Kids who talk non stop
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Anonymous
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I have a 5 year old son whose favorite activity is to talk. And I don't mean being curious and asking a ton of questions. I mean mostly nonsensical talking, about goofy names he calls me or himself or how he wants to roll around in the mud to be like a pig. It is actually hard to describe what he talks about, but he could go on for hours. Yesterday I took him out to the park for a walk and ice cream and for 1.5 hours just non stop jabbering. It's like he enjoys the talking/communication park more than the actual substance of what is said. I am really not a huge talker in general and definitely not a "small talk" kind of person so I find it all really exhausting.
I guess my question is, if you had or know a kid like this, how were they like as they grew up? He has no other interest other than talking it seems. We have tried a bunch of activities for him and he doesn't care (though of course he is young so that might change). Is he going to be the class clown? The student who never does his work because he is too busy socializing? Is he destined to be a politician?! |
Anonymous
| Is he having actual conversations? Can he ask and answer questions? |
Anonymous
Oh yes actual conversations, just about nonsense, if that makes sense. Like you know how some people can talk and talk and talk and not really say anything? This is like the kid version of that. |
Anonymous
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So mine turned out to have ADHD. His third grade teacher wondered if the constant talking (you don’t even have to be there; he will just talk to himself/narrate every thought he has) could be dopamine-seeking behavior. We do notice it decreases substantially when he takes his medication.
It’s pretty funny— he will act out epic narratives while brushing his teeth. We wind up yelling “LESS TALKING MORE BRUSHING” across the house every morning. Otherwise, he’s quirky and a picky eater but no other issues. |
Anonymous
| They will grow up to be a non-stop talker, as did my sister. Growing up, the family nicknamed her "mouth" as it never stopped moving...sibling nicknames have since died, but her and her husband have a system where he lifts 3 fingers to let her know he's already heard the story 2X and doesn't need to again. They've been married 30 years, so it has worked well. |
Anonymous
| I had a kid like this. We thought she might have ADHD but she doesn't. She typically speaks a normal amnunt now at age 12 |
Anonymous
But can he logically ask and answer WH questions? What about novel questions he doesn’t know the answer to? Can he recall events that happened earlier in the day or week in detail? |
Anonymous
| Mine had ADHD and I wondered if he would ever stop. It turns out that adolescence cured it! |
Anonymous
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You have to teach him to have conversations. Teach him how to ask questions, how to wait for the answer, how to respond to what the person is saying.
Honestly the art of conversation has been dying. I know way too many people who talk but don’t listen or care about what others say. But you have to teach this. |
Anonymous
Yes. Have him learn to pause. Teach active listening. Encourage engagement with others and help him recognize social cues. Support him in understanding that there are appropriate times to talk and at other times, he must be polite and quiet. He has an active mind and a vivid imagination! Make sure he has solo time to read, create and I’ll add, be outside. Encourage him to read widely and develop his vocabulary. Keep him challenged. I worked with school age students for a career; teach him manners and I’ll add, simple politeness. Help him understand that he’s not the center of the universe or a burgeoning child star. I guess keep him humble. Focus on him having lots of social interactions and friendships with kids his age - there’s a tendency sometimes for parents with highly advanced DC to have them “play up” with older kids but this causes him to miss out on learning age-appropriate socialization. And before I’m heavily criticized, I was this child and my older brother was, too! He’s a university professor! I’m also a mom of 3DC (all adults now). |
Anonymous
| Teacher here. Have him screened for ADHD and/or autism. Then a social skills class might be in order at some point, so he can learn when it’s not okay to talk constantly. I have had students like this, and they are often very creative, but the constant talking is off-putting. When he learns to write and can direct his thoughts, that will help. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Sorry I was unclear. I mean that he constantly wants to engage in conversation. He does listen when you are talking to him, it is not one sided him talking all the time, just conversation. He needs constant conversation with someone. He does not converse with himself or with pretend animal friends. Not a whole lot of imagination in that sense. Pretty bad with independent play. Just wants to converse. |
Anonymous
I was this kid and according to my parents I grew out of it by age 7 and then was pretty shy for a long time. I’m an introvert now. |
Anonymous
If you ask him a question he doesn’t know the answer to what does he say? Will he ask you a question or ramble about something else? Can he answer and ask a variety of WH questions about interests and non-interests? Does he change topics frequently or stay on topic? |
Anonymous
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This is my kid! I think his dad was the same way (even though he claims he wasn't), because his dad talked WAY more than I wanted when we first started dating. I think both of them have ADHD (neither has been tested), but the productive, driven-by-a-motor kind.
I put my son in an advanced STEM class (to tired out his brain) and 1 or 2 sport activities per season (to tire out his body) and that has helped a lot. We also had to shut him down at some points during age 5-7. He needs to learn appropriate amounts and times to talk! Healthy eating, plenty of sleep and rest, and very minimal screen time also help. |