teaching not to interrupt

[passionatemom]

How have you successfully taught your child not to interrupt (as much ;))?

At what age was your child able to make improvements in this area?

My 3.5 yo is constantly interrupting me and/or making noises (car motor sounds, etc.) while I'm talking to him or trying to talk to others when he is around. Maybe he's too young to make much improvement yet? Or maybe I just haven't tried the right technique yet?

**Added for clarification: My biggest problem is that he interrupts me with something totally unrelated while I'm talking to him. Mommy: Emmett, it's almost time for . . .
Emmett: The space shuttle landed on the moon!
Mommy: (sigh.)
Baby: crying in the background . . .

[BeckaBlue]

I still haven't succeeded in getting them not to interrupt....but I'll say hold on and put a finger up. the finger gives me a reminder that they're waiting to talk too (I tend to be very forgetful to get back to them when the time is good, which i think is partly why they're so bad about it). at 3.5, i don't expect jo to stay quiet while waiting, but she also knows to hold on while i have my finger up

[Barefoot Bookworm]

We are working on it but not getting very far. :giggle DD1 is almost 4 and the worst one about interrupting. I've asked her to put her hand on my arm and I will talk to her as soon as I can. She has the hand on the arm down and then she interrupts verbally again. :doh

[NewMommy]

I hold a finger to my lips. It's taken us a while, but we're pretty much there.

[Allison]

Sometime around age 7.

[mommy2ella]

Our signal system is that she will tap me lightly, and I will place my hand on her head and rest it there until I am ready to hear her. It reassures her that I haven't forgotten her if I keep my hand there.

[passionatemom]

Our signal system is that she will tap me lightly, and I will place my hand on her head and rest it there until I am ready to hear her. It reassures her that I haven't forgotten her if I keep my hand there.

This is a nice idea.

Any ideas for when the kid asks you a question, then interrupts you while you're answering it??? :doh

[shaslove]

We are big on "So & so is talking, we need to wait until he/she is done," & then not responding/etc to whatever she is saying. Sometime is works-it's a work in progress.

[RealLifeMama]

Kind of interesting...a couple of weeks ago, I heard Josh McDowell speak. He said he never taught his kids not to interrupt, and that he wanted his kids to know he was available to them at all times.

I would just teach them to say "excuse me, mama".

As far as the talking over me when I am talking to them....I don't know. I am having trouble with my 4yo now talking over me all the time. (usually when I am correcting him)

DH and I realized the other day that we interrupt him without even noticing, though. :bag The kids all talk so much, it is easy just to tune them out and start a conversation with each other or one of the bigger kids. :( So, we need to model that better for him.

[Love&Joy]

No ideas, but that's why I am posting...to get some ideas from the rest of you! Thanks :D

[passionatemom]

As far as the talking over me when I am talking to them....I don't know. I am having trouble with my 4yo now talking over me all the time. (usually when I am correcting him)

DH and I realized the other day that we interrupt him without even noticing, though. :bag The kids all talk so much, it is easy just to tune them out and start a conversation with each other or one of the bigger kids. :( So, we need to model that better for him.

Yeah, it's hard to model not interrupting for both of these reasons :yes. If there's something I really need to tell him, especially if it's time-sensitive, I often have to interrupt him, though I try to remember model polite ways to do it "excuse me" etc. He will talk non-stop for 5 minutes or more on a favorite topic.

The thing that annoys me most is the first one, when I'm talking directly to him, especially when he has asked me a question and I am trying to address it! I guess maybe "interrupting" isn't the best title for that.