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I'm looking for any advice on how to handle our newest foster child. She's 13, very sweet, very helpful, and very smart. She talks all the time. This, of course, is much better than a child that won't engage at all, but my husband and I are having a difficult time remaining patient. She talks constantly through movies/tv shows, she answers questions that are asked of other family members, and she talks to herself when no one is talking to her. I've tried "quiet time." I've explained proper conversation etiquette. I've asked her not to answer for others, but nothing has worked!
She seems to have spent a large amount of her time watching YouTube videos, and is an "expert" in nearly everything - but, her information is not correct and it's confusing my 11 year foster son. She wasn't aware that the things you see online aren't necessarily true.
How would you handle it? She seems to be fairly sensitive about criticism and she's only been here a week. I don't want to isolate her, but I don't know how much more we can take! Thanks in advance!
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My teen dd talks a lot when she is nervous in a new situation, so it may die out naturally over time. In the meantime just keep reminding her of social rules like not answering for others and to check her facts before sharing with others. It may take a long time to work through this, but try to be positive and repeat yourself a lot. By the time they are teens they think they know everything, so it is hard to convince them otherwise. :)
It might be good in the future to take kids younger than yours so this type of confusion does not happen. It is easier if kids are younger than your kids to simply tell your bios that the younger kiddo just does not get a lot of things yet, so do not take what they say seriously. It is harder for younger kids not to look up to older kids even if they are wrong.
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