• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Authors / My Child is a Non-Stop Chatterbox

My Child is a Non-Stop Chatterbox

August 5, 2008 by Armin Brott Leave a Comment

Q: I’ve got three kids. The middle one, who’s five,
starts chattering the second she wakes up and doesn’t close her mouth until she’s
asleep. On one hand, I love to hear her talk and have conversations about “Why
this?” and “Why that?” But she’s exhausting me and I feel like
my other children aren’t getting the attention they need because the 5-year-old
is constantly interrupting. What can I do?



A: When babies are born, we look forward to all of their “firsts.”
First smile, first laugh, first steps, first words. Especially with our first
baby, these are milestones that make us giddy with anticipation and cause us to
break out the camcorder at every turn.

Then they start rolling…and walking…and talking – and we wonder, “What
was I thinking?”

Infants get going rolling, then crawling and we are amazed at how quickly they
get good at it and soon are getting from point A to point B in little more than
a blink of an eye. Toddlers start walking sometimes just as an aside to running
and seemingly thrill at their new found ability to run in the “wrong”
direction every time. But we understand that though these may try our patience
and challenge our creative problem solving skills at times that, “This too
shall pass”.

Talking is a whole different ball game. Or is it?

We wait so patiently for their first coherent words, regale friends and
co-workers with tales of our baby’s babblings, pride ourselves in how well and
early she’s speaking in full sentences. And then it starts – the flip switches
on and there’s no off button in sight. And yes it can be exhausting.

But there’s good news! Young children learn at lightening speed with every
sense available to them. This is such a good language learning time for them
that adding a second language is a possibility. And reading to them is close at
hand. All good things.

So how to embrace the chatter of this age group without losing your cool? And
how do you ensure that the other members of the family get a word in edgewise
meanwhile? Here are some ideas:

  • Learn to ask questions that require more than a “yes” or “no”
    answer. Questions that start with ‘how many,’ ‘when,’ and ‘what if’ are good
    places to start. How many nuts were in that bag that just spilled? When do you
    think the apples will be ready to pick? What if we didn’t do the dishes and
    take out the trash?

  • Take turns (literally at first) answering questions like these. .. include all
    of your children. This teaches the art of dialog rather than monologue.

  • Look for projects that the whole family can enjoy together. This way the
    project is the center of attention and not one child in particular.

  • Schedule reading times and quiet times – children this age are more than
    capable of entertaining themselves for short periods of time without getting
    into trouble. This gives everyone in the house a much-needed moment to recharge
    and regroup. Often a chatty child is a tired child and naps are not uncommon
    once they slow down.

  • Be as good a listener as you want your child to be. Children learn their
    talking and listening habits from us just as they do anything else, through
    observation and imitation. The better listeners we can be, the better they will
    ultimately be also.


Learning to talk and have cooperative conversations are important
stepping-stones to reading. Once she’s reading, you’ll have some of that quiet
thinking time of your own (perhaps a dim memory at this point) back. Meanwhile,
find ways to appreciate that she does want to talk to you and be inclusive of
everyone in the family.

– Armin Brott



A great dad himself, Armin speaks not only as a specialist in parenting, but as a parent himself. He has written several books including The Expectant Father and Fathering Your Toddler.

Filed Under: Authors

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
byPaul Banas

In this episode of Great Dad Talks, I sit down with admissions expert Hamada Zahawi to discuss everything parents and students need to know about getting into great colleges and universities. Whether you’re aiming for undergraduate, business, or law school, Hamada shares honest, practical advice on navigating the admissions process, finding financial aid, crafting compelling essays, and the power of authentic storytelling.

Check out Hamada’s website at writetrackadmissions.com

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
June 10, 2025
Paul Banas
148. Healing Generational Trauma with Dr. Sasha Reiisi
June 3, 2025
Paul Banas
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
143. Overcoming Dad Burnout with Scott Anderson
April 29, 2025
Paul Banas
142. Building Resilient Kids with Dr. Richard Oelberger
April 24, 2025
Paul Banas
141. Exploring Men’s Sexual Health with Dr. Elliot Justin
April 22, 2025
Paul Banas
140. Instilling Values and Financial Literacy with Barclay Roper
April 15, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry

May 20, 2025 By Paul Banas

Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus

May 21, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad