my kid wont stop screaming!!!

Iridescent - posted on 06/01/2010

It sounds like simple frustration. It eases as they become more capable of doing what they intend to, and communicating their needs effectively. There is no purpose in screaming at or with him as it doesn't solve the cause of the problem. Work with language skills as Kristin suggested. Also help him when he's frustrated with a toy, by using his hands, to manipulate them in a way that he desires to teach him.

Kristin - posted on 06/01/2010

He's preverbal, start doing some sign language, read picture books, name everything (including his emotions), converse and leave time for him to respond. Get illness ruled out; teething too. And of course encourage him to try to fix the problem himself.

Ignore it if it is just for the sake of screaming. If he's got no audience, he will get bored with it sooner.

Valerie - posted on 06/01/2010

My son did that. He screamed for months before I figured out that he has a ton of food sensitivities. If he's screaming out of the blue for "no apparent reason" you may want to talk it over with his doctor. My daughter also did this and was finally diagnosed with Celiac after 5 years.

Katie - posted on 06/01/2010

haha i am sure if i got in the floor and screamed with him, he would start laughing! but as far as having a talk, im not sure if he would understand. He just started saying dada like two weeks ago. he is a little behind in comprehension from what i have notice with other children his age.

Kimberly - posted on 06/01/2010

My daughters used to do this when they were little, and it might sound childish, but I used to get down to their level...look them in the eye and scream at them. They would look back and scream, and I would scream again. This went on until we got to laughing so hard we couldn't scream anymore. When everything calmed down, we would have a quiet talk about inside and outside voices and screaming only if something was wrong. I found that if I mimicked what they were doing, they saw how rediculous they looked and eventually they quit. Of course the talk would have to be tailor made for whatever age the child is.

Katie - posted on 06/01/2010

he is definitely upset...and he is at the independent stage so he doesn't like playing with us much...his screaming usually occurs when he is eating or when he is playing with a toy that doesn't work the way he wants it to. for instance--if his walker gets stuck on a chair or something, he will stand there and scream until we fix it. but i know good and well he can move the walker around the chair. it is like he does it for attention but wont accept attention when we try to give it to him

Melinda - posted on 06/01/2010

When my kids did this I would send them to their bed or to a corner far enough to dim the screaming, I told them in a firm normal voice that they could get up/out once they were done screaming ... also w/my neice id get down on her level and whisper she would have to stop or qiute down to hear me .... hope this helps

Tamara - posted on 06/01/2010

so is he playing, or is he upset, or is he just screaming to hear his own voice? I would say tell him to use an indoor voice when he starts screaming and then later take him to a park or somewhere it's ok for him to be loud and then tell him it's time for outdoor voices. let him know when he can scream rather than stressing when he can't. Some kids just think its fun and aren't trying to make anyone made or annoy them. My 10 month old just realized if he screams in some places; like our bathroom, his voice will echo. now every new room we go into he thinks he needs to yell just to see how it sounds, it's not very fun at Dr. visits that's for sure. .



If you can't get him to calm down by telling him to use indoor voices put him in time out until he can calm down. The recommended time for young children is one minute for each year. if he is twenty one months two minutes at a time is the most that he would get for that kind of behavior if he was doing it in daycare.



another less punishment way of getting him to stop yelling is to redirect his attention. you could try singing nursery rhymes together when he starts getting too loud. Pick a quick tempo song that gets his attention, My baby's favorite is Hickory Dickory Dock. He cant sing it but he sure does clap along.