The screaming, oh the screaming!

[JennJubie]

I have a dcb who doesn't cry - he SCREAMS! He's lovely in every other possible way, but that scream, yeesh! My poor ears

[gramma]

sounds like my day today. how long has he been with you?

[gravy_train]

Ugh - i feel your pain completely, Jenn - I have one of those too... I just try to shut off the part of my brain that registers that sound. And I think about enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the day ;-).

[JennJubie]

He's still fairly new, about a month in. He's young, too, only 12 months. The length of time that he screams for has already decreased, it's just that register that he can hit makes my ears hurt! I've never heard another one quite this loud and piercing.

[Momof4]

Oh yeah, I've just been through that for a couple of months and I'm pleased to report it is now all smiles and laughing, whew! I hate the transitioning period too.

[mom-in-alberta]

Kids usually communicate in whichever manner they have learned works the best. Clearly, for him, it's a piercing shriek. Earplugs?

[Inspired by Reggio]

Kids usually communicate in whichever manner they have learned works the best. Clearly, for him, it's a piercing shriek. Earplugs?

Exactly ... just had this exact conversation at playgroup yesterday there was a little two year old having a fit and her scream was the exact tone of a new born baby and went right through your skin to want to make it stop ... one of the mother's commented 'oh my I thought that was a newborn screaming wasn't expecting a kid so old to make a noise like that' and I commented 'wonder if she has a new sibling at home' and sure enough the mama comes walking over with a newborn under a breastfeeding blanket apologizing to anyone in ear shot saying 'sorry about that ~ the screaming seems to be getting worse lately for every little thing ' ... to which I said 'yes unfortunately she is likely regressing a bit cause she is making the connection that that tone and register makes mama jump for the new baby so is thinking it will do the same for her verses using her words ~ send her the message crying is for wee babies, she is a big girl, she is lucky cause she has words and you will not be responding to her until she uses them and that screaming will stop'.

Children are way smarter than we give them credit for sometimes ... pretty much every behavior children engage in they do so because of trial and error ... when they try it and it works to get them a response they like they repeat it ~ if they do not get a response they like or that works for them than they stop!

[JennJubie]

When he starts screaming, it's almost as if he refuses to calm down, until you pick him up and if you put him down it starts all over again. So I just wait him out now, and I go and deal with the other kids while he's screaming. The first time it lasted two hours, now it only lasts about 15 min. Definite improvement!

[treeholm]

I had one start in the fall. A lovely little girl, who had the most incredibly ear-piercing scream I've ever heard in my life. She kept it up for two hours a day at nap time the first week, as well as anytime I wasn't within her view (ie. ran into the kitchen to grab food while she was in the eating area 10 feet away). I could not understand how she did not get laryngitis! After a week, she barely screamed, and now she is all smiles. Even goes down for her nap cheerfully and wakes up smiling. Glad I stuck it out the first week when I thought I would lose my mind!