When should kids be able to be quiet when parents are talking?

[Anonymous]

5 is good. We started earlier. Had signs where she would touch my elbow and wait. Still not perfect st 6 but we are working on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People on here are bonkers. Sure at 2 you start working on it.

My DS is ten and his friends and him are still prone to walking up to an adult and just starting to talk. Not every time. And they certainly know the rule, and realize what they’ve done when you tell them to not interrupt. But interrupting is not uncommon at age 10.

Yes, a 10-year-old interrupting enough for you to notice it is uncommon and maybe a sign of ASD, ADHD or some type of issue. Once or twice, here or there, fine. But my 6yo and 9yo know not to interrupt adults (or other kids!) and wait their turn and read social cues by the age of 3-4.

[Anonymous]

We start at two, by ignoring the interruption, finishing (in very brief) whatever we were saying to each other, than turning to our daughter and saying “now what did ___ want to tell us?” And introducing a signal and response. “Excuse me” starts at 2.5/3. Ideally they have it by kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

I’m actually shocked at how many moms I know who will allow a kid to interrupt and proceed to do whatever the kid wants when we are mid-convo. I’d say this is more typical in my circles than making a child wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually shocked at how many moms I know who will allow a kid to interrupt and proceed to do whatever the kid wants when we are mid-convo. I’d say this is more typical in my circles than making a child wait.

Me too! Kids will just yell over the conversation and the parents will just stop the conversation for whatever they want. Not toddlers, but kids ages 6-10. No wonder they continue to interrupt!

[Anonymous]

I am already working on it with my almost 3-yo and started when she was around 2 and could speak in fuller sentences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age should your kid be able to sit quietly, wait patiently, or otherwise entertain themselves while their parent is talking to another adult? When should they know not to interrupt an adult conversation? When should it only take one reminder along the lines of, “Mommy is talking to Mrs. Smith right now, please go play with the kids,” to prevent the kid from continuing to talk, interrupt, etc.?

I want to take a moment and ask you to entertain another situation. One where you and a neighbor are talking and another person comes up. Do you notice them/acknowledge them? Do you say something like Oh Jane! I know we need to talk about the Halloween party- let me finish with Carol and Ill be over to your house in 10 minutes.

There are certain situations where your kid is going to need to ask you something and their brains are off to the next thing if it doesnt get addressed. So 1) you need to let them know how to interrupt you and another adult if you are talking and they do need something 2) you need to have a signal or plan for letting them know you will address them once you finish your thought or the other adult finishes their thought 3) if interruptions continue, you need to excuse yourself and take them aside and re-explain the above. As far as sitting quietly, make sure they have something to do. Not every kid will sit quietly for a 20 min adult conversation. Some kids may sit as long as they are being held. Some kids may just want to play at your feet versus other kids.

Bluey has a great episode about this.

I forgot to add that a child not interrupting is a sign of respect. You get respect when you model it but you also need to provide them with language that is appropriate. Puppets and stuffies are great for this. You can even make a game out of it.

You sound crazy

Thanks I really appreciate your constructive feedback. So valuable is your opinion.

[Anonymous]

My 7 year old with ADHD struggles with this. We are still working on it actively. It’s probably the hardest social skill for them (interrupting generally) but slooooowly improving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well two things:

1) Kids will often have this ability, then lose it, and then take time to get it back. Some kids take a while to find their voice, and before that happens will just listen quietly while their parents talk. Then they find their voice and will struggle with this for a while because now that they have things to say, they want to say them RIGHT NOW.

2) It can happen in fits and starts. My 7 yr old is pretty good at this but will still sometimes struggle. My 5 yr old is largely terrible at it but at least a little better than she was at 4. As they get older, their ability to follow adult conversation increases, and that can make them more patient because the conversation isn’t just grown up blah-blah to them (like the teacher’s voice in Charlie Brown). But the more they understand the more they might interject, too. Two steps forward, one step back.

This. Also, the fact that they CAN does not mean they always WILL.

[Anonymous]

My 7 year old with ADHD is not great at this, but can generally do it with a reminder. A quick "I'm talking right now, please wait" is usually all it takes. But yes, he does interrupt regularly, and in general is always talking.

Non ADHD kids, I'd say age 4 to 5 it gets much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People on here are bonkers. Sure at 2 you start working on it.

My DS is ten and his friends and him are still prone to walking up to an adult and just starting to talk. Not every time. And they certainly know the rule, and realize what they’ve done when you tell them to not interrupt. But interrupting is not uncommon at age 10.

You must have some autistic children

I'm the PP you're responding to, and my kid is in fact autistic. What's your excuse for being rude?

(but DS's non autistic friends also periodically interrupt).