How do you handle it?

She screams randomly and will yell at us if we tell her to stop doing something. I have done everything from asking her calmly to please stop yelling, to "we don't yell inside, talk quietly", to point blank snapping and telling her to stop! (this is after she keeps screaming)

Is this just something we have to wait to pass & there's nothing we can do? Will talking calmly to her ever work?

Not only does it hurt my ears and it's aggrivating but it's embarressing. I seem to notice it more in public.

DD doesn't scream. If she gets ticked and throws a crying fit I tell her to go into her room until she's done making that ugly noise.

She knows what it means. She goes in her room for 3 seconds, stops crying and says "I'm done crying mama!" Then I say "yaaaaaay!! Come on out!" and she does and we hug and it's a great thing :)

I don't know if Gabby is old enough to comprehend what it means, but from the beginning I've referred to whining/crying as "that ugly noise". She's never been one to like loud noises, so screaming isn't something she takes pleasure in...thank GOODNESS.

Good luck...

DD doesn't scream. If she gets ticked and throws a crying fit I tell her to go into her room until she's done making that ugly noise.

She knows what it means. She goes in her room for 3 seconds, stops crying and says "I'm done crying mama!" Then I say "yaaaaaay!! Come on out!" and she does and we hug and it's a great thing :)

I don't know if Gabby is old enough to comprehend what it means, but from the beginning I've referred to whining/crying as "that ugly noise". She's never been one to like loud noises, so screaming isn't something she takes pleasure in...thank GOODNESS.

Good luck...

She throws fits AND screams :lol My poor ears :giggle The fits I deal with fine (kind of do something similar to what you do) but it's the screaming that is :vent It's in public that I don't know what to do...as people's heads are turning towards me. Probably hurting their ears too :lol I'll even try to give her a choice when she wants something and she can't have it. But she'll still scream for a few sec's.

Him and I don't scream either, so I don't know why she does it. I've read that some tot's do that as their learning they have a voice. Guess I have one of them :lol

:hugehug I feel your pain. I hate screaming
I have always told my kids I couldn't talk to them if they weren't using their nice voice, sometimes I had to put them in their room if they were screaming a lot. it got the point across pretty quick. Sometimes though you just have to ride it out. since she is now getting the attention she wants she will keep doing it. just stay consistent, pick one thing like saying we don't yell at people, everytime she does it. ( you start to feel like a broken record) or you can try whispering your responses to see if that intrigues her. ( it worked with ydd she would whisper back to me)

Laney screams too. I do the same as Becca and send her to her room until she stops. The problem with that is it could literally be hours. I think her problem is that she stopped sucking her thumb and doesn't know how to soothe herself. Is yours going through something similar?

or you can try whispering your responses to see if that intrigues her. ( it worked with ydd she would whisper back to me)

:thinking I'll have to try that! Thanks

Maybe if you stop putting up with it at home (exile her to her room when she throws a fit), then she'll learn it's not acceptable and in turn do it less in public? That's how it is with DD - she hates being away from us, and sending her to her room, until SHE composes herself and is ready to come out, she knows what's acceptable noise to make and what's not.

Maybe if you remove her from your presence until she's done with her fit, she'll realize that she's her only audience and it won't be worth it anymore. Just make sure she doesn't get her way (whatever she's screaming about). Sometimes in the stores, you just have to leave. It sucks and it's inconvenient, but I've had to do it before. :dunno

Maybe if you stop putting up with it at home (exile her to her room when she throws a fit), then she'll learn it's not acceptable and in turn do it less in public? That's how it is with DD - she hates being away from us, and sending her to her room, until SHE composes herself and is ready to come out, she knows what's acceptable noise to make and what's not.

Maybe if you remove her from your presence until she's done with her fit, she'll realize that she's her only audience and it won't be worth it anymore. Just make sure she doesn't get her way (whatever she's screaming about). Sometimes in the stores, you just have to leave. It sucks and it's inconvenient, but I've had to do it before. :dunno

I guess I will try a time out area at home :shrug We have 2 floors so I can't walk up and down so much during the day (don't have the energy for that being 8 mo. pregnant :giggle) so I suppose I could try the stair idea that parkwoodmom suggested awhile ago or go buy one of those time out things and put it in the kitchen, so she's in another room.

