I'm going insane.

[happyhopefulmummy]

My 11 month old son has a piercing, hideous screech. It's high pitched and it makes me want to rip my ears off. It physically hurts me to have to listen to it. My ears are in pain right now. I have tried saying "no" loudly. Nothing works. He does it I'm sure to get my attention, but I cannot handle it. It's all the time. Every single thing seems to bring it on. It's also embarrassing. It's got so bad I have actually shouted at him which makes me :( because I know he doesn't know what he's doing. I've had to leave the room he's in. Please someone help.

Oh I do sympathsise...I have very sensitve ears too and know the pain! Why is he yellling? Is it when he's at something he shouldn't be? If so, I would remove him (and his scream) from the area and then put him elsewhere and ignore him. If he keeps going back to the area, keep moving him and nont responding to him but the MINUTE he stops yelling, reward him with attention again.

It's all based on attention by the sound of it?

Oh god, high pitched screaming was ds hobby for his first year. Often it was a happy scream! Ugghh.

Earplugs.

And he stopped doing it by a year, I think as he got much more mobile so distracted himself by trashing the place.

Yep, I remember this. Both my ds's did it.

Ds1 from 11-14 months.

ds2 from 14-20months.

It's awful, But the best thing I think is to just ignore it. I used to just cover my ears and walk out of the room until they had stopped (if possible, doesn't help when you're on a bus)

In our case I think it was just them trying out this new sound they haverealised they can make.

It seems to be caused by anything. I just want to cry. I'm exhausted as he's waking between 5:30-6 and getting really down and ashamed of myself when I lose my temper. He screams in his highchair waiting for dinner. So I give him dinner then he screams for water. Then, sometimes he screams and nothing I do will make him stop. He will scream when I put him on the floor sometimes, or in the morning before his breastfeed when (god forbid!) I'm makjng myself a cup of tea. I can hear him screaming now with my hubby in the bath. I'm relieved I'm not the only one, but he's the only baby who does this in the group of my nct friends and I am sure it drives them mad as well.

Do I say no to him? Of I ignore him, it never stops!

if it's any help, my 5 month old has started replacing most other sounds with a screech. It hurts my ears too but I laugh it off - he';s probably trying out his voice.

I can understand that it can get very uncomfortable, but he is probably just trying to communicate with you. Could you not try to observe and see what set hims off and prevent it? With us is hunger/ tiredness/boredom that brings it on. Have also in mind that kids under the age of 12-18 months have not yet developed the neurological pathways that enable conscious thought - that is they do not do anything for plain attention seeking, there is usually something wrong. You can't regulate basic needs with rewards I'm afraid.. And ignore him? Why on earth would you ignore a screaming baby? This attitude is sad..

One suggestion (that I cannot guarantee that will work the way it does for me), is to talk to him more and play a lot of music so that he perhaps starts mimicking other noises too? My sister has also used ear plugs when she was in the same room with her constantly crying baby so she could see him but not hear him!

A last note: DO NOT be embarassed by your child. He is only a baby and if other people fail to understand it, it's their problem, not yours. You do sound like you are doing enough anyway.

Good luck! :)

I had a v loud day with all my nct mummy friends at the Tate modern and pizza express when my ds was going through this phase. I was mortified but they all took it in their stride. Now one of the other babies is going through a bitey phase. We all ignore that too and get more cake for his mummy. Don't worry about what your friends think, if they're gooduns they won't mind a bit of vocal experimentation! I know how you feel though, I often had to walk away, take deep breaths,and nail a smile on before I could go back to the little screeching cherub. It passes. Have a glass of wine