How do you handle "a screetcher?"

[Bren's Mom]

If the 'bootcamp' over the next 10 days doesn't completely eliminate the problem just talk to dh and go with a plan that you are both on board with. If ds started screeching whoever's turn it is stays with him, the other parent should move on with the other 2 kids so THEY aren't punished by ds's behavior. Decide that you'll meet back in x amount of time at wherever. Give ds no satisfaction whatsoever. He immediately loses out on whatever you all were planning to do. The other kids don't.

 

[fussymonkey]

Our daughter did the screech too. I tried the hand clamped over the mouth, but after initial sucess, she just thought it was funny and would continue to screech into my hand. Finally she started screaming in Target one day and I said, "Is that the best you got? Can't you scream louder? That's just a little scream". It was the last screaming tantrum she ever had. She still has plenty of tantrums, but they are more of the foot-stomping variety.

She's toally mastered the fine art of the "limp noodle." When you're taking her out of a store/house/playground where she wants to be, she just drops to the ground.

Lol! Our daughter, too, is a graduate of the Martin Luther King Jr School of Peaceful Protest. I just walk away from her. She's laying on the ground and I just turn my back and walk on. She always jumps up to catch up with me.

Keep your eye on the horizon, OP, 3 is lightyears better than 2, and 4 is the dawning of a new day.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

She's toally mastered the fine art of the "limp noodle." When you're taking her out of a store/house/playground where she wants to be, she just drops to the ground.

You know that ONE thing, as a mother, that is the most IRRITATING thing your child can do? Yep...that's it for me. It's great with my 2 year old twins who BOTH do it!

My son screeches too. He doesn't talk very much either. Hopefully he'll grow out of it SOON.

He does it the most at like Wal-Mart. It echos there. I just tell the people who are stabbing me with their eyes that he is practicing for his future in the Vienna Boys Choir and that the echo allows him to hear whether he is being "pitchy" or not! Then I go about my buisiness. People who don't have children who does these types of things just don't get it.

I really have no ideas for how to rid him of the habit, but I DO LOVE the bucket idea!!!

If you find one that works let me know!!!

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

No ideas to help out, but at least you guys won't be the only ones with a little one screaming like there's no tomorrow... there's one of those kids every 10ft for whatever reason.

I know it's hard to deal with sometimes, especially with him being loud and drawing attention. Mine has a tendency to make himself "known" and I don't respond to him when he acts that way; and remind him why I won't. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't.

However, when we were down at WDW, DS was so involved in everything that was going on, he only had 3 episodes of tantrums in a week. I was really surprised at how he was there, just to have him return to his old tricks the second we got home.

 

[mookie]

No ideas to help out, but at least you guys won't be the only ones with a little one screaming like there's no tomorrow... there's one of those kids every 10ft for whatever reason.

I know it's hard to deal with sometimes, especially with him being loud and drawing attention. Mine has a tendency to make himself "known" and I don't respond to him when he acts that way; and remind him why I won't. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't.

However, when we were down at WDW, DS was so involved in everything that was going on, he only had 3 episodes of tantrums in a week. I was really surprised at how he was there, just to have him return to his old tricks the second we got home.

Just a little OT, but I LOVE your username! That it what I am always telling my boys when I'm driving, and they are kicking my backseat. Sounds just like that too! LOL!

 

[delmar411]

both my boys have been/are screamers. It is awful. We do the hand clamp and the hissed NO! at them (nothing else has ever really worked). If they stop right away we make a big deal out of the quiet. Also repeat over and over to use their inside/public voices.

And they do talk extremely well so it's just a natural reaction I guess. The boys are 3 and 4 and it's just something they started doing around 18-20mths. Pretty much when they discovered they have the only volume control on their voices.

But when they are outside and there isn't a show going on we do try to let them let loose a bit more with the noise just to get it out of their system.

I highly doubt you'll get many looks. The noise level at WDW borders on ear splitting at times.

 

[bookgirl]

No flames from me...sometimes it makes me wonder when all else fails, if "old school" was right!!!

My mom said to us once during his public tantrums..."you know, if you just swatted him on the butt a few times, he would probably stop." But in this day and age, doing that in public could get you thrown in jail! Not to get into a debate on spanking/no spanking (we all know there has been enough of them on these boards!) it's just sometimes it does make me wonder...

You know if it was just a mad scream a swat might work, but since he uses it in ALL modes I'd say find that kid another way to communicate. Either teach him sign language (doesn't even have to be ASL, make up whatever signs work for you) or give him picture cards. Before I became a librarian I worked with mostly non verbal autisitic kids. The FIRST thing we always did was figure out communication, because that is the root of most behavior issues. As soon as he can "tell" you what he wants or how he feels the screaming should stop.