2 Year Old Screamer

Ignore him. Do not give him anything he wants when he screams. Tell him later "I will help you or get you what you need if you talk to me or ask me nicely" "when you scream I will not listen". Put him in another room and continue to do it. It isn't molars, it is normal two year old behavior. Giving him attention will only continue the behavior, stay consistent on not acknowledging him and putting him out of the room. I tell my kids " you are disrupting everyone and hurting my ears, please leave the room"...

My dd turned 2 this month and she will do the same thing. I have to tell her that she needs to ask nicely if she wants something that includes please and thank you. Sometimes she will calm down and sometimes she will have a tantrum but you have to stand ground. If the tantrum occurs I just walk away. The timeouts don't work in the house. If they want it bad enough they will find away to be calm. I hope this helps and gl.

O well I had the same thing happen to my son-at 2. For one thing kids dont do anything that doesnt benefit them, or that doestn get them something. So either from sheer annoiance he must be getting what he wants, at least sometimes, OR at the very least he is getting attention, even if its troubled attention. With your husbands job, and you are clearly busy with baby etc he may be feeling like he has to scream to be seen in the family. I recomend trying to make a 'you and him' time or a 'daddy and him time' even if it is just a story time for him before bed, just him. It takes only 15 minutes and really worked well for our son. Also this age there brains are not at a point of understanding clearly their impulses. My son went to day care, and though he could talk he picked up screaming at class, like other kids. So we just sat him on our laps and until he would 'say nicely' what he wanted, we wouldnt get it for him, wouldnt yell at him, threaten him, wouldnt react, I mean we would tell him "you say juice please or your not getting any, no loud, say it quiet and nice' then we would look away no matter the tantrum. It takes time and CONSISTANCY for them to really know you are serious and no matter what you cant give in to the screams, even in public, immediately remove him to the bathroom say and just tell him again, and that you are not leaving the bathroom until he stops screaming, etc. This is hard and embarrasing as well I KNOW! but like I said somehow at the root of all kid problems solved is us parents being consisttant, them getting enough 'me' time and not reacting and giving in to what the bad behavior does, and rewarding the good, SO we will praise the heck out of our son when he asks nice/ We also had the same issue with hitting at school, and its took almost a month for him to realize he liked the benefits of not hitting over the attention and trouble from hitting, BUT WE had to stay consistant! Its hard, stick it out and I strongly recomend prayer too!!! Take time out for you somehow so you are not drained to the core, after reading your description you sound like you may want to scream like him!! LOL!! GOD BLESS!~~

I totally feel your pain right now!!!
My 2 year old little girl is doing the same thing. Like yours she is the middle kid, and has a 4 month old baby sis at home. Right now I am doing my best to try and ignore her til she uses her "big girl words" and talks to me. Sometimes I just talk in a silly voice back at her, or I whisper until she starts to whisper back at me. When ever possible I let her do things on her own and that seems to help too. I think sometimes she just wants my attention and screaming is the fastest way to get it, and I think sometimes she is just bored so she picks something and throws a huge fit over it. Hang in there. Know that this is a normal phase espeically with a new baby at home, and he will out grow it eventually. I am right there with ya!

how frustrating to not get any or little relief...........
but anyway i would sternly get him by the arms and close to your face and state that screaming is not ok!! then remind him to use his words and mommy will listen this is after of course the time out!! easier said than done i understand this as i have an autistic boy 6. but what really helps him is staying consistant with praise as well as consequences. so that means if you need to put him in the time out corner every five minutes for a few days to kick the habbit then isn't it well worth the time?? and make sure that when your three year old is asking and using their words that you praise him loudly so the two year old will notice.

this is learned from the new baby -- he is noticing that if baby screams he gets what he wants A.S.A.P. that it should work for him as well..

good luck and find help family and friends and even church you need a break too. write in for support often god bless

Missus,
I'm glad you added how many boys you have and their ages. This actually helps explain a little more why he's screaming. Sounds like he's just got middle child syndrome. In other words he is just seeking more attention cause he's feeling like he's not getting enough. It actually has nothing to do with being a middle child cause I've seen oldest, youngest, and only children do the same thing. But because you have 3, and all at very young ages its easier to spot. You other advice was great and I suggest the same , basically he needs to ask nicely and use a indoor voice or you will not him what he wants. I also suggest giving him and the others 30 minutes alone time with you and same with daddy. It's hard to do, especially with 3 small ones, but you can just be in the next room with him and still keep and eye on the other two. If your time with him gets interrupted by another child, don't take tha time away from him, instead add time you had to help the other to his time. In that time let him decide what he wants to do with that time, like watch a little movie, play a game, read a book, do a craft (there are some great childrens printable crafts at dltk-kids.com) and so on. The best way to get that time in is to start scheduling your day. Also make a chat so that the kids can keep track of the day and when they each get their alone time. Even though they can't read or tell time yet, it will help with that to. Also use a egg timer so when the 30 minutes are up you and him both as well as the other two know alone time is over. Eventually doing this with all the kids, the screaming from the 2 year old should stop, and you won't get it from the other 2 later.
Good Luck
E.

This will become repettive but I recommend you start saying "use your words, use your indoor voice" and only get him things if he uses it. Do not get in the habit of allowing him to get things he wants when he screams, otherwise it will continue. I've also heard of taking kids outside allowing them to scream and yell and basically be loud and then bringing them inside to teach about inside voices. Not sure if this works. I don't have much of a screamer, although these days he whines and crys.. with a great vocabulary and is four. I still am using.. use your words and you don't get anything for whining and crying.

best of luck

Have you had his hearing checked? There are all kinds of different hearing loss issues that might explain the screaming. The best ENT in Colorado is Dr. Barbara Esses at Denver Ear Associates. She was recommended to me by 4 different people who didn't know each other and 2 work in the medical field.

DEA works with all ages from infants to seniors. Esses also has a neurology specialty, so if there is a physiological reason for the screaming, she'll find it. Takes a while to get an appointment, but worth the wait.

Good luck!