I was that 9 year old.

I too sulked when i was teased, berated or punished for talking. And i definitely believed it was because they didn't love me or care about me. In some cases i still feel that is true, they didn't want to listen to me, and weren't interested in me, and still don't and aren't.

In my case it was because i had things inside me I COULDN'T say, "issues" if you like, and i was desperately trying to survive them by saying anything and everything else. I have spent my whole life trying and failing to find a connection with many people in my family, talking is my best communication tool, not my only but my best. My childhood looks retrospectively like a one-sided conversation through which i was desperately trying to make sense of the world.

The only advice i can offer is to try listening to what he ISN'T telling you. Underneath all my constant chat chat chat i was a scared and damaged littl girl with some very heavy secrets and baffling problems.

Bx