Is Your Kid SO Talkative?

Lol, that is cute, add me to the club.
When my older was little she talked so much that my mom and her husband make a game to see how many seconds she would stay quiet. She told me the most they count was 11 seconds!!
When I was little I was like that, my family called me "tarabilla" which is somebody that talks a lot.
Actually, I still talk a LOT (or write a lot like many of you "may" have notice), so sorry to tell you this but this maybe no stop as he grows, lol.
Just repeat with me: really? wow? hmmm? and my new favorite: and how that makes you feel? and you should be fine.
hahaha.

Yeah, my 5 year old son is the same way and has been since he was around 2 and talking well. He started asking "why" around 2.5, so I tell him in as much detail as he can stand (he stops talking long enough to listen). Some days it drives me crazy. But his teachers say he has a great vocabulary and imagination. Sometimes I half listen and if I am driving I say I have to concentrate on that.

Susan and Mamy of 2, I always love your posts :)

Sigh, Count me in as having a non-stop talker. My youngest is 3 and never stops talking. I am proud of how well she speaks, but it also is just exhausting. The worst is when we go running. I have her in the jogging stroller and I will have my headphones in and she will just be yakking away, asking me questions. Or she wants me to give specific responses, like she has the conversation already mapped out in her head. I can't respond because I am huffing and puffing but finally after her yelling "Mom? MOM?! MOOOOOOOM!!!" over and over I will pant, "(Huff, huff) Izzy, I am (gasp) running (gasp) I can't, (huff) talk, (huff) right now!" and then she says "Ok" and keeps on asking questions!

I feel your pain - my DD is turning 4 in August and she yackety-yaks non-stop. I've posted on here before also about all the questions she asks, especially the same ones over and over, about what you get when you mix this color and this color, and who made that/those _____? I love that she is so verbal, and too smart for her own good, but it's exhausting having to be her sounding board and audience all the time. Like Riley's son, she is an only child, but highly sociable, so it's like I have to be her constant companion and play mate. Even after she goes to bed, and she's in her room all by herself, I can hear her still talking to herself. She was never speech delayed, but I can't believe there was ever a time that I worried about her verbal development!

I try to be as interested as I can when I can. But sometimes I can only muster "Oh, I see..." and "Uh huh..." and whatnot. And sometimes I'm just like, "Mommy's head is too full of words! Please don't put any more words in Mommy's head! It can't hold them all!"

ROFL... oh yeah. And massively extroverted as well. Meaning he's happiest when he's about 3 inches from at least ONE person, and prefers a crowd. Since he's an only, when we're at home, that person is ME. It's taken YEARS of practice to get kiddo to "play independently" for even half an hour. Even then "Mom! you've gotta see/hear/try this!!!" pops up at regular intervals.

Singing lessons & Acting Lessons.

Sometimes, I'll get right with him and talk away, other times -just to be honest- it slides right in one ear and out the other. I'll also just keep going about my business saying "Follow me" and he'll trail along behind me telling me stories. Other times I'll tickle him until he can't talk anymore (out of breath) and then send him off to play.

LOVE that excitement in the world... but I've had to come up with an arm's length of ways to circumvent being an "audience" 24/7.

I used that technique on my parents, however, when I was older. (I talked a lot as a kid). When I wanted their permission for something they wouldn't ordinarily agree to, I started talking about an hour ahead of time. And talked. And talked. And talked. Once they'd gotten into the glazed "Yes. Sure. Okay. Uh-huh. Sounds good." phase I'd slip in the question. They'd agree. I'd talk a little bit more, thank them... and go do what they'd approved. I'm semi-eidetic, so later when they tried to get me in trouble... I'd repeat back 5 minutes of my babbling and their answers to "prove" I had SO asked permission. Drove them justifiably nuts.

Just a heads up for 10 years from now ;)

Neither I (nor my speech pathologist godmother) considered my son speech delayed (although he only had a handful of words until 2ish). At age 2ish he DID have a language explosion. 6 months of crazy verbalness, and then it went on into reading. It cracks me up today. You want so badly for them to START talking... and then... Ye GODS! They don't STOP!

