How to handle a chatterbox child

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:06:30 +0000

Dear Annie,

My 23-month-old daughter is very energetic and creative. Her vocabulary is very clear and I am very grateful to that. Because of her excellent speech comes her constant talking and woo haha I admit it gets overwhelming especially when she repeats mommy a thousand times. I love when she talks because I know she is learning but how do I prevent myself from going over board? Its odd that I enjoy her talking but at the same time her constant talking which does not stop is getting to me. So enough said how do I prevent myself from going crazy?

~Michelle

Dear Michelle,

The subtitle of my first book, The 7 Stages of Motherhood, was Loving Your Life Without Losing Your Mind, which sounds like the dilemma you’re describing. On the one hand, you want to boost your almost-three-year-old’s language skills and you appreciate her energy and enthusiasm; on the other, your little chatterbox occasionally makes you want to reach for the earplugs. Like most children her age, your daughter assumes that you share her sense of wonderment at everything. She doesn’t know – or really care – that you had a long day or forgot to pick up more milk; all she knows is that she’s discovering the world and you’re her favorite partner, teacher, coach, and conversationalist.

Lucky for you she is also at an age when she has the skills to enjoy the company of other children, so make sure to schedule some playdates. She is also probably more able to play on her own for longer stretches of time than she did just a few months ago. To encourage solo play at home, stock up on open-ended toys like blocks or Legos, tea sets or a miniature broom — all great props for pretend play. Make sure to have plenty of her favorite plush animals or dolls to populate her imaginary worlds (and give her someone else to talk to!). And keep an art box filled with crayons, stickers, coloring books, paper, and scissors on hand as an outlet for her blossoming creativity.

Are there certain times of day – I’m guessing the early evening hours – when her constant jabbering is particularly annoying? If so, see if you can enlist the help of a young person in your neighborhood. I found that preteens (11 or 12 year olds) were eager helpers and although I wouldn’t leave your daughter alone with someone that young, you can let them play – and converse – in one room while you do chores or just hang out in another part of the house. Scheduling a little mom time is always wise, especially when you have an energetic toddler at home, so try to get out once or twice a week to do something you enjoy. Just keep the story of your day to yourself when you get home. She may not want to hear all about it!

*This question originally appeared on Babycenter’s Momformation blog.

When babies begin to talk

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:48:52 +0000

Research shows when your toddler’s vocabulary will take off.

The average toddler says a handful of words by his first birthday, and continues adding a few on a daily basis. Neuroscientists have figured out that once your little one has mastered roughly 50 words, a language explosion will begin and he’ll regularly surprise you with new adorably pronounced (or mispronounced) words.

Most children say more than 150 by the time they’re 20 months old, 300 or so by their second birthday. But if mums the word at your house, don’t panic. Like most developmental milestones, kids learn to talk at their own pace, In fact an estimated 10 percent of toddlers talk later than do their peers.

Ann Pleshette Murphy » talking

How to handle a chatterbox child

When babies begin to talk