he just screams!!!!!!!!

[cruemum]

My 3 yr old son has started a new trend it is screaming very very loud at odd moments. It is a single shrill high pitched scream, he can do this just out of the blue and he can either just do the one scream or can do multiple screams at once.
I have tried asking him not to do it, begged him, bribed him and even smacking his bottom!! Nothing works!!!
At my wits end of what to do as it both annoying and horrible as he has woken up his 8 month old brother in the other half of the house with his screams!!


HELP ANY IDEAS WELCOME!!!!!!!!

[AnyDream]

Have you tried ignoring it outright, and then redirecting his attention onto something else?

[cruemum]

yep ignoring it doesnt work either neither does distraction, he just screams louder!!

[sirenz]

my ds does this. After 2 weeks of ignoring him, it has become less of a problem. But sometimes he does it while we are out shopping cause he likes the reaction he gets from all the old ladies, when they swing around really fast to see where that horrible noise just came from lol.

[Shanti]

Sorry no advice.... my DD who is only 13mths old does this too!!!! And she can't understand when I say to her to tone it down as it's so loud it hurts mummy's ears! she's very vocal like me
We'll be out at the shops and she'll scream as she just loves the sound of her own voice and echo! omg everyone looks at us as if to say "shut that kid up" haha

[Janet Powell]

Do you know why he screams? Is there a pattern to it? For instance, does it come when you've been giving your baby lots of attention, when he's hungry, when he can't do something, or if you're busy? Finding the reason for this new "trick" will help you to moderate it.
Of course some children just like to experiment with their voice by screaming!
Either way, letting him know how the screaming affects you, and your baby, is a good idea.

[Shanti]

Of course some children just like to experiment with their voice by screaming!

Yes this is my DD when out and about in public (some times not all the time) she just loves to hear her echo of her voice and loves the attention she gets when she screams (by passers by!)
I try to ignore it if I know she is just being silly.