I'm alone this year with my almost 4 y/o dd while my dh is deployed...and I have my 1 1/2 year old at home too...and honestly...my DD NEVER is quiet.
I posted on here about not being able to find a mute button! LOL (Actually can't even find the volume control!) Being alone with her 24/7 (except preschool a couple days a week) I honestly feel like I'm going to lose my mind sometimes! I'm working on my "umm hmmm" skills and going to my "happy place" so I don't go nuts. I LOVE that she has so many questions and is so excited and loves to talk, but sometimes mama's ears and brain just need a break! And the poor lil guy doesn't get a word in edgewise!
Lately I have been picking a favorite song to just hummmmmm constantly to myself...seems to work!
Hang in there!
You're not alone.

I gave our daughter permission to "not have to talk all of the time."

I just told her at one point, "you know P, it is ok for us to just be here together. We do not have to talk the whole time.. How about lets listen to some music or a story on CD."

It was like she had never realized this.. hmmm, wonder were she learned to talk so much? Haven't a clue.. hee, hee.

Two of mine were "delayed" and then made up for it. One girl/one boy. DD is 4 and DS is 11. They both still talk INCESSANTLY. My 9 y/o DD came up to me the other day and hugged me and said "MOMMA. PLEASE make them stop for just two minutes!" LOL

Luckily I have two, and sometimes they're just content to yak at each other. DS never talked in his sleep but DD does ALL THE TIME. And she still sleeps with us, too.

But I second Victoria W's comment. I listen intently for a few minutes, and then gently let them know that I need "no talking" or that they can only "talk to themselves--quietly" while I do a certain task. Especially when I'm on the phone!

My oldest daughter (six) talks a ton. She was never this way until the last few years...and now it just doesn't stop. I just don't always pay "real" close attention...because she's usually rambling on about what dinosaur ate what and had what features and was how many feet long, like she's teaching a class on it. If she's talking about something besides dinosaurs, however, I listen. :)

Mine was delayed too. He's making up for it NOW!

I tell him my ears hurt and I need quiet. He even talks/laughs in his sleep.

My 3 year old NEVER shuts up! She started talking at 8 months and has never stopped. She'll be the first to tell you that "I talk alot. All the time. I like to talk alot". Lol. She's loud to boot!

My daughter is 4, she has been "talking" nonstop since about 9mos. We been understanding her since she was about 15mos. I always say she wakes up talking and she hits the pillow still talking. Even when playing by herself, its a running commentary. Lately she's trying what my husband calls "jedi mind tricks" on us. Like yesterday he sits down and turns on the tv and she says, "oh dad, what did you say? you want to watch Lilo and Stitch?" He's like no but good try. It's amazing the things they come up with and comprehend. I think since she's turned 4 she's become so much more grown up and indepth with conversations. Its amazing the things she understands and how she is able to put 2 and 2 together now. We can't even spell anymore because she can sound stuff out.

So yeah, I'm with you. I'm glad she's so articulate and has been for so long, but she will make your ears bleed :)

:)

Enjoy it and nod and say "oh yeah?" a lot.

Yes, my 6 yr old daughter is like this. The only time she's not talking is when she is asleep. Once she started talking at about 18 months, she never stopped.

What works best for mine, is to stop whatever it is that I am trying to do and actively listen to them for several minutes. Then, after I have paid direct undivided attention to them for a few minutes, I gently say "Mommy has/needs to _____ for a few minutes. To do this I need to concentrate on just that, without any talking going on." Or, "I want to hear everything you have to say, but right now I ____ and while I am doing that I won't be able to listen fully to what you are saying. Let me ___ and then you can tell me ___."

Usually, after giving attention, then using a phrase like that, I'll get 5 minutes of quiet as my child goes off to happily do something else. Sometimes, I have to remind in just 2 minutes that "Mommy is still ____ and I need no talking, please." That usually gets me some quiet without any hurt feelings. They know that I think what they have to say is important and I will listen to them, but at THIS moment, I am unable to give full attention.

LOL yes my 7 year old talks a lot (like his mama). He talks when people are in the room and listening, and when he's by himself...he talks to the TV, he talks to his toys...he narrates a lot of what he does like he's announcing the play by play of a sporting event...when we are AT a sporting event like his brother's hockey games, he narrates every move...he talks in Karate, in skating lessons, at school, in church, and in Sunday school...he talks in his sleep. Worse than that is the fact that he is LOUD. Constantly shouting. His hearing is fine, he just has a voice that carries and gets carried away with himself. We did use some positive discipline techniques for working on the volume. He could earn up to 2 points for going 2 hours at a normal, appropriate volume, 1 point for speaking at a normal volume with only a few reminders, or 0 points for shouting relentless like he normally did. After getting 10 points, he could use the i-pod touch to watch You Tube or play games (yes he talks then too...and he talks while playing drums). It did help with the volume, but he's still jabbering non-stop!

