Simple Ways To Cope With Loud Kids

My kids are loud. Very loud.

One comes back form school and wants to chatter on about the day. The second one walks in a few minutes later and also wants to talk about her day. They are hungry. Tired. Stimulated and want to talk.

Then suddenly they realize they are together and it’s the only time of the day they will get together before they disperse to finish their school work. So they jump. Scream. Play. Run around. Make all kinds of funny noises (to them funny to me just loud noise) and make merry.

All this and I’m getting overwhelmed. Noise and loud sounds kind of irk me and act as unnecessary triggers. It’s almost like the kids know it is a strategy that will make my units fall apart!

My brain freezes and I can’t think. I really hate this. For me to be able to function, I need to be around negligible sound.

Reduce background sound: This is really important. Post lunch time is usually scheduled for quiet activities such as homework, playing blocks, naps or such so wherein the noise levels in the house are at the minimum. No machines, humming of electronics or he kids understand this and are now hardwired into their routine.

1.  Go unplugged: There are times when no one is plugged in. No gadgets. This helps in quiet  time and conversations resulting in less boisterousness in the kids. Sometimes we don’t  switch on the music in the car.
2.  Whisper: We started this when we went to restaurants. To make sure there wasn’t a whole  lot of noise, we used to play ‘whispers.’ This excited the kids. Not only did they take their  sounds levels down to mine, they also had fun conversing. It became like a game. I have  started doing this at home when they get too loud. Great practice for getting the loud kids to  control their noise.
3. Dedicate Time To Be Loud: This would be the evenings usually. We switch on music and dance. Run around. Plug in the Bluetooth while we eat dinner. Listen to rhymes, laugh and just make a lot of noise.

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We aren’t yet fully there, but the afternoons are really working out well. The evenings are still a little too noisy for my likes but well, they are after all kids and are going to be loud.