What should I do about my 18-month-old's constant screaming?
Have you considered encouraging her to become a football coach or perhaps a radio talk show host? All kidding aside, her screaming is perfectly normal. While she may be comfortable using words for mundane situations, at her age there will be times when the words she knows cannot express the intensity of the emotions she's feeling.
That's why toddler
s often scream not only when they're frustrated or upset, but when they're happy or tired or simply overwhelmed. As her verbal skills increase and her brain matures, she'll have less of a need to share her feelings through sheer volume.
Meanwhile, help her put a label on her emotions. ("I can see that you're angry. You don't want to leave Grandma's house.") That will help her start to recognize what's going on inside her and be able to talk about it more clearly as she grows older.
Also, don't yell back at her when she screams. That will either frighten her or make her scream even more. Instead, try to speak to her quietly. That will sometimes help her calm down.