Squealing & Shrieking

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

The other day, I was walking through a department store and there was an incredible shrieking sound-a child of course, the typical age of about three years old, squealing and shrieking and decidedly NOT using an 'inside voice.' Of course the parent was trying to quiet and control the shrieking child but it reminded me that for many families just as biting and asking "why?" and talking back are phases of development-having a child who is a squealer and a shrieker is a challenge too.

Some children are loud and some are amazingly and shockingly loud in their squeaks and squeals. Some children try it out briefly and under threat and punishment give it up while others seem to squeal their way down the aisle to pick up their graduation diploma. What I stressed to my children was that when they squealed and shrieked, I thought something horrible had happened-they had lost a limb or been hit by a car-after watching me run in horrified and desperate maternal passion a time or two, they decided having me up in their business, angry and trying to catch my breath was no longer fun. All three of them went through a brief shrieking stage but they all three abandoned it as well.

How you approach squealing and shrieking will depend, in part, on your tolerance level. Some parents are not nearly as agitated or annoyed by squealing as others. I absolutely could NOT tolerate it unless it was an emergency. Some parents are squealers and shriekers themselves so they may really not have a leg to stand on when it comes to influencing a change in behavior. Give your child examples of alternative ways of expressing himself and consider a consequence for unwarranted squealing. A time out is decent; as is losing privileges or some other reasonable consequence. Meanwhile, explain to your child why it is not okay to shriek and squeal and maybe even share that story: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" or some modern variation to stress what are appropriate means of communication.

See Also: Do Your Kids Actually Know What is Expected?

Tantrums! Screams! and Crying! Oh My!

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