Guest MaryEMac Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 We have a child who makes a humming or droning noise when she plays. It only happens when she is concentrating, in the graphics area, or doing a jigsaw or in the sand. When she is dressing up or on climbing frame she doesn't. It is very loud and intrusive, especially if you are trying to work with another child. The children are starting to tell her to be quiet because it is annoying them. Also at the end of the session, her voice was quite croaky. I didn't get chance to speak to mum today to see whether she does it at home but will ask her on Monday. I did have another child who did this many years ago but her noise was very quiet and didn't bother anyone. She carried on almost to the end of year 5. So if anyone has any ideas or strategies, I would be pleased to hear them. Thanks, Mary
HappyMaz Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 So if anyone has any ideas or strategies, I would be pleased to hear them. Thanks, Mary[/color] How about a sharp slap to the back of the head..? Sorry: did I say that out loud? I have no idea about this at all, but I wonder how she responds when the children ask her to stop? Is she aware of what she's doing and does she respond well to distraction? I'm also wondering if she does it to comfort herself, or as a way of dealing with anxiety? You don't say how old she is, or how long she's been with you (but I'm guessing she's new to your setting). You'd have thought that if she does this at home, mum would have mentioned it - but often families 'put up' with situations for so long they hardly notice them any more! And then again, if her voice was croaky by the end of the session this might indicate that she doesn't usually do this - if it was normal everyday I'd have thought her voice box and throat would have got used to it. I guess we've all aspects to our personality that irritate other people, some we can change and others we can't. It might be possible that this is just how she is - in which case how do you help the children (and adults) in your group accept and include her in the life of the group? I feel you might need to speak to an expert of some kind - speech and language comes to mind, but I'm also wondering if there's a social communication issue here. More observations might help identify when she is prone to making this noise - and from what you've said it sounds as if you've got good information about when she does it already. But I'm no expert. I'd definitely start with mum and see what she says first and take it from there. Good luck, and keep us posted - this is a very interesting case, I think. Maz (who doesn't condone physical violence of any kind - honest)
Sue R Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 Lots of helpful advice, there, from Maz - who doesn't condone.......oh! You read it?! Only joking, with the last bit!! Sue
HappyMaz Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 Lots of helpful advice, there, from Maz Is this your way of telling me I drone on and on, Sue? It has been said before, and I have been on the receiving end of a metaphorical slap on the back of the head for it, too! Maz (my motto is "never use ten words when a hundred would easily do")
Inge Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 may also be worth asking previous childcare setting if she did it when with them, and if so how did they cope with it? Inge
Guest MaryEMac Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 Thanks for your comments. Interesting cure !! Maz This little girl has been with us for a year and has really only started doing this to any extent since we came back. She lives with mum and stepdad and regularly sees her dad and stepmum. She is very tactile and likes to kiss and hug the other children which we have been trying to stop as they don't like it. When another child told her to "shutup", yesterday it had no effect whatsoever and I think that if a member of staff had not been nearby then something would have been thrown at her. I will keep you posted on what transpires. Mary
Guest Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 I look after an older boy (I'm a childminder) who makes odd noises to himself - sometimes humming, sometimes little tunes but usually loud and quite startling - when he's concentrating or often when he's looking at himself in the mirror He's always done it and it's linked to his aspergers/dyspraxia/add according to the child psych Sarahx
Guest Wolfie Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 I'm with you Maz on using plenty of words.....someone once told me that women have an inbuilt need to get a particular number of words out in a day (can't remember how many but it was in the thousands!!) - if I have a lot to say in the evening, my OH comments that I obviously haven't had the opportunity to get all my words out earlier in the day!
HappyMaz Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 Thanks for your comments. Interesting cure !! MazThis little girl has been with us for a year and has really only started doing this to any extent since we came back. She lives with mum and stepdad and regularly sees her dad and stepmum. She is very tactile and likes to kiss and hug the other children which we have been trying to stop as they don't like it. When another child told her to "shutup", yesterday it had no effect whatsoever and I think that if a member of staff had not been nearby then something would have been thrown at her. I will keep you posted on what transpires. Mary How interesting that this is a new development during the holidays? Wonder what has changed in this little girl's life? Maz
Guest MaryEMac Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 Yesterday I spoke to the child's mum and she said that she does it at home and that they remind her about it and ask her to stop, which she does for a while. Thinking about it, last week she had been away with dad and stepmum and had really missed her mum. When mum brought her to playgroup she was very clingy, so we are thinking that this is an attention thing. So during the session we were all ready to ask her to stop and she didn't make a sound. We will keep a diary and note when and if it happens again to see if there is a pattern. Mary
HappyMaz Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 Isn't it funny how these things appear to resolve themselves in this way? At least you're aware of it now and can begin to see if there's a pattern to when this behaviour might re-appear. Maz
hali Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 very strange good idea to keep notes to see if there is a pattern... got anything to stop my 12 yr old daughter from nattering from the minute she gets up till after bedtime, gagging her dosnt seem to work
HappyMaz Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 very strange good idea to keep notes to see if there is a pattern... got anything to stop my 12 yr old daughter from nattering from the minute she gets up till after bedtime, gagging her dosnt seem to work And you're saying my 'cure' of a sharp slap to the back of the head didn't work then Hali? Maz
Marion Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 I once had a child who sang my name over and over and over from 9am until 3.20pm the only reprieve I got was at Easter when she sang the same line of I've got a king who rides a donkey over and over and over............... It was a long long year!
Guest Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 I once had a child who sang my name over and over and over from 9am until 3.20pm the only reprieve I got was at Easter when she sang the same line of I've got a king who rides a donkey over and over and over............... It was a long long year! Oh Marion you did make me laugh , you deserve a very quiet gold star for surviving the year. I have a cartoon picture in my head of a very frazzled teacher, hands over her ears with a child singing Marion out loud in high decibals, with a braying donkey right behind her. (You know like the cartoon pics that go with the Nursery World letter of the week) Peggy
Marion Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 Peggy I have to confess she almost tipped me over the edge..............She actually sang Mrs Storey, Mrs Storey Mrs Storeeeeeeeeeeee over and over :(
HappyMaz Posted September 18, 2007 Posted September 18, 2007 Peggy I have to confess she almost tipped me over the edge..............She actually sang Mrs Storey, Mrs Storey Mrs Storeeeeeeeeeeee over and over :( I think I can sing along with this one - was it to theme of Jackanory? Maz
Guest MaryEMac Posted September 21, 2007 Posted September 21, 2007 The droning came back this week but I just tell her that she's a bit loud. her response "I'll do it quietly then". We had a very serious discussion in the cloakroom as she was washing her hands. Her only fear was that it was naughty. I reassured her that it wasn't and told her that the only reason I remind her that she is being loud is because I can't hear the other children and they can't hear me. "Oh", she said, "I'll keep it quiet then". Since this talk I have only had to remind her twice. Fingers crossed , we have cracked it. Mary
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