Dinner Time · The Emotionally Whole Family

Dinner Time

I want to hear from my kids at dinner time. The problem is dinner usually seems to turn to chaos. I have 5 kids and the first four are all within five years of each other. It's constant interrupting, or just making noise for fun, competing to be heard, or not even realizing someone else is talking, getting angry about being interrupted. Then I have a 3 year old who is the strong willed child. I wish I had a seat he couldn't get out of because he's constantly all over the place. I am disciplining him but it's not changing things yet. It all feels so overwhelming. When my husband is home, his yelling is what calms everyone down. He's currently overseas and I'd love to find a way myself to have peace at dinner without having to yell. Any tips for helping them get used to taking turns, sitting still, using inside voices?

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