My 16 month old son screams or squeals at the top of his lungs when he wants something or wants my attention. I've tried ignoring it in hopes he'll change his volume/tone. It literally hurts my ears. He's the youngest of three, so I understand sometimes he has to be a little louder to get my attention, but it is a constant problem. I am counting the days until he grows out of this phase. It's been going on now for around six months. Any tips would be appreciated!
At that age, I just clapped my hands and, in a firm voice, said "No screaming". You might find another sound or word that will work. Keep it simple.
Have you told him that it hurts your ears and to ask a little quieter so you can hear? Say "talk with Normal talking voice, not yelling voice", and use the volume you want.
Also make a finger motion with your thumb and finger like you're squeezing the space between and making it smaller and say "a little quieter". I did this with my son and he recognizes that he needs to talk quieter when I make this motion.
I like to curb screaming with ASL (American Sign Language). You can just google words or get books or videos. So many resources are available. When I had my first and she had speach problems, I started to teach her signs about 12 months. It was so nice, she picked it up fast, and she could finally tell me what she needed. I have since taught all mine to sign around 9 months. They still will scream a little but nothing lasts longer then about a month. I just tell them to sign it or say it. They do great. You will have to sign it and say it every time and help their little hands do it too.
Good luck!
Help him practice using his voice at different levels. Give him opportunities to use his loud voice outside. "Let's do loud voices!" Then do quiet voices. High voices. Low voices. etc.
Teach him about his voice, so that when you very quietly say to him, "Quiet voices please," he knows what and how to do so.
Not sure if that will work...seems worth a try. Good luck!
Teach signing, and teach volume control.
How do you teach volume control? You talk normally and say that you are using your "inside" voice. Then you whisper and say you are using your "quiet" voice. Then you yell and say that you are "yelling" or using your "outside" voice.
Then help him practice. When he starts screaming/squealing at an inappropriate time, you can turn to him and say, "Inside voices, please."
I would remind him to use a quiet voice, I would try signs (we used regular ASL with DD) and I would model the quiet behavior you want him to give you. I hope your ears get a break soon.
Have you had his hearing tested? If there us an issue, then he may no be able to hear himself loud enough, It's like if you have ever had a stopped up ear and since you can't hear others too well, you, yourself talk even louder..
You may want to look into it, you never know..
good luck
There was an almost identical post very recently - search for it. You will find some good ideas there. But in the end -- this is a stage a LOT of kids go though because they are unable to talk yet, and are trying to communicate with you. Pretty normal. But see the responses to that recent post.
Discipline the screaming. Don't ignore and wait for him to outgrow it. The more you discipline at this age the less you'll have to later. Teach him no means no, including for screaming. Back to Basics Discipline by Janet Campbell Matson is great for this age.
My daughter was a screamer. My older son (around 13 at the time) and a nannie were in charge of her one day. I was in the other room when I heard her let out one of her classic attention screams. She loved to hear herself scream, so this was one of her forms of entertainment. As I walked into the room where she was, I saw my older son squirting her in the face with a watergun and the nanny looking on approvingly. She stopped screaming a few days later.
Try getting down to his eye level. Kneel down on the floor and look at him eye to eye and speak in low tones so that he's forced to quiet himself in order to listen to you. Tell him that you need him to quiet his voice so that he can hear you. Then you ask him to use his words to tell you what he needs, and if he uses volumes that are too loud then give him examples that are appropriate with your own voice. Give him examples of phrases to use.
You're going to have to do this a lot. If your older children are very noisy, then honestly? do it with them too. Slow them down so that your youngest is listened to and seen. He wants to be part of everything and the only way right now is to be loud.
You can also give him a signal that's visual and can't be missed. Or a bell to ring. Something he can use rather than screaming when he wants attention in the house.
