Why does toddler like to scream from time to time? How to handle?

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Screaming is common toddler behaviour. He/she could be screaming to experiment with sound, to get your attention, frustrated at not being able to express himself fully, or limit seeking. One way to deal with it would be like how one could handle a child’s whining – by not reacting to it. You will have to be firm and consistent in how you react to his/her screaming. You can stay around while he/she screams and say calmly to him/her that you will only help him/her after he/she is done with screaming. In the meantime, put on a calm face and wait patiently for your child to tone down. My friend’s son started screaming and whining at around 2.5 years old. Her son is easily agitated and would scream whenever he cannot get his message across. In the early days, he would get even more frustrated as my friend ignored his attempts and he would scream even louder trying to get her attention. My friend had to go through almost a year of teaching and “conditioning” before he finally learned that those methods are ineffective in getting my friend to respond to him.

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