{"id":13715,"date":"2018-09-30T21:04:25","date_gmt":"2018-09-30T21:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/how-to-handle-a-screaming-toddler\/"},"modified":"2018-09-30T21:04:25","modified_gmt":"2018-09-30T21:04:25","slug":"how-to-handle-a-screaming-toddler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/de\/how-to-handle-a-screaming-toddler\/","title":{"rendered":"How to handle a screaming toddler"},"content":{"rendered":"
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My toddler is going through a shrieking phase: When she spots a friend; when she doesn\u2019t want to put on her shoes; when she\u2019s simply delighting in the sound of her own voice<\/strong>. I know she\u2019s just expressing herself, and if I don\u2019t react she tends to tone it down, but it\u2019s hard to stay calm when we\u2019re in public and it feels like all eyes are on us.<\/p>\n

At 18 months, a child usually knows more than 50 words, says Elaine Weitzman, a speech-language pathologist. It only makes sense that in the absence of language, toddlers use another outlet to express how they feel. \u201cShrieking gives toddlers a way of communicating until a more sophisticated system kicks in,\u201d she says.<\/p>

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Communication by shrieking isn\u2019t well-received by everyone. Some people will be sympathetic to the mom with the screaming child in the grocery store, says Andrea Ramsay Speers, a parent educator in Oakville, Ont., but others feel more inconvenienced. \u201cYou want to be conscious of those around you, but balance that with your toddler\u2019s need to express herself.\u201d 
\n\"A3 ways to avoid a grocery store meltdown\n<\/p>\n

The key to staying calm when your toddler\u2019s vocal volume is on overdrive is to identify what kind of shrieker you have on your hands, and to have a few responses ready.<\/p>\n

The happy shrieker<\/h2>\n

If her squeals of joy are turning others off, \u201cpick her up in your arms and gently rub her back. It\u2019ll offer a calming presence,\u201d says Ramsay Speers. Or model the difference between indoor and outdoor voices, says Jen Singer, author of Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: The Toddler Years<\/em>. \u201cAt the playground, say: \u2018This is where we shout! Wheee!\u2019 Back home, whisper: \u2018This is where we keep our voices low.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The attention-seeker<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re on the phone, but your little guy wants your undivided attention<\/strong>. \u201cReach over and pat his back, sit him up on your lap, or give him a smile or wink. This will demonstrate that you\u2019re not ignoring him, but that he can\u2019t be the centre of attention 100 percent of the time,\u201d says Ramsay Speers.<\/p>\n

The angry screamer<\/h2>\n

If your tot isn\u2019t happy about something, appeal to her short attention span with distraction. \u201cPull out a book<\/strong>, give her a task or point to something more intriguing,\u201d says Singer. Raising your voice will only escalate her emotions, so if all else fails, find somewhere private for her to calm down. Distraction is what works for mom Emily Ward and her toddler son, Ethan. \u201cIf he\u2019s upset about having to come inside, I\u2019ll give him a moment, but then switch gears and suggest we find some stickers.\u201d Either way, she\u2019s not too fazed. \u201cIn a strange way, it\u2019s comforting to see him going through this normal stage \u2014 even if it\u2019s not the most enjoyable one!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Read more: <\/strong>
How to curb your toddler\u2019s fake crying
<\/strong>How to discipline a toddler
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