With four kids…all of them old enough to talk…and all of them with VERY important things to say…things that MUST be said RIGHT now…
Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed with everyone talking at once and never really feeling like I can hear any of them.
It sorta sounds something like:
“MOM! We-I-Can-But-are-need-you-I-going-to-get-need-to-go-me-to-have-potty-a-pillow-fight-drink-talk-to-you!”
Okay, um…what?!
And of course, trying to have a conversation with my husband…one that I can actually finish…kinda looks something like thi……
(I may never really know how his work day really went…)
So while we’re working with the kids (constantly) to not interrupt…and to recognize that when others are speaking, they need to wait their turn…
And helping them to understand that their need to tell me about what happened to LarryBoy on the most recently watched Veggie Tale show is maybe not as urgent as they might think that it is…
I one day came up with a little tool that worked for me.
As two of my boys walked into the room and both started talking at once…I just reached out my pointer finger at one of them, pushed gently on his nose and said, “Pause.” (as if I was pushing his pause button…)
And he did…pause.
The first boy finished what he was saying.
And then I turned back to the other one and pushed his nose again, and said, “Unpause.” He grinned…and finished what he had started to say earlier.
From then on, I have been pushing their little pause button noses left and right. (so to speak…)
It’s a lot easier than saying, “Please wait until your brother is finished talking, and then you can have your turn to speak…”
Oh, and the kids love it!
Now, I am so used to pausing noses…that one day while talking to my friend in the church foyer…one of my kids came up and really needed to say something important…so I reached up without thinking and pushed my friend’s nose and said, “Pause.”
She started laughing…and said, “Um, did you just pause my nose?”
And I realized that indeed…I had just pushed on my friend’s nose and told her to pause.
(Thankfully she loved the idea and started using it with her own kids. I’m pretty sure she has since then paused my nose on occasion…)
While I am now more careful about who’s noses I’m pausing in church foyers…this plan works VERY well for my kids…and I highly recommend it!
Erin says:
that is HILARIOUS- i love it
April 8th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Teresa says:
This is so absolutely, wonderfully perfect! I can’t wait until the kids wake up in the morning to try this. I have 6, so I know you feel my pain. lol
April 8th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
LeeAnn (FrazzMom) says:
Hmmm… I wonder how my teenagers would react? I think I need to try it just to see the looks on their faces! This is a great tip tho’- it would definitely work with my 10 year old son… Thanks!
April 8th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Marie says:
What a hilarious story! I’m gonna have to try it with my daughter, although I don’t think she knows what “pause” means.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Kelsey says:
haha great idea!!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Ellen says:
OK. I’m going to try this tomorrow.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Runningamuck says:
I LOVE it! I have four also. I can’t wait to start using it tomorrow. Thanks. =0)
April 8th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Col @ gigablonde :: things to do in ny when you're [not\ dead says:
This is PRECIOUS! Thank you for sharing and I love your “voice” … you write with such charm!
April 8th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Connie says:
This is an awesome idea that I plan on using! Thanks!
April 8th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Catherine says:
I am going to give this a go with my children as I have the same problem with them interrupting all the time.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Edi says:
I laughed the first time my young son asked me to “pause” when I was reading to him as he needed to get up and go to the bathroom.
We also have a huge problem with 2 kids talking at the same time. It’s especially difficult for me to read to them. B/c mid sentence they both decide they need to comment or ask a question about what I am reading.
On one hand it drives me crazy - on the other hand I’m glad that they are such active listeners - wanting to know more about the subject.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:51 am
phyllis says:
this is too funny. thanks to tivo, my kids totally understand “pause” too!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Sarah says:
What a cute idea!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Michelle@Life with Three says:
This is a great idea! My daughter and son are always talking to me at the same time! I’m going to start using this! Thanks for sharing!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Linds says:
Hehe! Great idea!
April 9th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Linds says:
Hehe! That is a Great idea!
April 9th, 2008 at 6:08 am
canadacole says:
Oh this is precious! I’m sure I’ll be using it in the next hour or so.
Thank you!
April 9th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Kelly says:
Okay, I am SOOO glad I clicked on your link at Laura’s blog. .. My hubby and I are having this problem with our kiddos and I think this will definitely work! Thanks for sharing, you may have saved my life.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Crystal says:
So funny! I love it.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Char says:
Good stuff Laura… I laughed out loud while reading this, and of course the kids came running to find out what I was laughing about. So, I explained about pause and their noses, and Samuel especially thought it was HYSTERICAL. He’s the one one who needs a pause button the most, so we’ll see how it works!
April 9th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Brenda says:
But…. do you have sleeves???
April 9th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Kelley says:
I LOVE creative parenting ideas like this one. The best ones always seem to just come to moms almost as a joke. But then…they work! Brilliant!
April 9th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Mari Ickes says:
Super idea! I’m going to give this one a try!!
April 9th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Minnesotamom says:
What a genius idea! I may have to try that on Husband.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Paige says:
Great idea! Of course, how does that work when you’re in the car and can’t reach their noses?
April 9th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Anna says:
Oh, your friend’s nose! I am laughing so hard. I will try this.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:54 am
TRS says:
Too cute! Great idea.
As for teenagers and when in the car (can’t reach ‘em) just hit the imaginary pause button in the air.
May I add, however - that children should be taught never to interrupt an adult conversation unless they are bleeding. Pause your kid - not your adult friend!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Beth says:
That’s a great idea. I have 7 kids ages 13-5 and this is a constant problem at our house. I’m going to try it!!!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Becki says:
Too funny - great idea!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Jess says:
Funny stuff.
Now be sure to blog when you find their “off” button for bedtime!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Alison says:
That is too funny! I wonder if my little one (just turned 2) would understand it, but it would definitely work when my 5 year old interrupts!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Abbi says:
How funny! And a very good idea. Thanks so much for sharing it!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Mari Ickes says:
I paused my son today, and he just laughed at me and kept talking! I think he needs a little more work!!
April 9th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Kate says:
Oh this is great. I am SO doing this from now on! I love it. Now you’ll have to watch for “nose pausers” whenever you go anywhere to see if you can spot some of your blog readers.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Debby says:
OMG thank you!! This is such a great idea!! I just had my 5th and have been having serious issues with everyone coming at me at once. Especially when I am dealing with the baby’s diaper and such…….or on the phone AND changing a diaper with 3 kids yelling me at once and the other screaming because she wants me to hold her LOL.
THANKS again I plan to implement this one right away!! 
April 10th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Nancy says:
Love It! Am going to use it!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Mommy Bee says:
Love it!!
April 11th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Ruth says:
Fantastic! Unfortunately, only my 3 yr. old will get it; my screaming 9 month-old, not so much. (Found this through Parent Hacks, by the way… Congrats!)
April 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
zelpseela says:
Hello my friends
May 15th, 2008 at 12:57 am