He is a screamer!! ahh!!

[mamafever]

I don't know what happened to my super perfect 10 month old... all of a sudden he has this scream when he doesn't get what he wants and he doesn't give me a chance to explain why.(not that I think he totally understands yet...but he is learning) We will be in the middle of a store and he screams really loud and flails his body about everything! ahh!! I don't really know how to discipline him. I will never be that crazy lady in walmart who lets her child scream, but I will also never be that lady who doesn't do anything about it. any ideas? where did he get this from?

[rubidoux]

Well, I would make sure not to give him what he wants to make him quiet, but beyond that I don't know. I think that is the extent of what I'd do for "discipline" for a ten month old. I tend to really go out of my way not to set up a situation that will lead to crying, and then use redirection when that's not possible. There've been times that I've kept something in my bag that I think will take my little guy's mind off of whatever he might get upset about. Mine is now about to turn six years old and I think I'd handle it a little more directly, mostly by talking about why he's freaking out, lol. But at ten months I wouldn't do much of anything. I may be that crazy lady at walmart.

[mamafever]

thanks rubidoux. I know it sounds silly, but I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I love your bamboo creativity!

[Aridel]

At that age there's not really any "discipline" you can do, as the PP pointed out. The big things to reduce screaming (for my girls when they were babies anyway, ymmv!) was to make sure they were fed, had enough sleep, and weren't overwhelmed by the situation. Also, redirection!

I'm not sure how much language you're using to explain "why" to him. At 10 months, most children will not understand a lot of adult speech, though there si certainly a large range. Some babies will still be soothed by Mama's tone, and key into your speech patterns and familiar words. Some babies may just think of long or unfamiliar sentences as so much babble, which doesn't help when they're already worked up! I'd experiment and see if talking helps or makes things worse.

[EdnaMarie]

I will never be that crazy lady in walmart who lets her child scream, but I will also never be that lady who doesn't do anything about it.

You might not be doing a lot of WalMart in the near future, if that's your mantra, kwim?

At ten months, mine screamed a bit. I ignored it because though it was a short phase, reacting (even a teeny, tiny reaction) was all she needed to get her kick. The screaming would persist, and she'd do it more often.

I say re-direct, distract, and ignore the screams.

Explanations at that age are pretty pointless unless your child is speaking in full sentences.

[carrie a.]

my dd went through a screaming phase for about 2 months around 10 months old. i think what helped a lot was sign language. it helped her to feel like she's able to communicate with me and the screaming went away. her favorite sign is "more" and she uses it all the time.