She's not that bad at home but when we're out she either will yell b/c she wants a stranger or kids attention and is trying to be silly or b/c we won't let her have something (which we don't give in).

Laney screams too. I do the same as Becca and send her to her room until she stops. The problem with that is it could literally be hours. I think her problem is that she stopped sucking her thumb and doesn't know how to soothe herself. Is yours going through something similar?

I'm not sure...I haven't been letting her have her pacifer during the times she's awake, so maybe? I could see that possibly being it at home, but not when we're out and about. She does it then for strangers attention or just to try to get her way.

You know, I was wondering the same thing. Elizabeth has been starting to do it A LOT lately, and its never usually at home, only when we are out in public. I dont know why though. I mean two days ago we went shopping and I had to pick up some stockings because ours are still in storage. Well I let Elizabeth walk around the store because now that she can walk well enough she doesnt want to sit! Well she kept going after all the ornaments that were stacked on the bottom shelves and I wanted her to stop so she wouldnt break any, so I picked her up....I have NEVER heard a noise like that come out of this child! I didnt know what to do! We tried the binkie...didnt work, we tried toys..didnt work, I even tried to let her hold the stocking (normally anything she thinks she isnt supposed to have yet I let her have it will make her shut up real fast if she is fussy or crying) and all she did was through it down! I just didnt know what to do so we left.

Is what Gabby is doing similar to that?? If so, when did she start doing it? Cuz Elizabeth is only 1 and I didnt think it would start that early. :sigh

I have not had to deal with this inpublic too much. Like Becca I tell my kids to go in their rooms until they are over it or have control of themselves. Usually not quite a minute will do it. Sometimes it turns into a nap.

When I am out and about I take them into the bathroom or back out to the car. I have also stood outside of my car while the screaming went on and just turned my back on it until it stopped. I feel it is no different than pumping gas since I am right there. I also buckle my child in if I have to resort to using the car. Depending on the situation or my needs we go home or try again once they have calmed down.

Good luck.

I think, for my daughter anyway, the key is making sure she knows that I'm paying no attention to it whatsoever. She's wasting her breath.

:dunno It works.

I think, for my daughter anyway, the key is making sure she knows that I'm paying no attention to it whatsoever. She's wasting her breath.

:dunno It works.

:yes That is the same for my kids. Once the audience is gone there is no longer a reason to perform.

If you find the answer lemme know!!

As Ethan has gotten older he has gotten worse. We do timeouts and we get on his level and tell him not to do that. Now he tells us NO all the time and unfortuantly if we ignore it it gets worse for us

So should I ignore it?

She's not screaming like throwing a fit. She screams for a sec to get someone's attention. So it's not that she's throwing a fit. So that's why I dont' think leaving the area is going to do anything and it seems silly to leave when its like a shriek and thats it :shrug

I don't think she understands how loud she is. Like I don't think she means to shriek. When she yells b/c we won't give her something, that's different.

Ignore her, and if she screams again, put her little butt in time out. DD went through that phase, and time out/ignoring her worked for us.

If you find the answer lemme know!!

As Ethan has gotten older he has gotten worse. We do timeouts and we get on his level and tell him not to do that. Now he tells us NO all the time and unfortuantly if we ignore it it gets worse for us

Sounds like it's just a phase than :sigh

They go STRAIGHT to time out and do not come out until they are COMPLETELY done.

I don't usually yell back at them or tell them to stop, I just tell them "TIME OUT". And they KNOW I will not speak to them or acknowledge them in any way whatsoever until they are completely finished with the yelling, whining, screaming, fit throwing, crying, etc. Unless something is physically wrong with them, I won't talk to them while they are whiney/crying either.

I would make sure to tell her WHY she's in time out, reinforce this each time "We do not yell, we talk with inside voices" or "Yelling is not acceptable, you need to use your nice voice" or however you choose to word it so that she will understand (And trust me, she is old enough to understand) and do this EACH TIME.

