15 month old squealing

implausible

My head is wrecked today - in the last few weeks my wee buck has got steadily worse at doing this high-pitched squealing and whinging. My sister-in-law suggested that maybe he is frustrated at not being able to say what he wants. The thing is, he can say the sounds 'mama', but doesn't use it to get my attention. I don't want him to get into the habit of screeching until I come running. My childminder's 2 1/2 year old still does this and it would go through your skull:eek:

My questions are - anyone else's wee darlings do this? Do they grow out of it? What can I do to help him express what he wants?

Ayla

Oh yikes, the screeching. I can completely sympathise.

In our experience, both of our girls went through phases when they got steadily more unsettled/tempermental & would screech at the drop of a hat...but for each of our girls it turned out they were doing it b/c they had a physical ailment. Our first drove us nuts until we discovered she had a kidney reflux which was causing bladder infections, and our second had us demented until we learned she had food intolerances.

My suggestion? 15 months is a bit young to be trying to vocalise/verbalise words, so perhaps he's trying to tell you something else? I would take him to a GP to get him looked over. Bladder infections are surprisingly common, as are about a million other little things that we'd hardly know about until they affect your kid. No harm having that all ruled out before you look at other possibilities.

Cat Melodeon

I second the GP visit if it's really bad, although my lad went through a phase of this (and still does it sometimes when he's acting up) and there's nothing wrong with him. I found baby signing really helped before he was able to speak - just the basics needs like hungry, thirsty, nappy, sore etc. It really helped him communicate and took away the frustration. There's also a chance he's just copying your childminder's kid, so maybe ignoring the shrieking completely and only responding to 'nicer' sounds (like mama) might be the way forward.

implausible

Thanks for the replies girls. I really don't think there is anything physically wrong with him. He's been teething lately and I know the teething pain shouts and any time he's in physical discomfort, man do you know about it! He screeches when you don't let him up the stairs, when he can't get his trike to move, when he wants to get up on a chair.....you get the picture. I've tried ignoring him until he is 'nicer', but he keeps at it and sometimes works himself into a state. I shush him and talk to him quietly, but he's bloody stubborn.

I thought that about the childminder's young fella alright Cat, but he hasn't been around him for 2 months (I teach), so maybe the habit is already formed.

It's good to know other kids have been through a phase of this though. I might look into the baby signing. I have been trying to teach him 'up' and 'down' and 'yes' and 'no'. Maybe I should concentrate on food and drink!