Help! One and a half year old screaming

[Mama_jansen10]

My one and a half year old daughter has recently started screaming. She screams for everything! Its very loud very high pitched and very hard to listen to. We are trying the quiet voice please no screaming, or use your quiet voice but nothing seems to help. Not sure what else I can do!

Thanks for any advice

[adgal]

I third that.  My son went through this phase and I would just tell him "mommy cannot understand you when your screaming.  When you are calm we can figure out what you want" and leave it at that. He very quickly sorted out that if he didn't have the words yet for what he wanted he simply needed to point.  But screaming got him nothing.  It was quickly done with and now he asks for what he needs.  As Specialmom said, he gets praise for using his "big boy words" in a calm fashion.  

[louieforlaughs]

that is exactly what i would do too! i would say when she screams, i don't know what you want and i can't help you get what you want if i can't understand you. when you stop screaming and i can understand you i will be able to help. and i wouldn't say anything else until she calmed down.
yes i speak to my two year old this way and he does understand me. its the same thing with fits. if you are pitching a fit and sobbing i can't make out what is bothering you. take a few breaths i would say and then tell me what is wrong so i can fix it for you. works really well for us. perhaps it will work for you. just stick to it don't waver.
good luck, hope you can hear yourself think soon!

[specialmom]

Well, I would completely ignore her when she screams so as to say "that voice doesn't work".  Then when she uses her speaking voice,  praise her big time and run to get what she's asking for.  

good luck.  Little ones of that age are funny if you think about it.  They do what works----  so make that not work for her.