6 Yr Old Is Incapable of Being Completely Quiet

My son is six and he is constantly talking. I ask him to be quiet so I can hear a certain part of the movie and he just can't do it. When we go to the movie theater and he has popcorn then he can be quiet most of the time. He has no developmental issues but I do know that my teenage son was not as talkative. My younger son is very intelligent and very few things can actually hold his attention.

ADHD or not... I don't know of any kid, that can be completely quiet... for any length of time.

Perhaps, ask your Pediatrician...and about the medication...

My son, is the most talkative one in our family and he is always making some kind of noise and/or with his mouth. He has no developmental issues.

But ask your Ped, since you are concerned about it.

A kid, does not have absolute impulse control to be quiet.
My son, will say "I tried my best..." and that is good enough for him.... and we allow it.
My Husband was watching tv last night... asking my son to be quiet... he couldn't. Naturally. But he tried.... his best....
to him, what is "quiet" may be 'noisy' for my Husband... so my Husband has to tolerate, the child's limitations too.
My son, even makes 'noises' in his sleep, and talks in his sleep, and verbalizes his dreams. So he is not 'quiet' even if sleeping. Which your son is.

Next, you said, your son does "ok" if he is in a situation where he isn't supposed to talk....but makes strange noises. So to him, he is being 'quiet' and not 'talking' per say... but his other noises, are him interpreting his not 'talking' in other ways. Not literally... but to him, 'talking' is not the same as making other 'noises.' Because, actually, he IS being 'quiet." He is NOT 'talking.' Which is what is expected, of him.

Have you ever played the quiet game with all of you participating? .. The prize could be something totally amazing..

We used to do this with our daughter and her friends.. sometimes, I or my husband would lose on purpose..

It was pretty funny because we would forget and one of us would speak and our daughter would take great pleasure in calling us on it..

Another thing you could try is setting up a trade. If he can be silent--no sounds--for five minutes, you'll do something specific that he wants. Maybe five minutes is too long, at first. Make it achievable, and slowly build up from there. This way you'll find out if his sounds are under his control or truly involuntary. If it seems to be uncontrollable, it may be Tourette's Syndrome. Check with your doctor. And remember to keep on loving him!

He could have a mild form of Tourette's Syndrome.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_touret...

I kept meaning to respond to this question and time got away from me. My healthy, intelligent, athletic, witty 14 year old son has Tourettes Syndrome. I preface his diagnosis with his wonderful traits for a reason. :) I think it is easy for people to say, "Oh he is just being a six year old." But I think if he is telling you he simply can't help himself, you need to listen. Tourettes (in my son's case anyways), doesn't prevemnt him from doing anything any other "normal" 14 year old wants to do. But I don't recommend sitting next to him during an over stimulating loooong movie as he will drive you NUTS!

All kidding aside. When Hudson was 6 1/2 we were sitting as a family having dinner and all of a sudden he did this 45 second succession of the strangest movements, tics and sounds I have ever seen. I really believe it was the Lord saying, "Look at your son! Pay attention! Ask questions!" We brought him to a neurologist and walked away with the label of Tourettes. Scary! But after doing some research it all made sense.

Tics that wax and wane, both verbal and motor: throat clearing, shrugging his shoulders, sniffles, were his first repetitive movements.

ADHD/ADD: Yup. Textbook case.

Touch sensitive: Hated overalls, tags, scratchy clothes. But at the same time needs to be soothed with touch. (at 14 he still asks me to rub his back sometimes)

OCD: He has gone through things like obsessively tying and retying his shoes, adjusting his nutcup in baseball over and over and over, the volume on the TV or radio has to be on an even number but NOT divisible by three, asking what time it is ALL THE TIME, etc.

I am NOT saying that is what your son has. However, if he does, it really isnt a big deal. Really. I can live with cutting tags out of clothes. Only a small percentage of people ever move to the Calling Out Obscenities phase. Tourettes presents itself at age 6 or 7 and is more prevalant in boys. Pay attention, do some research, if anything get the official diagnosis and use that to your benefit in the school system. In Minnesota Hudson is covered under the Other Health Disorders category and it has been so helpful in getting him through school. Who wouldnt want someone to help organize their day? Shoot....sign me up!!! Fear of the unknown is worse in my eyes. OOOOhhhhh....and Concerta is a stimulant that causes tics. So if he DOES have Tourettes you probably dont want him on that anyways. I guess what I am saying is go to the Dr. :)

Ok, I am done babbling. I would be happy to chat with you if you want. Let me know how everything goes! ____@____.com

I have a 7 year old and a 4 year old (both girls).

The 7 year old used to do this thing (I first noticed it when she was about 5 years old) where she would make noises in her throat or with her mouth open. I eventually asked her what she was doing. She eventually told me (after not wanting to talk about it) that she was making the "k" sound over and over, because she "had to." I figured it was an anxiety thing. I didn't talk to anyone about it, because I didn't want anyone to think she was weird. I also didn't think it was serious enough to warrant medical attention. Now, I haven't heard that noise in at least a year. Perhaps she's outgrown it. Other than that, she can be perfectly quiet for at least half an hour at a time.

My 4 year old hasn't had any such "compulsive" behavior. Instead, when we ask her to be quiet, she gets offended, I think. She just refuses to stop talking or doing whatever she was doing.

Maybe your son has anxiety issues and the noises help him deal with it. Perhaps it's compulsive.

How long has it been going on? Do you notice it at all hours of the day, every day? Or are there days when it's not very noticeable and days when it's very noticeable? Maybe it's a reaction to stress or anxiety. Maybe he'll grow out of it.

If it's very noticeable all the time, and it's been going on for a long time (months), then perhaps it's time for a visit to the doctor.

ADHD or no, I don't know any child around that age that can be quiet for more than a minute or two. And its also a deal where "quiet" is used loosely. I've taught Pre-k and school age children so I've dealt with that age group quite a bit.

By all means, if you're worried then you should absolutely talk to your child's doctor. It does seem a little bit normal to me though.

My nephew has tourette syndrome. It's a neurological disorder that causes him to make noises and have little ticks like kicking his legs or other involuntary movements. He makes all kinds of noises and usually isn't aware that he is doing it or at least he wasn't aware when he was younger. He was diagnosed around the age of 6.

I would see your doctor just to have him checked out. It's probably just 6 year old energy but get him checked to make sure.

I would speak to his psychiatrist, it could be a vocal tic, and while stimulants do not cause them (meaning if they are going to happen they are going to happen anyway) they may bring them out sooner or make them worse. There may be some good alternative medications that will still help him, and not make the involuntary noises worse.

M.

I have to say I have a 6 year old and she is never completely quiet when she is awake. This seems to be true for all her friends too. I don't think 6 year olds are ever completely quiet. I wouldn't worry about it until he gets much older like 10 or 11. If he can't be quiet then, you have a problem.