Screaming girls

[Trifle]

Why, when girls get together to they have to scream. It does my head in. We went to a party recently where there were several 3 year old girls plus a bouncy castle and the result was high pitched incessant screaming which one parent deemed par for the course whilst another did try and stop it. My ds, also 3, was telling them to stop as he couldnt stand it either. At a farm visit recently there were some 7 year old girls running round screaming insanely whom I had to tell to stop. My ds isnt too keen on nursery as he doesnt particularly like crowds/noise and he refuses to play with any of the girls bar a few because he says they all scream. It seems to me that some parents permit this behaviour as 'it's just what girls do'.

I think the problem is that Trifle has a different idea than most of the rest of us as to where it's appropriate for children to make noise. I certainly wouldn't let either of my children scream in a restaurant or a cinema, but I think that a garden, party or bouncy castle is just the place where they should be allowed to make all the noise they want. And perhaps, Trifle, if you and your ds are sensitive to noise, you shouldn't frequent places where society has deemed it appropriate for children to be noisy.

As mum to two ds's and two dd's I've come to the conclusion that boys shout while girls scream. I don't know if it's the tone they use or the pitch or what, but it's what I've noticed. When I met a friend after having been away for a couple of years she commented to me that 'So your dd2's still screaming, then!'. There's a time and place for everything - when I've got a migraine, any noise from any source whatsoever is likely to be met with severe punishment.

I have to admit, I am very grateful that DS isn't a screamer - some kids give off these random high-pitched shrieks whenever they are upset (and even when not). I will see if DD-to-be bears out the general theory and screams as well. He has a little friend who does this, and even her mum says "Don't scream!" and is trying to get her to stop. But agree that a party is not really the place to try to enforce this.