[purplemamaaz]

My DD is screaming and screeching lately. ALL THE TIME! Well, it seems like all the time. She screams/screeches when she's mad, sad, happy, excited, sleepy, etc, etc. She is making dinner especially miserable for all of us with her joyful screeches/screams. I know she just wants to join the conversation of her parents and brothers. She's only 15 months old so time outs don't seem to be appropriate. Here's what we've tried: ignoring it (she does it more), giving her attention (she does it more), making an exaggerated "no-no face" and saying firmly "no-no Alita, too loud (she laughs and does it more), speaking to her in whispers to model being quieter (yep, you guessed it, she does it more). Help she's hurting our ears!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kiwiva]

Sounds pretty normal to me. My DD (22 mos) has had a couple screeching phases. We ignored it and it passed pretty quickly-about a week each time. It was clear to me that she thought it sounded and felt pretty cool to her and that is why she was doing it. She also tends to get louder when DH and I are talking a lot to each other. She may just be saying, "hey I have something to say too, you just can't understand me so I will keep doing it louder and louder until you do!"

My friend's child was screeching a lot around 20 mos but he wasn't using any words and clearly he was trying to communicate very forcefully. I've seen this with other toddlers. We sign with DD so that wasn't an issue for her. Perhaps use some signs with DD and maybe she will be so excited about communicating that way that she will drop the screeching?

 

[purplemamaaz]

I appreciate your response. I should mention that I have taught DD signs and she uses them. I emailed some of my friends with girls and it sounds like this is normal. So, do we just have to wait it out?

 

[junomama]

If it makes you feel better, our son and just about every toddler we know has gone through this type of phase - and at about that age, too. (Our nearly 2-year-old has been doing it again lately, but it looks like he's starting to get tired of it again.)

 

[Casseiopia]

My dd signs too, and still does the screeching off and on! Right now she's in a screeching phase. Not all day, just at random times, like when food involved especially. She loves to scream at the table even though she KNOWS how to sign for "eat" and "more"!!!

I just stop what we're doing, look at her and say "what do you want?" She'll either laugh (which says to me she's looking for more attention, so we make sure to talk to her more) or sign for more food, or point to which ones she wants.

It does get annoying though, and she forgets to just sign and screams too.
But it comes and goes, and I think it won't last long. (I hope!) good luck with yours!!!