Help With My 12 Month Old Son

[summer10]

Hi everyone,

The good news is, I recently became licensed in August, and am in the process of interviewing some parents! The bad news is, my 12 month old son recently started the very annoying habit of screaming! He just screamed intermittently through my interview! I would love some advice on how to curb and/or stop this behavior!

I really love all the good tips and advice that are found on this forum! So glad I found Daycare.com!!

[Michael]

Welcome, glad you could join us!

[MyAngels]

Is he screaming as in crying, or screaming as in "I just found my voice, and I'm gonna use it!" ?

screaming as in "I want your attention!!!" and yes, I just found my voice fits the bill, too. Whenever my husband & I are talking (my interview candidate & I are talking), whenever I walk away for whatever reason. I've tried to ignore it, I've tried to tell him "no screaming" everytime he screams, & I've tried timeouts. (Too many different remedies to the problem, maybe?) maybe he will just grow out of it? he does not speak any words yet, but definitely knows meanings of words.

Thanks for the welcome & responses!

[MyAngels]

Time and consistency will be your friends while trying to solve this problem. When I've run into this problem I make sure I'm not rewarding the "bad" behavior by giving it too much attention, but rewarding the "good" behavior by paying plenty of attention when the baby is happy and playing (easier said than done, I know). If it gets too bad I will set up a playpen in a quiet room and when the screaming starts I pick them up and calmly place them in the playpen until the screaming subsides, bringing them back out as soon as they are calm again. With a consistent approach it normally only takes a week or so before the little ones figure this out. Good luck!

[summer10]

Thanks so much for the feedback - yesterday I was putting him in the pnp for the timeout, and then he spit up all over the pnp mattress... But it is clean now, and I will be sure to remain consistent on this behavior! (he is such a good boy, by the way, just turned 12 mo about 3 weeks ago & poof! toddler behavior!)

[melskids]

i have no advice

mine is 8 and STILL interrupts when people are talking and all the attention is not on him. its gotten to the point where i have to send him to his room during drop off and pick ups.

[DBug]

My daughter was about 15 months when I did my first daycare interview. She totally demanded my attention the whole time, and I wasn't able to focus on the interview or on the family's little girl. Ever since then I've made sure my husband is home to watch our own kids, and of course, I only interview in the evening after daycare is over for the day.

I think it's easier for the new little one too, to be able to meet me first, get familiar with the playroom, and check out the new toys when they're the only child present (no sharing required ). And I'm able to focus on the family, as well as go through all of the paperwork I need to go through with them.

With the screaming -- I've found the only way I can deal with it is to repeat (like a broken record) "We don't scream, please." in a calm, firm voice. But it's one of my pet peeves, and every time one of the kids starts the screaming phase, I swear I get a knot in my back that doesn't go away until the phase ends! It's like nails on a chalkboard to me . But it will eventually end , I promise!