Being interrupted mid-conversation is one of the most annoying things a person can do and for many parents this is something they have to deal with more often that they'd like because it is a part of the experience of raising children.
Excited and eager children don't really stop to think about their actions before they start to repeatedly call out to mom or dad. They don't really know any better, but as a parent when you're in the middle of another important task or conversation, you may not be able to respond which could make your child feel like they're being ignored. Every mother or father has at least once been told "you never listen to me!"
So how can you stop this behaviour from getting worse and do away with the frustration?
Mom of six and blogger at BeyondMoi, Jessica Martin-Weber, may have a successful hack that'll keep your kids from interrupting you or others.
Although Jessica describes herself as a "chill parent," she still struggles to keep calm when her children persistently interrupt her. She and her husband tried different tactics to solve this issue, but nothing ever seemed to work.
"We tried teaching "excuse me please" or just "excuse me" but they just repeated that louder and louder too," explained Jessica. "Cute at first but "excuse me mommy" 30 times isn't much better than "mommy" 30 times."
After some research, Jessica finally found a solution that solved the problem once and for all.
She took to Facebook to share her success in hopes that other parents might benefit from it too. You can read about Jessica's "breakthrough" on the next page.
While interrupting isn't the worst thing in the world, it can truly test your patience so any special trick to teach kids to control their impulse and express themselves in a respectful manner is always welcomed by parents.
This is why Jessica's Facebook post resonated so well with parents all over and has been going viral.
In the post the mom shared that after a few "deep breath exercises" failed to work, she taught her kids to gently touch her arm if they have something to say and this has so far worked very well for the family.
"In order to help with this and respect our personal boundaries and limits, we have taught our children to demonstrate when they have something to share by gently laying a hand on our arm if we are speaking or listening to someone else at that moment," Jessica wrote in the post.
She continued, "So they know we're aware they want to say something, we physically respond in some way such as putting our hand over their hand or gently touching their back or holding their hand."
We have a break through! This picture represents a break through in our family. It is a very exciting moment indeed....
Posted by Beyond Moi on Friday, July 7, 2017
As with any new habit, it may take some time for your kids to get used to this practice but you'll be surprised at how much better everything becomes in as little as a week.
In Jessica's case, her youngest child was the hardest to turn around but even "she has suddenly been using this practice."
Just remember that once you politely excuse yourself from your prior conversation, you should give your full attention to your child so they know that good manners pays off.
What do you think of this parenting tip? Share your thoughts in the comments!