I start their time out when their fits are under control. I will not start their 2 or 3 or 4 minute time out until they are finished with their tantrum. So, I've found that the fits typically are MUCH MUCH shorter knowing that they will be there for their time out until they are done.

When she's in time out, turn your back to her and completely ignore her. Do not make eye contact, do not engage in ANY type of conversation at all, do not even acknowledge that she is there. In fact, the more that you can focus attention elsewhere (engage in conversation with your husband or do something that lets her know you are not MAD, but you are simply IGNORING) the better.

Sounds like it's just a phase than :sigh

yep, it is. I still go through this sometimes with my almost 5 year old though, so it's pretty normal.

My youngest use to scream all the time.
I talked and talked to her till I was blue in the face.

I found that smacking her bottom, when she screamed, worked wonders.
Most today's parents have a "problem" with spanking their children.

I don't.

Honestly, with 4 girls in the house we have just learned to ignore it :teehee If they are throwing a fit and screaming they go to their room until there done.

They grow out it. The older two only do it when they are really mad and it is more like yelling now.

I just hav ea problem w/ "punishing" her when she is shrieking to just make noise or get attention (again, when we're out in public)...That just doesn't sound right to me? Maybe I'm too soft? :sigh

I just hav ea problem w/ "punishing" her when she is shrieking to just make noise or get attention (again, when we're out in public)...That just doesn't sound right to me? Maybe I'm too soft? :sigh

You don't have to "punish" her for others to see.. simply removing her from the situation, (taking her to the bathroom, or out to the car for a time out) until she can calm down is sometimes the best way to handle it in public.

I just hav ea problem w/ "punishing" her when she is shrieking to just make noise or get attention (again, when we're out in public)...That just doesn't sound right to me? Maybe I'm too soft? :sigh

It's up to you how you want to parent and punish. If it's not something she is doing just to be obnoxious, you can try to reason with her. But if it's something she is doing simply because she knows it's not allowed, I'd be making some sort of rules with consequences. The kids do a lot of playing together inside and out but I don't allow screaming in the house and will get onto them about it. If they continue after a warning, they do get sent to time out.

i can totally sympathize with you; z used to do the same. we used to find a bench or a seat or somewhere to give her a "time out" or we'd find something to distract her or give her some extra attention

You don't have to PUNISH her, but if you don't address the behavior with any consequence, she won't know that it's wrong. You know that talking to her isn't working so there's got to be another way to let her know it's unacceptable.

You don't have to PUNISH her, but if you don't address the behavior with any consequence, she won't know that it's wrong. You know that talking to her isn't working so there's got to be another way to let her know it's unacceptable.

:yes

and let me add, your whole view on this might change when you have a newborn baby and he is woken up 2 minutes after you finally get him to sleep b/c she is screaming. Thats why I let them all know from the get go that it's okay to play and have fun but the screaming is for outside, not inside. I let them know it's rude to scream inside and it's just not acceptable. It'll probably be hard to deal with if you're all of a sudden freaking out about it right after the baby is born b/c you can't keep him asleep. Hunter would sleep through a LOT and he slept through most of their playing but the screeching constantly woke him up and it was a hard battle to fight for a while :nutts

I just hav ea problem w/ "punishing" her when she is shrieking to just make noise or get attention (again, when we're out in public)...That just doesn't sound right to me? Maybe I'm too soft? :sigh

When it is a situation like that, we ignore them. If it is an all out screaming fit then we take them back to the car or to the bathroom.

Thanks for the opinion/advice ladies :thumbsup

I put my kids in time out until they can stop screaming and calm down.

Preston likes to "talk" VERY loudly, often times it is when we are in stores. Usually what I will do is tell him "shhh and put my finger on his mouth". He'll stop for a little bit, so I guess he gets the idea.

He also likes to throw himself on the floor when he wants to throw a fit, and basically with that, I ignore him because he gets over it when he sees something that interests him. He's only 1(almost) though, so I don't know if any of it would work on her age.