https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:03:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743506 Sun, 04 Jun 2017 13:18:18 +0000 gingerbebe 2743506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pajamas: @ShootingStar: my 2.5 year old does this too! The thing we have found most effective is to stop doing whatever he asks for if he asks repeatedly. He will say he needs his water bottle and I will say okay and start going to get it and he repeats over and over and escalates his volume and I just stop. I turn around and hold my hand up and say "Excuse me. No sir. I told you I would get your bottle but you have to be patient and wait (hold up hand again) for mommy, okay? Yelling at mommy is not nice. Can you say 'water bottle please?'" (He says it). "Okay, I will get you the water bottle now but you have to sit nicely on your chair and wait for mommy, ok?" (Okay). And then he says thank you when I get it. It's really annoying especially when I'm frazzled trying to deal with the screaming 1 year old or the pasta water is boiling over or whatever but that repeating demanding sh!t is not okay. We have seen a lot of improvement by DH and I both reinforcing the stopping thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743490 Sun, 04 Jun 2017 10:40:30 +0000 ShootingStar 2743490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pajamas: We have that sometimes too with my 3.5 year old. He likes to do it while I'm putting dinner on the table, so I've got a ton of things to get to the table and I tell him yes in a minute. I don't have a great way of handling it. Mostly I just get frustrated and tell him I'm working on it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743384 Sat, 03 Jun 2017 10:20:16 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2743384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My question is sort of related...lately dd is driving me crazy with multiple requests for something even after I've told her "sure I'll get that for you in a minute". Any ideas on how to get her to stop repeating the request? Right now I usually say"if you keep asking I won't get it" or I ignore her but either way I just want her to ask once and trust I'll follow through. Too much for a 2.5 yo? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743354 Sat, 03 Jun 2017 06:17:42 +0000 MrsSRS 2743354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: 😂😂 omg totally. I usually say hey babe and then wait for eye contact before talking to DH now and it makes a huge difference! And if I don't get a verbal response I prompt him with "ok?" and now if he hasn't heard me he asks me to say it again when he hears me say ok because he knows he just missed something. AND he puts down his phone and looks at me when I say hey babe and then stand silently waiting. Totally trainable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743347 Sat, 03 Jun 2017 03:43:31 +0000 808love 2743347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743339 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 20:53:07 +0000 Beth24 2743339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: :grin: I have a friend wondering the same thing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743335 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 20:19:51 +0000 littlejoy 2743335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had to be super direct (eye contact and ensuring she isn't distracted), but we still have to ask SO MANY TIMES.</p> <p>One thing that helps is to let her know x can't happen without y. "It's time to go outside. First, I need you to put your shoes on." ... </p> <p>Also, before we're ready for that transition, I'll give a little, "Hey, in 2 minutes, we're going to be going outside and I'll be asking you to get those shoes on." </p> <p>I still have to ask her most things at least 3 times. She's nearly 3.5, and this is a "phase" I'm ready to see go away. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743301 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:29:30 +0000 hellobeeboston 2743301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>biggest. peeve... it's so frustrating when they don't listen! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743299 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:27:43 +0000 Littlebit7 2743299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can all of this advice be used on a husband? Asking for a friend. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743289 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:14:02 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2743289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to repeat myself a lot but I think it's partially normal and partially that I'm just telling her things while doing other things and just not really being heard.. so partially my own fault. Hopefully it's just a phase. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743286 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:05:02 +0000 SweetiePie 2743286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Meso: He hasn't done it in a while because now the threat works! But you have to follow through and do it the first 1-2 times you say it in order for the threat alone to work. Know what I mean?<br /> So yeah, one bedtime was awful. I still sang and rocked him. But he couldn't have a bedtime story. He's a good sleeper in general though so he wasn't up for hours or anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743280 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:42:51 +0000 Meso 2743280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: i want to try this method too, saying my LO will lose bedtime stories, but i know if i follow through with not having bedtime stories, bedtime will be awful! a big tantrum and going to bed late because of a long tantrum. does your LO throw a tantrum when you take away bedtime stories? how do you handle that? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2743278 Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:37:38 +0000 Alba4 2743278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I repeat myself so much too! I teach middle school and have to repeat myself a lot to that age group as well (my directions are written on the smartboard and I say them multiple times orally). I often feel like my middle schoolers listen as poorly as my almost 4-year-old!</p> <p>But I agree with @hummusgirl: making anything into a race or a competition really motivates my older son (and middle schoolers for that matter)! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715544 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 22:54:37 +0000 hummusgirl 2715544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 4.5 year old still does this so you may be in for the long haul. :bummed: </p> <p>What's worked best for us is making everything a game - "It's a race to see who can put on their shoes and socks the fastest. Ready, set, GO!" "I'm a lonely jacket and I just want someone to put some arms in me. Waaaah." "I'm crazy pants and you can't catch me! You'll never put me on!" </p> <p>It's silly but effective. I got the idea from the book How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen which has been really helpful to me. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Little-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/1501131656" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Little-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/1501131656</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715533 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 22:18:28 +0000 Boogs 2715533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like we've been doing this for a while, I'm starting to think it's not as much of a phase. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715448 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 20:28:15 +0000 caterw 2715448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You're not the only one! My sweet sweet 2 year old is something of a demon lately and she does NOT listen even though she certainly knows how to follow multi-step directions. I need to crack down on the consequences. We left a pizza place for lunch today when she wouldn't listen and it drastically improved her attitude for the rest of the day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715406 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 20:05:21 +0000 SweetiePie 2715406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: exactly this. It's not perfect but its pretty effective.<br /> If it's a really bad day I will also threaten loss of something - usually bedtime or naptime books. "LO, I asked you to brush your teeth. If I count to 3 and you aren't waking over here you won't get any stories tonight." It's highly effective but you HAVE to follow through if they don't comply by 3. I followed through the first couple times and he figured out real quick that I mean it. </p> <p>If he's being outright defiant (not just tuning me out/distracted) I do a timeout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715368 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 19:38:00 +0000 MrsSRS 2715368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: oh right, I forgot. We also ask for a verbal response. Very important! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715365 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 19:36:25 +0000 gingerbebe 2715365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: yes, we do "look at mommy/daddy" and wait for eye contact and then say what we need in a soft firm voice. Then we ask for a response, like "okay mama" and send him off. It's not perfect obviously but it helps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715349 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 19:14:17 +0000 MrsSRS 2715349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We say "find my eyes" Then wait for eye contact and a calm body, then give the direction. This way I know I've been heard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715324 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 18:53:56 +0000 Foodnerd81 2715324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if it's a phase but we have that bad over here. She's 3.5 and it's beengoing on a while. </p> <p>This morning we were of course running late. She had put one sock on and I asked her to do the other while I packed up. She came down with both socks in her hands asking for help- so less dressed than when I left her. :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/having-to-repeat-yourself#post-2715321 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 18:48:06 +0000 Bao 2715321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if it's a phase or just her age, but LO is 3 and lately I have to tell her things 3, 4, 5 even 6 times. I ask her to please put her socks on, or get her jacket off her hook or whatever it may be and most of the time I have to keep asking her. Is there a way to get her to listen the first or second time at least? She listened better as a two year old, so that's what makes me think it's some sort of phase...thoughts? </p>