I love all of the responses - too funny, these chatterboxes! My son had almost no vocab at his 2nd birthday - he had literally 10 words, just enough to keep him out of speech therapy and then he exploded after that. They used to call him the mayor of daycare - he would greet and chat up anyone who came in the door. When I was a kid I used to talk to everyone...mailman, garbage man, clerks, etc. I was always desperate for some conversation! My dad used to offer me 25 cents to stop talking for 5 minutes (I never made it that long). My talker drives his siblings crazy...they ask him if he has a "mute" or "off button" and stick their fingers in their ears when they've had enough of him. My husband took video of the kids doing different sports and made a little movie and he's talking in every frame lol!

Oh, I know the feeling. One of my nieces was 3 when she came to live with me... she probably only said 3-4 words to us TOTAL during the first 6 months. For a while we were scared that she was becoming a mute... her psyciatrist was even concerned. Then after that 6 month-ish mark she started coming out of her shell a bit, and now I can't get her to shut up! I have just mastered the art of listening with 1/2 an ear, giving her 'uh-huhs' and 'Yeps' whenever she pauses to take a breath. LOL! (the trick is to listen for key words, and say something random about them every once in a while.)

my son talks too much and TOO LOUDLY and makes odd noises in the middle and clicks his tongue ... when he talks to fast and does all of this it is as if he is speaking to the aliens! I have to walk out the front door and say "I am checking the mail" sometimes to get away. And my son does have a speech delay that we are still working on he just constantly moves his body and makes noises of any kind at all times.

I love my talker. You never have to guess what he's thinking! Once in a while I do have to tell him, "sweetie, right now mom needs a little time of silence."

Haven't read all the responses, but I may have a different take on the "too much talking" thing. I have an 11 year old girl. She was always a good talker - clear, detailed, etc. I remember when it seemed she would never stop talking (maybe 3 or 4 years old? it's been a while). Being confined in the car with her for any length of time would give me a headache.

I'm of the school of thought that just because a child CAN do something (like talking every waking minute) doesn't mean they SHOULD continue to do something. At some point, I knew I wanted to teach my daughter the art of CONVERSATION which is very different from just randomly talking non-stop. One day I very nicely and gently explained to her that conversation is when you say something and then I say something related and then you say something. The person who isn't talking is listening to the other person. She was able to grasp this concept at that young age. I explained to her (again nicely) that NOBODY wants to hear someone else talk ALL DAY long and it is nice to just have quiet time. I explained that although I loved to hear what she had to say, that I wouldn't allow her to just go ON and ON about nothing. It took some practice, but she got the hang of it.

When she got a bit older, she started to notice that some kids just talked all day about nothing. She actually said to me - Mom, I'm so glad you taught me how to have a conversation because some kids just never stop talking and it's just too much noise. Honestly, I don't want her going out into the world talking everyone's ears off so why would I let her develop the habbit of talking about nothing all day? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that my teaching her this has not stopped her creativity or stunted her emotional growth in any way. I don't see anything wrong with teaching your children this - I think it will serve them well in the future. Just my 2 cents.

my youngest didn't say a word until he was about 1.5 then he just started with almost full sentences and I have not been able to shut him up since! I have actually said- I will give you five dollars to stop talking for 5 minutes- he has never made it.

SAY THE SAY THING! "Can you please stop talking for 5 minutes and rest your tongue??" My mom says she wishes he had an off and on switch! Oddly, my 6 yr old son had a mild speech delay as an early preschooler.
He is on top of things now and doing great in school His only issue is talking in class. Oh well.. a close friend's 2 1/2 year old was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, today. I am going to try not to complain as much about my son's talking because her son barely learned to say about 5 words recently. He couldn't even say mama till a couple mon ago and will be 3 in April. So, I guess if it's not one thing, it's another. However, we need not feel guilty for the echoing we feel in our heads or the many other issues their non-stop talking causes! We are human. I swear my brain does ache sometimes. LOL. You are not alone!