Pardon me while I go tear my hair out

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My seven-year-old has a new thing he’s been doing: He screeches when he gets upset. I mean this long, drawn out screeeeeeeeeeech that’s like fingernails-on-a-chalkboard. Just to me, mind you. It doesn’t bug my husband. It didn’t bother our friends who came over to visit this weekend. It doesn’t bug the babysitter. Just. Me.

I know this screech gets to me not only because of the sound but because I recognize that Max is frustrated and unable to verbalize his feelings, which makes me feel upset and sad and that I’m failing him somehow. Reasoning doesn’t work; when I say things like, “Max I know you’re mad,” he screeches more. We have a button programmed into his Dynavox that says “I am mad” but when he loses it, he has no interest in touching that.

The other day, I got so fed up that I screeched back at him. Yes, I did. Which is surely not solving anything—maybe just the opposite, in fact—but I couldn’t help it.

I hope pray this is just a phase. Has anyone else dealt with this?

Ellen blogs daily at To The Max

Photo of screech owl by Harrier

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