Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 22:37     Subject: Re:Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote:Interesting there are so many replies suggest ADHD. I guess I never considered that. He is in preschool and has no issues there, so I don't think it's that he doesn't know how to behave or can't stop and pay attention.

And yes he does know how to ask questions and have a back and forth. He is not just talking by himself. He will talk about something, then ask for affirmation and input constantly, like "that was rude, wasn't it?" "That's so funny right?" "Did you like that Mommy?". I might actually prefer it if he just droned on and on by himself but he actually waits for me to respond and act totally engrossed.


You still haven’t said what he does with WH questions, how many can he answer- what type, how he answers novel questions, if he can recall events, can he ask and answer multiple questions about preferred and non-preferred topics, etc. How he does with those things are the lynchpin here to determine if he maybe needs evaluation. Since you don’t want to answer for whatever reason, then get him evaluated.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 22:05     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
My 9 year old is like this but also sings constantly. He does have adhd. It drives me nuts, i hate to say it but i find him annoying when he wont stop. Making friends, and signing up for lots of activities helps to spread the words around!
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 21:21     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
I was like this as a child, and my nephew is like this now. We are both autistic. My son was as well and is ADHD. Neurodiverse people often struggle with social cues so you should explicitly teach social norms around conversation (turn-taking, letting others change the topic, listening, noticing when someone is done with the conversation). Talking can also be a kind of sensory-seeking behavior. Put him in a choir.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 20:59     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote:This could be my kid! She just turned six. Everything is narrated and she constantly needs to be engaged in conversation. Her dad’s side of the family has a lot of extremely talkative people, so I figure it’s just genetic. Her cousin (also on that side of the family) was similar but now at age 9 talks a more normal amount, so maybe there’s hope!


Yes this sounds like my son. You and some other PPs give me some hope! I wonder what they have replaced the talking with though. More reading, more interaction with friends, newfound interests?
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 20:57     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote:Do others say he talks all the time? I’m wondering if your sense is skewed if you don’t like to talk. I saw that you labeled his conversation as about nothing but the things you mention seem like age-appropriate conversations. I hire I’m wondering if the issue is him or you or even just the interaction.


Yes everyone notices he talks a lot. Teachers say he is always chatting them up and talks to all the other kids. I have another son who went through the same teachers and teachers are astounded my two kids are related because older one was not like this at all. And no one on either side of the family is like this. It is really fascinating and alarming to me how much he likes to converse. I do think it is more glaring to me because I don't like to talk so much, but I think objectively speaking, he is definitely out there. Certainly much more of a talker than a doer or observer type of kid.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 16:59     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
This could be my kid! She just turned six. Everything is narrated and she constantly needs to be engaged in conversation. Her dad’s side of the family has a lot of extremely talkative people, so I figure it’s just genetic. Her cousin (also on that side of the family) was similar but now at age 9 talks a more normal amount, so maybe there’s hope!
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 14:53     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Do others say he talks all the time? I’m wondering if your sense is skewed if you don’t like to talk. I saw that you labeled his conversation as about nothing but the things you mention seem like age-appropriate conversations. I hire I’m wondering if the issue is him or you or even just the interaction.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 14:47     Subject: Re:Kids who talk non stop
Interesting there are so many replies suggest ADHD. I guess I never considered that. He is in preschool and has no issues there, so I don't think it's that he doesn't know how to behave or can't stop and pay attention.

And yes he does know how to ask questions and have a back and forth. He is not just talking by himself. He will talk about something, then ask for affirmation and input constantly, like "that was rude, wasn't it?" "That's so funny right?" "Did you like that Mommy?". I might actually prefer it if he just droned on and on by himself but he actually waits for me to respond and act totally engrossed.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 14:36     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote: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?!


Once he starts school, you could encourage him to write in a notebook. He can writes stories, a journal, notes to Dad, whatever. My 1st grader started doing this and it’s such a relief when he’s just quietly writing in a notebook vs following me around the house talking.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 13:15     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
My kid like this has ADHD.

Learning a second language in an immersion environment was great for him - slowed him down and kept his brain busy.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 12:58     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is he having actual conversations? Can he ask and answer questions?


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.


Sounds like ADHD.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 12:52     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
He has ADHD, OP.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 12:29     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
My 22 yr old DD used to be this way. I'd tell her "for the next two blocks there's no talking" just to give me a break from the noise. And yes, in 1st grade she even said she wished she was a pig so she could roll around in mud and dirt all day, and kept begging for a trip to the garbage dump.

As an adult, she does not work on a pig farm or for the sanitation department. Her talking slowed and became easier to engage with in middle school. Maybe 5th grade? She just wanted to share ... everything.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 12:22     Subject: Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote: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.

Lol!
"Less talking, more eating" is said at our dinner table at least 5 times a night. Our DD has selective mustism and I think she just saves up everything she wanted to say all day to unload on us at night. I love listening to her, but dinner cannot last 2 hours every night! Plus she's off the weight chart on the low side, so she really needs to eat.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2025 12:19     Subject: Re:Kids who talk non stop
Anonymous wrote: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.


^ I forgot to mention that he did 1/2 day preschool, so by kindergarten he knew appropriate behavior during the school day. He's not gotten in trouble for talking, and he does raise his hand. If your kid is 5, these are things you should really be working hard on this year before K/1st grade school expectations.