SHHHH!!!!!

I remember when my oldest child was little, like many first time parents, I could not wait for him to talk. Of course, it is adorable when kids first start talking. The funny way that they pronounce words, kind of like George Bush, but cuter. All the funny things they say. The first time that they swear at Grandma. Hearing them verbalize the things that they think about can be entertaining. For example, one of the questions I was asked today was, “Mommy, do aliens have belly buttons?” After a while, however, it can get a little old. Like the questions that just won’t stop. “Can we stop there and get me a corn dog?” “Why can’t I have a corn dog?” Followed by, “But I’m hungry!” You get the idea. It makes you wonder if you would be so anxious for the talking to start if you really knew just how much your kid was thinking about corn dogs. The bottom line is that spending a lot of time with little children with lots of things to talk (and ask) about can make you a little nutty.

One technique that I have used is “The Quiet Game”. That one works for a little while, provided that you are able to effectively sell the kids on the concept that it's fun to win “The Quiet Game”. They usually figure out pretty quickly that it is just fun for Mommy and then it’s all over.

I have a friend that I won’t mention by name, (in order to avoid a visit by the authorities) that says, “Fussy kids are usually itchy. They need Benadryl.” I only mention that here because I think that the argument could be made that noisy children are actually itchy too.