I love my boys more than anything and I love the people they are. Sam likes to dance and play with his stuffed animals. Jake likes to play legos and war. Both boys are polite with good manners and they do well in school. For all of these wonderful qualities there is one quality I have trouble categorizing as good or bad……Jake’s unending need to TALK!

My chatty boy

Jake and I had 17 months to ourselves before Sam came along. In that time we spent our days together…..out to lunch, shopping or just hanging around the house. No matter where we were or what we were doing…I was talking to him. I ignored the stares as I chatted with my 4 month old at lunch or asked him what brand of coffee to buy at the store when he was less than a year old. It did not matter to me that he could not answer me back…I just loved talking to him. Well…..I think it paid off in a BIG way.

Jake talks non-stop…all day…every day. Most of the time I can appreciate it and love that he wants to share so much or is so curious about things. There are times, however, I just want some silence. After a stressful day at work or while trying to get some blogging done (for example), it can put me over the top when he interrupts for the 30th time. So you see my dilemma……it seems I need to take the good with the bad. A child with a great vocabulary who uses it who feels free to talk with me about anything (any time!) but one who can also drive me nuts from time to time…I suppose it could be worse.

Do you have a talkative Tween?

First, let me say, that I LOVE my family. I have always been close to my parents and my brother. I also love my mother-in-law. My husband and I met in middle school so I have known her for a long time and we get along very well. That said….anytime we have a visit back home or any of the parents make a trip south to see us…my stress level goes up a little bit

My mom, dad and brother with the boys in DC

I know my mom thinks I am a good parent. Sometimes, however, between her telling me Sam does not eat enough and her “encouraging” me to let the boys stay up until 10PM, it is easy to feel otherwise. I know she means well, but I have had to learn to bite my tongue to avoid any real blow ups. I just remind myself that she has good intentions and that I should enjoy the time I have with her. Throw in my dad’s lack of supervision when he is alone with the boys (I swear, he thinks they are 15) and it can make for some rough moments. Let’s just say I make sure to tag along on any outings with grandpa

I wish we did live closer to our families, but I am well aware that I also need a small “buffer” of an hour or two. My mom and I always butted heads until I left for college. Some time away and a little distance did wonders for our relationship. I wonder if it will be the same for the boys and I? I suppose they may want a “buffer” from me when they are older. If they do…I’ll have to look back at this post and understand why

What about your family? Are get togethers always stress free?

My talkative boy Jake.

When Jake was a baby we would go out a lot. I would take him to lunch, the mall, the park…..all over the place and everywhere we went…I talked to him. I did not care if it was just the two of us and he was not talking back…we were together all day, just he and I and everyday I talked…and talked…and talked. I think I created a monster!

Jake started talking at an early age and he has never stopped. I mean, he can literally talk for an hour straight with maybe three breaths total between his words. Sometimes I just start to laugh at his ability to go on and on and other times. I insist he take a break and let me have five minutes of peace.

Surprisingly, this is the first year his teacher has mentioned it as an issue in class. I think it is just because this is the first year it is more of an interruption. In Pre-K and kindergarten I think he could simply get away with more because of the age and nature of those classes. Now, as a first grader, it is the big time and if we don’t work on it together, it could become a BIG issue.

I love that Jake likes to talk. I love that he has a great vocabulary. What we need to work on is self control in class and making sure not to stress mom out at home. Sometimes I just need a few minutes to take in what he said. Most of the time he is ready to move on to topic No. 4 and I am still on No. 1! Lucky for me I have Sam who is always ready with a quiet hug when I need it.

My hope is that as he gets older the school thing will work itself out. I am not so sure it will be the same for us here at home. I am sort of resigned to the fact that I just have one chatty child and to tell the truth, it makes him Jake and I would not want to change that.

Do you have a tween who likes to talk? Maybe too much?

If your kids are like mine at all, they are easily mesmerized by the glow of the Xbox or Nintendo DS (or any other particular console you may have.) Whether its sports, fantasy or strategy games, at some point in my week I need to fend off two obsessed little men who will do almost anything for “just a few” more minutes of game time.

We have never allowed them to play excessively. We have a timer that is set and they cannot go over 60 minutes per day. Sounds easy enough…..right? Not so fast!

The boys have to earn their time on the clock. They do things like go to bed on time (no whining), get ready in the morning (without being told 10 times to do s0) and they help with little chores. All of this earns them “daddy dollars” that they can spend on game minutes. One dollar earns them 10 minutes. This works well on the front end of game time….to get them started. It is when itis time to turn off the console that the real problem begins.

I hear “I need to finish this battle” or “Can I ride it just one more time?” It never fails. Not once has the timer beeped and immediately been followed with the controller down and game off. What has also never failed is that I do not allow the extra time so someone please tell me why they keep trying anyway??

I suppose it will always be like this….time is earned, timer beeps, groveling begins and I reply again “no, turn it off.”

Anyone else have little gamers to contend with? What is your strategy to limit time?

On a side note…anyone looking to create your own daddy dollars for an incentive here is the link.