become master in day to day words. Three is the year when they learn to use sentences (of course the known one only) and the cutest thing is at three they will start repeating you and all.

Don’t get surprise if they throw back your own sentences and thus think twice before you speak. I still remember my daughter calling me megha, meggie, janu and many more just because my husband liked to call those names!!! So Beware and choose your words carefully.

At 4 kids learn more words and they try to use each and every word they came across at its max. Funniest thing is they use same word in every second sentence throughout the week!!!  That’s the way they get command on words. How can I forget the fondness of “either me” (my daughter loved it).

And at 5 they become master in talking. Of course they make grammatical mistakes but they can make an understandable conversation.

  

Well the good thing is they are learning, they are communicating and they are becoming social by their talk. Then what is the issue?

Well at 3 when they repeated or copied your sentences they looked cute; at 4 when they repeated same words everywhere they looked funny but now at 5 when they show their talking power now and then, sometimes only sometimes you will feel helpless. You want peace for few minutes and thus you want them to shut their mouth at least for a minute but the truth is they can’t!!!

They are master in talking and so they will keep talking all the times. That may bother you sometimes and you really want them to be quite at least for few minutes (or only for few minutes as they can’t be quite more than 3-5 minutes). And that’s why we call them chatter box or in better words master in talking.

If their nonstop talk doesn’t bother you, I must say you are the best but still you need to focus on what are they talking about. Are they talking on relevant topic or they are adding something just because they want to speak. For them they are getting best in talking and that’s why they need guidance, guidance to understand when to speak; guidance to understand what to speak and guidance to understand when to be quite. Of course the last one is tricky.

What is chatter box?

we consider a kid as a chatterbox when 1. S/he speaks nonstop 2. S/he speaks just because s/he wants to speak 3. S/he doesn’t allow others to speak 4. s/he is not ready to wait for others to finish.

Talking to kids is always fun but at the same time we should make sure that they speaks relevant thing. If you have asked “how your school was” and you are getting in return “today Ishita didn’t come” that’s okay but if they reply you with “they like pink doll” that’s irrelevant and you must work on that. If they speak nonstop to answer you is fine until its relevant to the topic but its not good if they start adding their own sentences just to pull the conversation.

• Don’t let them pull the conversation just because they want to talk. Rather you can tell them it seems talking about school is finish then we can talk on some different thing if you want.
• Answer of question should be straight, if not explain them the best way to answer by repeating their answer in better words.
• If you and your partner (or friend) are in conversation and they talk in-between, let them know that they too can wait. And saying “excuse me” is wiser.
• If they speak all the home things out and put you in embarrassing situation, introduce the concept of top secret (fun for them but always work for us). Explain what we can share with everyone and what with parents only.

How to teach your chatter box to take a pause:

Of course we don’t want them to stop talking forever but yes we want them to take a break from that. There is nothing bad in that in fact it is good to teach them to listen as well. After all it is easier to teach a child than it is to fix a broken adult.

• Introduce quite time for all: In your routine add 3-5 minutes quite time for all. For example every day after dinner every one should seat together without saying a word for 5 minutes. If you think this is impossible then let me remind you when we all were kid we too played the game of “who is the parrot here”. If you will take it as a fun they too will take it as a fun and result they will learn it even faster.
• Time for observation: During a day time ask them to be quite till the timer rings and observe the surrounding things. At the end tell them to state 5 sentences about their observation. Take a turn and make it fun.
• Game to listen: Try and listen the surrounding sounds which you can hear if you are quite only. Take turns and count who can recognize more sounds. For example, sounds of fan, water tap, Air-conditioner,wall clock or even washing m/c beep.
• Go for nature: Take them to garden or near by walking trails. Ask them to listen different sounds and guess from where the sound is coming from and what can it be. For example, sound of waterfall, rustling sound of leaves, chirp of birds, wind howls, Fluttering sound of butterflies or even their own tapping sound. Early morning or evening is best for these.
• Sooth with music: At the time of bed play some classical music or lullabies. It will sooth their mind and makes them calm.
• Listen and make them listen: don’t interrupt them if they are telling you something, let them finish first even if their topic is not important. Let them complete, respond to their talk and then start your topic.
• Teach with symbol: Decorate their room with the symbol of quietness, poster with keep silence phrases or handmade drawing. This will help them to understand the importance of quietness.
• Limit Television: Limit Television especially the noisy programs. Limit television after late evening so they can get time to soothe their mind before going to bed.
• Yoga or meditation: Introduce kids’ yoga or meditation and do it together every morning or in weekends. It helps to ease their body and mind.
• Don’t forget to admire: Give appraisal for their each and every try even if they don’t succeed. Give time, make fun and learn to be quiet together.

“Listening more and result speaking less” suits perfectly here. We can’t tell them talking too much is bad but we can teach them listening is also interesting. Once they will start listening they will surely take a pause from their nonstop chattering.

All The Best