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Suggestions for Screaming Toddlers that Won’t Stop!
Posted by Daddy T on April 12, 2007 1,076 views Comments (View Comments)Ever have one of those nights when your child just screams the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over….if you read all of those “and over and overs” I’m guessing the answer is YES!
Anyway, I searched online for some quick ideas and hopefully answers to a peaceful evening in our house! Here are some suggestions from posts on BabyCenter.com
My son is nearly 2 and screams when he is frustrated. I tell him that I can’t help him until he stops screaming. Then I ask him what he wants and offer some choices. If that doesn’t work, I take him out onto the porch for a few minutes, hold him and tell him that we can’t go back into the house until he’s done screaming. This is surprisingly effective in the winter.”
— Melissa
“Make sure you give rewards too! Kids respond to positive reinforcement more than negative reinforcement. Help your child set a goal to work on his screaming. Every time he screams when inappropriate, mark it on a calendar. Count up the marks and try to get them lower and lower each week. The most important thing in goal setting is having a reward at the end, such as a trip to a favorite restaurant when he improves, or a new toy. Give him something to work for rather than just working for not being in time-out.”
— Anonymous
“When my son screams, I take him out of the room to his timeout spot and tell him he’s in timeout because screaming is not allowed in my house. (By the way, timeouts take time and commitment to work. For a while, my son would get up to play and we’d have a battle of wills for up to 30 minutes, but once he learned I was serious — no more battles. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get him to stay, even if it means missing out on something you want to do.) After three minutes, he can repeat his request in a speaking or whisper voice. That doesn’t mean he’ll get his way, but it does give him the chance to be heard.
