Introverts, how do you handle your over stimulation?

[Psyche]

I love and value quiet. My boys don't agree. I frequently find myself overwhelmed by the noise and chaos. I can send them to their room some to play or go outside (when the weather cooperates, which it isn't today), but they consider it akin to torture and will do anything and everything to avoid it including tantruming, whining, and arguing, which doesn't help my over stimulation. So..... suggestions on how to cope?

[Blue-EyedLady]

:cup

[Blue Savannah]

:cup

[forty-two]

:popcorn

I have the same issue :yes. Mine love to go outside (or to the basement to play, if the weather's bad) - it's *me* who has a hard time taking them there :doh (no computer :shifty). I've taken up crocheting, though, and it's perfect for watching them play (reading books, my previous standby, never worked out particularly well :shrug3), so it's been a bit easier. Also, offering to read often helps with noise/chaos, but not with physical closeness. Putting on relaxing-to-me music sometimes helps (but not if it prompts tons of "But I wanted to listen to something else!" :banghead).

Otherwise there's a lot of teeth-gritting, with the occasional explosion (or rather frequent explosions :bag if I've not eaten well). And sometimes I resort to the electronic babysitter (which is like crack to my dc :sigh). I've a strict rule of no TV/TV-substitute until after naptime (technically we watch no TV - no broadcast or cable; however, we watch DVDs, Netflix, and youtube with disturbing abandon :shifty, so it's pretty much watching TV by my book ;)) - this rule is mostly for me, so that at least we have half a day without TV :sigh. We've slipped badly on stopping TV time after it starts - it's stayed on till bedtime waaaaaaaay too much :bag. I've been trying to at least stop it when dh gets home - send them outside for a bit, and no starting it back up until after dinner. It's just so darn effective in the short term :shrug.

Anyway, my biggest help is being proactive - do my best to make sure the problem doesn't start in the first place. First, that I eat well, and do activities that build me up (not just fritter my time away on the computer :sigh, which sometimes ends up depressing me, and makes coping with life extra hard). And making sure that the dc eat and drink regularly - they get extra nuts when they are hungry/thirsty (as do I, for that matter). And making sure that I interact with them while we are all in a good mood - makes it more likely that the good frame of mind will last.

Because once the downhill slide has begun, I find it very hard to turn things around (cf teeth-gritting, yelling, and excessive TV watching).

[MarynMunchkins]

I go to my room, and leave them in the main part of the house. They play better there,and I'm just as happy to lie on my bed and read or whatever. :)

It's easier now that I have a couple kids old enough to watch after the little ones, but I've done that for a long time.

[StrangeTraveller]

:popcorn I savor naptimes and movie times..they do an hour or so when they wake up in the AM and after nap. If naptime is a flop..well..it's not so pretty. :shifty Still, on some days even that isn't enough. :sigh I think making it a point to leave the house with just me or me and a little nursling is more important than I've made it.

[dulce de leche]

:cup With four littles, this is becoming a priority for me. In the evenings I just go to bed when the baby does (around 8:30), which usually gives me an hour of listening to Pandora and surfing on my phone before the others come to bed. I have found that when I don't get enough down time, it gets ugly. :blush

[ServingGod]

I take a nap. :shifty

Now that they are older it isn't so bad, but when they were younger I would let them watch a video or two while I took a 30 minute or so nap on the couch. It is like a reset button for me.

[WildFlower]

naptime and bedtime are my only reprieve. The screaming is what gets to me the most, it HURTS my ears. Did I mention I am a bit sensitive AND an introvert?

[greenleafknitter]

I cherish my time in the evening when DD is asleep and do whatever it is I want to do to unwind. I'll either watch a movie, catch up with a TV show on Hulu, surf the web, or knit. I usually need a few hours of this recharging time, but it helps me so much when DD is running around screaming the next day.

If I'm desperate, I'll put in a movie or PBS for her to watch for an hour. She usually quiets down enough for me to get a break.