Screaming - West Newton, MA

Hi M.,

You say he only acts out when he is "confined". Have you thought about moving him out of a crib into a twin or toddler bed? How about letting him sit at the table on a regular chair or booster seat? He is at an age when he is wanting independence but it sounds to me that his independence is being "confined" and making him act out to get you to hear what he wants. Try letting him be a Big Boy and allowing him to have some freedom.

I am also a mother of a 4 y/o girl and 2 1/2 y/o boy.

Best of luck!
~A.

Sorry to tell you this but there is really nothing you can do about it. You may hate it but he loves it he realized hey I can scream and I like how I sound and it is fun!
Just try and ignore it and let him have fun and trust me and will grow out of it! My son is 17 months and he loves to "yell" use his "big voice" for the fun of it. I tell him shh, you need to use your inside voice be a little quieter. We actually wisper (I know I spelled that wrong...sorry) and he loves to copy us and it really works for most of the time anyway. Good luck!

Try music. If he likes to explore sound it seems like a good place to start.

Hi M.

He is obviously looking for attention when he starts screaming. You said you tried ignoring it, but try to ignore him for three days in a row. Usually after three days, the realize mom is not going to react. I had do do this with my son when he was around three years old. He would get up and scream in the middle of the night. After days of not sleeping, we decided not to enter his room when he did this and it stopped after the third night.

Good Luck

R. Z

Hi M.,
First, I know how hard this can be! My son is the same age and screams for sport sometimes too! Remember, they are only 2.5-- you cannot reason with them at that age. I know how hard it is, but if you think it is for attention, ignore it. If it gets any extra attention, he will keep doing it.
If you think he is doing it out of boredom, distract him-- have him try an activity he hasn't done yet that day. You could even do a loud game at that point like animal noises or something.
And if it is when he is in his highchair or something at mealtime, or in the car, give him something to distract him. We have books and a magnadoodle in the car for my son which usually keeps him somewhat busy on longer trips.

I hope this helps! Good luck!!

Hi M.,

2.5 is a tough age. You're closing in on 3 years and they start to get testy. Since it's not temper related, maybe you can play some games where you whisper, sing, etc.? Don't be too discouraged, I think it's totally normal. They've got this great voice and they really enjoy using it!

Remember, sometimes you can't control your kids. This is just the beginning....I have a 3 and 5 year old.....oy!

No one else seems to have suggested it so I will...give him a taste of it back. He might be reluctant to do it again if he experiences it.