attention seeking

Mama Drama: Interventions for Interrupters

Dear Mama Drama: I have two girls, ages five and seven, who are always interrupting my conversations. When I’m on the phone, talking to my husband, trying to pay the clerk in a store, etc., they always interrupt my conversation with, “Mommy, mommy…!” I ask them to stop and wait, but then get hooked into talking with them about being patient and my conversation gets interrupted anyway. HELP! ~Thwarted Mama  (photo credit) Dear Thwarted: Interrupting children are the frustration of many parents. Unfortunately, as you describe in your question, we unintentionally reinforce the exact behavior we want to extinguish with attention and lectures. There is hope, we just have to discipline ourselves to find success. Start by having a conversation with you daughters about the interrupting behavior. L...