🗣 Say this
"I can see you need me. Put your hand on my arm and I'll know you're waiting. I'll come to you as soon as I can."
⏱ What to do
1
Teach the hand-on-arm signal before you need it, not mid-conversation
2
Acknowledge their hand quickly so they know it works
3
Finish your thought, then turn to them promptly
4
Thank them for waiting, even imperfect waiting
5
Keep adult conversations short when toddlers are nearby
⚠️ Avoid
❌Ignoring them completely
❌Snapping at them for interrupting without teaching an alternative
❌Expecting long waits
❌Inconsistency
🔁 If they resist
"I see your hand. I'm coming in just a moment. Thank you for waiting."
→Acknowledge the signal quickly or they'll lose trust in it
💡 Pro tip
Teach the signal before the situation, not during it
Instead of
"Can't you see I'm talking?! Just wait!"
Try
"Put your hand here" (on your arm) "and I'll know you need me."
Common questions
What should I say when my toddler keeps interrupting?
Teach this before you need it: "I can see you need me. Put your hand on my arm and I'll know you're waiting. I'll come to you as soon as I can." Acknowledge their hand quickly, finish your thought, then turn to them promptly.
Why does my toddler always interrupt when I'm talking?
Toddlers have limited impulse control and genuinely struggle to hold a thought while waiting. They also haven't yet learned the social convention of waiting. This is a skill that needs to be explicitly taught, not a behaviour that appears naturally.
How do I teach my toddler not to interrupt?
Teach the hand signal in a calm moment before you need it. Respond immediately when they use it correctly, even mid-sentence, so they learn it works. Praise any successful waiting. Inconsistency makes it take much longer to establish.
Is it normal for toddlers to interrupt constantly?
Completely normal. The impulse to share what they're thinking arrives before the ability to wait. It improves significantly with language development and with explicit teaching of the alternative. Most children become more patient interrupters by age 4 to 5.