A Chatty Child: What Does It Mean and How To Quiet Them Down A Bit?

A chatty kid could be a source of joy in the family. Sometimes, their stories are so engaging that you want them to keep talking. There are days though that you would want some quiet time from them.

Remember the time when your baby said his first word? It took so much time and effort for parents to hear those words. It was a milestone any parent would always remember. 

However, who would have thought that years after that, the next thing that you would like to happen is for your child to quiet down a bit.

A chatty child could be like a talking machine. There are times when they are unstoppable when talking. They can go on for minutes talking, sometimes to themselves or sometimes because of just a single topic.

Why Are There Chatty Kids?

There are several reasons why they tend to be chatty. Here are some of those:

The chatty kid could be fixated on a topic.

When kids are very interested in a topic, they incline to share every detail about it. Because of the fixation that they have on the subject, they go on and on about it.

The chatty kid could be stressed about something.

When something bothers a child, one way of calming himself or herself is by talking too much. For shy kids, they talk a lot instead of just being quiet.

The chatty kid is like that because he or she is impulsive.

These kids are the ones who lack self-control. Because of this, whatever their worry is, they talk about it whenever they want.

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How To Quiet Down A Chatty Child?

Sometimes when a child is asked to keep quiet, they take this the wrong way. That is why there are ways that parents could follow with letting chatty kids feel you are mean as a parent. Here are some strategies that parents may follow:

Set boundaries

Parents should try explaining to their children that no matter how much they would love to hear the story, there are things that parents would also need to finish.

Set a schedule

As parents, you are also excited to hear some of the things your child went through in a day. Considering that, it would also be helpful if you set a time for you to do the chat. 

Avoid negative statements

This does not only refer to saying, "No!". Negative statements also include "Stop talking!"

This type of statement can lead to embarrassment on the side of the chatty child. An excellent way to tell him or her to quiet down a bit is by saying, "That is wonderful. I would love to hear all of that, but you see we don't have the entire day to do just that."

READ ALSO: Parents Ask: Should Children Keep Secrets From Parents?

Help the child acknowledge the problem

As early as possible, children should learn to accept their flaws, and that includes being a chatty child.

Parents can do this by asking the children their thoughts about their own behavior. Interrupting a child while they are talking is also a good way to make them acknowledge what went wrong in situations that they tend to be chatty.