how do I deal with a screamer?

[kitkat9]

My dd has just turned 2 and has taken to screaming whenever she's frustrated...it's driving us insane as she seems to get frustrated a lot.

Her language is pretty good, she can communicate really well and clearly, but obviously she's not a perfect talker just yet. Most of the screaming seems to happen when she wants something that ds1 has and he won't give her it; this results in dh and I shouting 'just give it to her!!!!' only to make the screeching stop, but this clearly isn't fair on ds1 every time.

I've tried ignoring, but she does not give up. I've tried distracting with limited success. I know that this is a phase and as she gets older she'll grow out of it, but in the meantime what can I do?

It's really causing problems in our house - dh tends to snap and shout at her to stop, which I don't think helps. I can't blame him for shouting, it's sooooo infuriating for everyone and could make a saint snap...and I'm certainly no saint...

My DS (2.3) does this too. No ideas how to stop it though, we just try to ignore

Not a lot you can do at this age. I second ignoring it.

damn,I was hoping there was some magic technique secret....

she's so stubborn that she doesn't give up easily. Often when I have ignored it eventually turns into a full-blown tantrum/meltdown which makes things even harder...

You need to ignore, sorry. It may take time, but eventually it will cease. By ignoring I mean don't even turn around or stop your conversation. If in public, don't tell her off just to 'appear' to be doing the right thing, just act as if you are completely deaf.

I know tantrums make things harder, my 2.3 DS is exactly the same and blardy stubborn, but I can see that he screams more when DH is around because DH is clearly bothered by it.

Sometimes I might say 'Oh what a silly noise, silly billy.', but that is my only reaction.

Well I hate to tell you but my ds still does this when he gets frustrated and when he wants something he can't have and he is 4.3. Nowadays though I tend to say 'ds when has screaming ever made me change my mind?" and I can see the look dawn on his face that he may as well stop. It is wearing though and I have done my share of snapping.

Today on the way home from nursery he was screetching that he was tired and that his lips hurt (He has a cold coming I think and has dry sore lips) You would have thought he was being tortured though the fuss he was making

Generally I try to be sympathetic to screams of frustarion when he is trying to do something or is disappointed that something he was lookign forward to doesn't pan out but I have zero tolerance of screeching because of something he wants which I have said no to. He is learning but very slowly. At 2 he wouldn't have understood any of the reasoning he does now so I would really try hard to ignore it whenever possible - hard as that is.

Gin...it's the only way

lol Margo. I do find that a glass of wine takes the edge off....