My Screaming 16mo old
I need advice. Sophia is in the screaming-at-the-top-of her-lungs-when-she's-trying-to-communicate phase. To say the least, it's exhausting. She's says about 30 or so words, including please, help, all done, and all gone; so she knows how to communicate these things and does so often throughout the day. Shawn and I feel the screams are coming from her inability to communicate her needs when she's frustrated about situation. Such as in moments of transition, when a power struggle seems to arise (meals ending, having to wait too long for something, getting in her car seat) she just starts screaming, sometimes it's just a scream, other times it's "NO" at the top of her lungs. So far our guidance techniques include helping/reminding her to use her words, redirecting her activity, offering her a reading break, and just ignoring the scream. Sometimes these things work, and sometimes they don't. But it feels like it is getting worse. And we just want to help her transition from this phase without losing our sanity and patience. So, any advice, words of wisdom, links, or book suggestions that you care to share? Also, what do you think could be some of the underlying causes for these screams, mere frustration to communicate or just her trying to express herself in a new verbal form? I love my DD, but man this makes me afraid for when she's a teenager.