You’ve come home from a hard day’s work. You have a cup of tea in your hand and you’re ready to flop on the sofa. Your little one wants to chat, but it’s just a stream of consciousness, endless questioning that goes on and on! It doesn’t even look like they’re paying attention to your answers. It’s great that they want to chat, but is there something more to this endless chatter? You just wanted a quiet evening!

Some children like to talk. Some children like to talk a lot! But when is it too much? It’s great that your child asks questions, but it can be draining. That’s okay! We only have so much energy, and as much as we’d love to listen to our little ones all day long, we’ve got to find some time to recharge our batteries.

So, let’s have a look and see if there are any ways we can help your child curb their constant chattering!

Is my child chatting too much in the first place?

There’s a fine line between a curious child and one who might need some guidance to curb their endless chatting. Here are the top 4 signs that your child might need your help:

Your child constantly asks a stream of nonsense questions, but doesn’t even seem to be listening to the answers.

They give a running commentary on everything, even the most mundane things!

Your child frequently makes statements that make no sense whatsoever.

They repeatedly say phrases such as “I love you”.

If this sounds like your child, have no fear! A lot of parents encounter this, and it’s normal behaviour! But we can also employ key strategies to help them grow out of this habit.

But why are they chatting so much in the first place?

Here are the top 3 reasons why a child might want to constantly talk:

It might be a tactic to keep you close to them. They might fear that as soon as they stop talking, you’ll disregard them and focus on something else.

They might be wanting to control their environment, by keeping the conversation flowing. This could stem from a fear of losing control.

The child might be unaware of what they’re saying or doesn’t realise that a conversation involves two people and requires meaningful input from both parties.

Now that we know why children might develop these behaviours, let’s look at some tips and solutions we can use!

What strategies can help a constantly chattering child?

Here are the best strategies to help chatty children:

If a child is repeating phrases such as “I love you,” consider saying it back to them at random intervals. A little love can go a long way!

Say, “my ears are all full up from nonsense words, and need a bit of a rest. They can still hear sensible words, though.”

Getting your child to write down what they want to say can work wonders! This can engage the higher brain, and most children will even forget what they wanted to say in the first place.

You might want to set aside some time so that the child can get all their nonsense questions out. Make sure you start and finish when you mean to. This can help structure a child’s conversation in their head.

A gentle touch can help regulate a child, and get them to snap out of the chattering loop.

It can help to explore your child’s feelings, so talk to them about their behaviour. Wonder aloud things like, “I wonder if you’re chatting this much because you're afraid I’ll forget about you if you’re not talking?” Often this can lead to a healthy discussion about why your child is constantly talking.

You might want to give the child a recording device to talk into. Get them to listen back to their talking. This can help a child realise just how much they’ve been talking. Plus, it can be hilarious!

With these strategies, your child will start thinking about what they are saying, rather than constantly asking nonsense questions. You’ll finally be looking forward to the sofa, the cup of tea, and a nice relaxing conversation!

My child is chatting constantly! Is that a good thing?