Ask Amy: My Kid Is Screaming Like a Banshee All of a Sudden
b'A listener posted this on our Facebook page:\\nWhat is up with my 5-year-old? All of a sudden she is talking back, yelling at the top of her lungs, not listening, kicking and screaming, throwing tantrums, throwing things at me, and giving me teenager vibes. (I do not allow any of this behavior in my house.) \\nI\\u2019m at a loss for what to do. Is this boundary-seeking behavior? Is something happening at school? Is it because I\\u2019m working more? Is it a phase? \\nWe\\u2019ve been sending her to her room to chill out because no one wants to hang with a banshee, but she screams and screams while throwing her stuff everywhere and kicking the walls. She goes immediately into red brain and it\\u2019s a 30 minute process for her to calm down and talk to me. Really excited to spend summer break with an insane asylum escapee. It\\u2019s starting to rub off on the 2 year old.\\nIf you find yourself saying "What is wrong with this kid?" it\'s always good to pause and ask if there is actually something wrong. Kids who are having headaches or stomachaches can express that distress in the most baffling of ways.\\nBut as children grow, they alternate between stages of equilibrium and disequilibrium, so it\'s also possible that your suddenly-banshee child is entering a developmentally appropriate phase. Even if it\'s driving you batty.\\nFiguring out what works to address it\\u2013 at your child\'s actual level of maturity\\u2013 is key. Amy gives advice towards how to assess the situation.\\nHere\'s the link to the book Amy mentions: \\nYour Six-Year-Old: Defiant But Loving,\\xa0by Louise Bates Ames \\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'