Kids interrupting you nonstop?

Hello, Happy Humans! 🙂

We're here with our weekly 3 things...

1️⃣ A question from our community

2️⃣ Our actionable tips

3️⃣ A resource from our toolkit

1. The question

“How can I help my 7-year-old understand that they shouldn’t yell for my attention when I'm having a conversation with someone else?”

2. Our answer

Come to our home on any given day and you'll realize you’re not alone!

Helping all four of our kids learn that they sometimes have to wait for our attention has been a constant uphill battle. 

We’ve needed to model, directly teach, and practice (over and over again!) self-regulation skills, patience, and respect for others… just to name a few. 

So here’s how we’ve approached the problem and continue to work on it in our home:

Lead with Empathy and Validation

Kids often yell for attention because they feel an urgent need to connect with us or be heard. So, we can start by acknowledging and validating their feelings. You could say… 

"I know it’s hard to wait when you need something, especially when you're excited or frustrated."

This helps them feel understood and reduces the likelihood of escalating their emotions.

Set Clear Expectations Ahead of Time

Before situations where you'll be talking to someone, prepare your kids with clear, simple guidelines and a ‘help signal,’ a visual or touch signal they can use to let you know they need you without interrupting.

They can place their hand on your arm, or hold up a pre-agreed hand sign (like a peace sign) from a distance.  You could say… 

"When I’m talking to someone else, you can gently touch my arm to let me know you need me. I’ll help you as soon as I can. If it’s an emergency, you can say, ‘Excuse me.’"

Practice this together in a low-pressure moment, like during play, to help them understand and feel confident.

Circle Back After the Moment

If your kids struggle to wait and yell for attention, address it calmly later. You could say… 

"Earlier, you yelled for me when I was talking to someone. I know it’s hard to wait, but it helps me focus if you use the help signal we talked about. Let’s practice again so we both feel ready next time."

This helps build connection and trust, and begins to set the foundation for lifelong communication and regulation skills.

And remember, like with ALL THINGS parenting… patience and practice are key! 

It might be exhausting and frustrating now, but over time (and with our support and guidance), our kids WILL learn to navigate these moments more independently!

3. From our toolkit

Sometimes kids still need a tangible way to see how long they’ll need to wait even when we’ve prepared them. 

That’s where a visual timer can help!

A visual timer with a disappearing color, like this one, lets kids see time passing in real-time.

In the moment, you could say…

"This is how long I need to finish my conversation. When the timer runs out, I’ll be ready to talk to you."

This provides reassurance and helps kids develop patience while they wait for your attention.

Get it here on Amazon and let us know how it works for your family! 

It’s been a total game-changer in our home, and not just waiting, but also for transitions and everyday routines like getting ready for bed. 

As always, thanks for being here.

❤️ Jenilee & Greg

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