May 25, 2009

I May Need Earplugs

Why do little girls shriek? Little boys may do it, too, but my only experience, of course, is with girls. One minute I can be minding my own business putting away laundry in another room and then I hear it... a blood-curdling, send-chills-up-your-spine scream. I used to run in a panic to the room where my daughters were playing. "Who did that? What's wrong? Does everyone still have all their fingers and toes attached???" The screams are typically the result of a stolen toy or a dirty look from another sister.
I've tried working on "inside voices." It doesn't help. I've watched my daughters at preschool. There they are the masters of "problem solving" and "inside voices." Bring them home and they think the rules no longer apply.
It's not as though just one of my daughters is a screamer. I think it would be easier to solve the issue if that were the problem. The screamer rotates on a regular basis. They don't scream each and every time they don't get their way, so there's no way to predict when they screaming may happen. We can go days with no screams and the suddenly "EEEEEE" there it is. All I know is when you multiply the "little girl screams" by four, well, I'm about ready to invest in earplugs.

9 comments:

LauraC said...

No shrieking here but I hear it at day care with the little girls there. I am SO surprised you haven't already bought ear plugs!

Quadmama said...

It's really something that just started in recent weeks. Ever since they began talking our house has been non-stop chatter. That I can live with, but this shrieking has to stop.

Stephanie Barr said...

They go to daycare? Bad news, they learned it from BOYS. The only time my eldest daughter ever squealed like that, she was with her best friend, Garrett, from day care who squealed like that CONSTANTLY. When Garrett's little brother was born, he did the same thing.

Then my son was born. He's five and still won't talk, but screaming he can do with alacrity.

Roxie, she'll make happy little squeals, but doesn't squeal like Alex did and, hopefully, never will.

I'm not saying that there aren't girls that squeal like this, but I've never met anyone with little boys who didn't have squealers.

Just sayin'.

Quadmama said...

Hmmm.... maybe that's the trick. I'll just blame all the boys in preschool for teaching my daughters to squeal : )

Laura said...

Hmm.. they probably are too young to understand if you sat them down and told them that the shrieking must stop. Maybe though they'd understand that shrieking inside the house has consequences - perhaps every time they start to shriek (and you're in the room) you leave the room and ignore them (unless someones hurt of course.) If you're not in the room and they shriek, maybe go in the room and find the one or two that are NOT shrieking and give them extra attention.

Staci said...

My son was the screamer of my two kids. I think it was his only way to defend himself against his younger sister who was a biter, hitter, and scratcher! Where was Super Nanny when I needed her! Really it IS a hard habit to break. I can't imagine dealing with FOUR screamers. Good luck with that!

Quadmama said...

I've tried ignoring the shrieking, but it can be hard. I think it truly is a "habit." For some reason they started it, and now they can't stop. They shriek when they're happy, when they're mad... they just like to hear themselves shriek.

MaryAnne said...

My daughter has shrieking sessions, too - especially when one particular friend comes over. It's especially annoying because it scares her brother. She was doing it the other day and I asked her to stop; she replied, all proud of herself: "But Mama, I making Johnny cry!" How (un)angelic does a 3yo get?

Quadmama said...

Wow MaryAnne... she wanted to make him cry? What will Johnny do when the new baby arrives? He'll have to contend with crying and shrieking. Yikes.

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