It can be so triggering when our little ones scream. It’s noisy, it can be embarrassing, and we would prefer it if they would be quiet, and FAST. But we have to remember that 🗣All behaviour is communication🗣 - our toddlers aren’t screaming to be annoying, sometimes it’s their only way of expressing their frustration. Even the most eloquent kid can lose it and only have screams left in them. It’s our job to take a deep breath, model calm and to try to guess what it is that’s making them communicate in this way. Then we can model a better way of communicating it.

Tips and examples.
👏🏻Acknowledge: say what you think is happening and guess what they’re feeling. “Hit hit you”, “you wanted the blue plate”, “you’re worried you might not get a turn”.

👏🏻Validate: It’s ok to feel feelings and you need to tell them that. “It’s ok to feel upset”. “It’s ok to feel worried, I get worried sometimes too”.

👏🏻Model what they could say instead of screaming: “you could say help me, mummy”, “I don’t like that”. Show them the sign for ‘help’.

Offer a choice or a way forward: “do you want to walk or be carried?”, “first I’ll strap you in, then we’ll go to the park”.

Are you dealing with a lot of screaming at the moment? Things that upset toddlers can feel like NOTHING to us but it’s huge to them. Let me know in the comments ⬇️⬇️