How to divide attention between my two kids?

Question

I have two daughters who are eight years old and six years old. When they get off the school bus they are each excited to tell me about their day. I tell them one at a time please but because they are so competitive they end up talking over each other. They get mad at eachother because they feel the other one is interrupting. I try and have them take turns but if one is pausing the other one thinks the story is over and begins speaking. It is driving me nuts!! Any suggestions to help keep the peace?

Answer 1

Take turns one day one starts, then the next day the other gets to go first. I have the same problem but I do it as when one kid starts - the other one gets the "stop" hand if she talks over him. She knows to stop talking... then I'll say - ok, it's Mak's turn now..... and Jack stops talking..... he'll get the hand up if he interrups her. I don't even have to say anything anymore... just a hand. good luck ♥

Answer 2

Tell them that if they can't take turns you won't listen to either one of them. Or tell them they need to think about the BEST part of their day and save it for the dinner table. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Tell them to stop, wait and rock paper scissors on who can tell you first. That way, there is no favoritism. they have to win at the game to tell you, and its not your fault.

Answer 4

I'd say do what everybody else is saying. (switching every other day for each girl). But, i think its important they know its rude to interrupt so if one of them interrupts while its the other girl's turn, then have the child that was being interrupted be first the next day. (even if they were first that day as well). that way they'll learn to take turns and not interrupt,  and they wont drive you nuts.

Hope i helped.

Answer 5

Have them take turns: to make it fair on the 1st day, put 2 pieces of paper in a hat & they each need to grab one. The girl who gets 1 goes 1st & then after that, trade every other day. Also, you might want to mark it on the calendar, so if you get mixed up on who's turn it is, you have a little reminder. have fun, kids are wonderful!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

Trade days, and tell them in the morning who gets to talk first.  Then they know who's turn it is when they get home, and can have more patience with each other, knowing that it'll be their turn to talk first the next day.

Answer 7

Alternate days, just go every other one, as we all know with the school calendar, having a set day like Monday & Wednesday would not be fair to that person, when there is no school on a Monday one week.  

Make a talking stick, you and the girls can do this together.  You can use an old papertowel roll or something.  You can even something on there to check off and keep track of whose day it is.  Remind the girls when they leave for school in the morning, whose day it.  When you go to get them off the bus, take the "talking stick" with you.  Hand it to the child whose turn it is.  When she is finished, then she hands it to her sister.  Once she hands it to her sister, she cannot interrupt her.  

The physical reminder of the "talking stick" will help them learn to control their impulses.

If they tend to go on for to long, you could take another approach with the talking stick, where they still take turns going first, each girl gets to tell you about one thing, once she tells you about that event, test, whatever, she gives the "talking stick" to her sister, her sister tells one thing then gives the stick back.  They keep going this way until both are done telling about their day.  But you can only talk if you have the "talking stick".  

Good luck, and look at it this way, be happy they want to share about their day, once they get to middle school, it will probably be liking pulling teeth to get them to talk about their day!

Answer 8

My 2 oldest girl are 16 months apart and I had the same problem when they were younger.

I would take turns, one day I would meet in Corissa's room first, then go to Cait's room. The next day I would go to Cait's room first then to Corissa's. They had all my attention. Then at the dinner table they would share their day with dad, which ever daughter went first with me would tell about their day second to dad. So every day they each were first!

Enjoy you precious girls!