Screaming kids

[rufusgti]

Half rant, half desperate need of advice.

My son is 5 and my daughter 3. I never expected parenthood to be easy and I'd like to think there's been times I've thouroughly enjoyed and grown as a person from being around my children and watching them grow. Right now though and for the past few weeks or months I've slowly come to the stage where I can almost not bare to be around them. The reason for this is quite simply the insane levels of noise they produce. My daughter is the worst, her screams are to me like nails down a blackboard, they come for relatively little reason. Could be excitement, sorrow, playfull fighting with her brother, honestly anything. No meal time is safe from the most horrendous levels of noise and no car journey free from ear penetrating shouts and screams.

Their behaviour is up and down but I'd say they are no more badly behaved than any other brother and sister of close age. They are very playfull and happy which I want to encourage and they're loveable and well behaved most of the time. But the noise is something I simply can't control. In the past we have dealt with issues with the standard punishments. Naughty steps. Confiscation of toys. Time out etc etc. but when I try and curb the noise levels it falls on completely deaf ears (excuse the pun).

It's really starting to effect my enjoyment of being at home which isnt nice for anyone. It doesn't help that there's no real down time. We don't have family to babysit to get some down time so unless Im in work it's hands on parenting. I'm the first to admit I'm not the best at parenting anyway so when things are strained it feels like trudging through a painful and long day. I don't expect silence and I enjoy interacting and playing, reading, films, bike rides, walks. To be honest I love most of it. But the screaming, screeching, violently loud outbursts are becoming unbearable. I think our neighbours must be saints as I'd frankly have moved house long ago,

I suppose I'm asking, has anyone managed to stop a 3 year old screaming. Or is that a ridiculous question.

[rufusgti]

Thanks for the replies. It does seem to be just me who it effects. My wife doesn't like the screaming but it doesn't seem to wear her down. I've never really noticed other children being so loud, I presume mine are louder than most because I've never heard of anyone else been driven to despair from the sound of their kids. I find it hard to believe other families are as loud as mine because I can literally often hear my daughter when I pull onto the drive. What really frustrates me is the lack of control I have over it. I can take her to one side and explain that screaming in the house is unacceptable, five minutes later she will be screaming over something again. It's not like this with anything else.

Or maybe it is just me. I'm having a hearing test as part of my medical with work in a few weeks so will mention it.

[rufusgti]

Thanks for the varied and interesting responses. It's actually really helped me put it all in perspective. Feeling much better about it all now after a few good nights sleep without any wake up calls. Think I may have just needed a rant haha.

I think a few things that have been pointed out I really agree with. When the kids start to really get on your nerves it's worth getting down to their level and taking 5 minutes to play with them. I know a lot of my daughters behaviour is about attention. Really made me laugh when I read the post about behaviour changing in nursery and with different people around, mother especially. That's so true of my daughter.

Anyway, thanks again for comments.