How can you get a six-year-old to stop talking when they talk so much they get in trouble at school and drive parents crazy?

Answer 1

It sounds like your child is hyper. Before you race off to a child psychologist please try taking your child of ALL sugars. No candy, pop, and read all labels because ketchup, cereals, jams, etc., all have sugar in them and that includes peanut butter (get the natural kind) and also fruits such as bananas, grapes, etc. You can go on www.Google.com Then type in: What foods have hidden sugars. There was a similar question on the board such as yours and another poster added onto my post with a good idea of going organic and you can find Health Food Stores everywhere. Keep the sugar intake low! When you go shopping read the labels and then in a notebook write down the brands you buy so your next shopping trip will be faster for you. Americans/Canadians eat over 24 lbs. of sugar a year! Why do we like many of the foods .... fats, salt and sugar. It would be wise to take your child into your family doctor and have his thyroid checked out and a physical. I really have high hopes for you that taking your child off sugars will make him/her stop bouncing off the walls. Too often child psychologists will label children on a high sugar diet as ADD or AHD. If the diet doesn't work after 3 or 4 months then I suggest you do take your child for counseling. One of my girlfriends sons was like this. She took him to one doctor after the other and got the same old diagnosis of ADD compiled with AHD. She received no help and I had read an article by a very smart doctor that said most of the problems hyper children had were due to too much sugar. I suggested this to her and within 3 weeks she began to notice her son calm down and it only got better after that. That 5 year old child is now 35 years old and he still knows his limits with sugar. Good luck Marcy NO, he isn't hyper. He talks all the time. About anything or nothing. He eats a well balanced diet, he excells in school, and even plas sports with no problem. He pays attention when he should and is a good listener. He just talks ALL THE TIME!!!! I know this problem is driving you around the bend, but you gave me a morning giggle, because I can just see this little one flapping his/her gums a mile a minute and you sitting behind him rolling your eyes into the back of your head. If you say your child's diet is right on I believe you. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him/her with the exception he/she talks a lot. It's not up to you to worry about his/her talking in the classroom, but up to the teacher to curb it because that's what she's there for ... keeping her class in order. The only thing you can do is look back in your family or your husband's family and see if there is anyone else in the family with the same personality. If so, sorry, this child has picked up their genetics. Don't feel bad, because he/she could become a politician (they sure give us the gift of gab) or this child is dramatic enough to role play and become famous. Be nice, this child when they grow up could be worth millions! LOL Seriously, if you feel this is a drawback in your home and causing more problems then it is worth then seek out a child psychologist to get to the root of things. Good luck Marcy I scheduled a conference with his teacher because she seems to be the one having the hardest time with this. He can talk all day long at home, it's no problem for us, but he gets "bad" notes sent home from his Kindergarten teacher. After meeting with her I think the problem may be that he is not being challenged. He has been in Preschool/daycare and I know he could pass all the requirements for exiting his grade, but his school system will not let a Kindergartener skip a grade. I agree with that but now I need to find new ways to challenge him! You're a smart mom and I think you've just answered your own question. You need to challenge your child more. Teachers have to keep some modicum of peace in their classroom, and perhaps they just consider your child disruptive around other children. That isn't saying your child is bad at all. He/she may have a great gift of gab and is full of ideas and I agree, that he/she isn't going to get much of that at pre-school and could be bored, so it's got to come from home. I also agree skipping pre-school and onto 1st grade isn't such a good idea. I'd be prepared though in elementary school because I have no doubt they will want your child to skip a grade or two. I'm glad you are meeting with the teacher to see what is going on. Good luck Marcy I have to laugh at this one, because I am going through the same thing with my 10 year old stepson!He wakes up and starts talking,,,and puts himself to sleep talking..I've caught him at it!The only thing I can tell you is to ttry to keep firm limits in the area of social exchange.Do not let him constantly interrupt you when you are speaking with another person.If he tries to, stop long enough to say that you are speaking with someone, and will be able to focus on him in a minute.Only when you are done, then turn your attention to him.Do not let him ramble excessively. You will have to sit him down when you are not annoyed and explain to him the social nicities of allowing people have a turn to talk, and that it is considered rude to interrupt.This will be a long process, but you have to be firm and consistent. Do not let him talk OVER you when you are trying to tell him something. Send him to his room for a couple of minutes, telling him that you are the parent and he has to learn to listen to other people.When he does start to ramble, stutter or trip over his words, or lose the thread of conversation in the middle of a sentence, tell him to take a deep breath for a moment and think of what he is trying to say, and to keep it simple. He does not have to verbalize EVERY SINGLE thought that comes into his head...It seems to be an egocentric trait.He has to learn to see how his constant talking influences peoples reaction to him.If you see a negative reprocussion of his chattiness, think of a constructive way to approach him about it, and talk to him when you are away from the situation, but don't leave it so long that he forgets!Whatever you do, do not let yourself be held hostage by his never ending conversation, or give into him simply because you hope it will shut him up.It doesn't.It only reinforces the talking.My child's grandparents did that.Trust me, it only makes it worse because when they are older and it seems really obnoxious and you are trying to break him of the habit, he will be very confused and angry..after all, he was allowed to hog conversations all this time, why is it suddenly wrong?If he is persistant and continually interupts and irritates you, send him to his room for a time out.Explain that he is not being polite.Give him a journal to put some of his thoughts to paper..that way when he is talking to you in a stream of concious manner, you can tell him to put a pencil to paper.At six, he won't be able to write too much, but it will develop into an outlet.These ideas may help you, they have given us some relief, but let me tell ya, once a talker, ALWAYS a talker! You just have to learn to channel it into something that doesn't drive everyone around him crazy. Good luck!!