Any cures for shrieking banshees?

[kusiakje]

Does anyone else have a baby that just LOVES to shriek at the top of his/her lungs just for the heck of it? DD is about 5 months old and has been going through this phase for about 2 months now. It's driving me crazy. She just really seems to enjoy seeing what her voice can do...and while it was cute at first...my head just can't take it anymore. I'm telling you...there is just not enough Advil in the world some days...

Anyway, we've tried pacifiers and they don't help. DD either just keeps sucking away and throws her voice like a ventriloquist or balances the pacifier in her mouth, shrieks, giggles, then resumes sucking. Kind of impressive...but again...oooh my aching head...
Anyone have any suggestions on lowering the volume a bit? Or can anyone tell me when this phase will end? Maybe I should just invest in a good pair of ear plugs...

TIA for any suggestions!
Jessica
Mom to Katarina (DOB 9/16/05)

[deannanb]

ear plugs!

I think the shrieking gets worse as they start to have tantrums!

Good Luck!

[mommy111]

She's loving the attention it gets her and being able to drive you crazy. Also just learning to modulate her voice. Ignore it for a bit, or just smile or something, she'll get over it. What worked for my DD, I would whisper to her after she shrieked, really helped her modulate her volume. Lasted for a month or so at that same age and then went away.
HTH!
Ady

[DDowning]

Oh, I feel for you. Just you wait until she's 2 1/2 - the volume is just amplified and no matter what I do (ignoring, walking away, distracting, shushing) mine JUST DOESN'T STOP.

[stefani]

I LOL when I read the subject line of your posting.

I am sorry to tell you that the cure is probably a good pair of ear plugs (or several!). How about a shrieking banshee who runs around all over the house while doing it or while sitting in a high chair for a meal?

Ignoring it seems to help a little, but again when he (my son) decides to do it, he does it until he is satisfied! It is less frequent after a couple of months or so, by the way, if that comforts you at all :-)

Sorry...

[kusiakje]

Thanks everyone!

I'm glad to know DD isn't the only one who likes to shriek at this age. I was starting to think she was a bit unusual, because I had talked to all my Mommy friends about this first...and none of them knew what I was talking about at all. It was really disheartening to hear things like "neither of my kids did that, are you sure she's OK?" over and over.

It seems like I just need to keep gritting my teeth for a little while longer...ignoring her the best that I can. Sadly, that hasn't worked much...even when I've made a point of giving her extra attention when she's giggling or babbling happily. Maybe whispering more will help things along too...

Thanks again!
Jessica

[californiagirl]

It's a phase. They grow out of it. And into it. And out of it. And into it. At 5 months, there's very little you can do but wait until she decides to blow raspberries at particularly inappropriate moments instead. On the next go round you can start working on using signs or words instead. On the go round after that you can introduce outside voice/inside voice.

At almost 2, DD is pretty good about it, but if we're around a baby that shrieks, DD immediately starts trying it out. This morning she was doing the shriek-shriek thing and I went to go see what she wanted and make her use words for it (she's incredibly verbal, she has no need to shriek in most circumstances), and she was happily eating toast! She just liked the noise. Gah. That's not the full-volume banshee thing though, thank goodness; that she has finally reserved for true crises (like knocking a drink over or accidentally tearing a piece off her toast).

[winifredzb]

I wish I could tell you it will be over soon, but I have an almost 4 yr old and an 18 month old and they both shriek! My mom thinks I should get my oldest enrolled in opera voice lessons -- she can reach a note that is so high I wouldn't be surprised if glass broke! We are forever saying lower your voice, use your inside voice!

Best of Luck! I hope it ends soon...