OH. MY. GOD! My ears may just go into audible shock in short order.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for Mrs. LIAYF and I (me mostly) to muster the energy to speak to each other, or hear each other, over the yelling and screaming that now emanates from Lukas' tiny lungs.
Sure, many of my regular readers may be laughing because they remember my recent post about how the Terrible Two's are a myth.
I received an almost universal response of "The two's were perfect. It's the three's that you have to worry about!"
To those who would chuckle, I can only say "Not so fast." No, Lukas has not suddenly turned into some kind of demon child who gets upset at the drop of a hat. No, on the contrary, he is still the adorable boy that we have always known.
Just at a higher volume.
The boy talks a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. He babbles almost non stop. About everything under the sun. And do you know what? Yes, you guessed it. He seems to have to YELL it enthusiastically. Often with spittle flying from his lips in all directions.
In fact, if we gave him red cherries to eat, a moment later he would probably have sprayed a pattern on the kitchen wall interesting enough to make the CSI folks take note. He's that energetic about what he has to say.
So, in a feeble attempt to counteract this newly developed verbal enthusiasm, Mrs. LIAYF and I have taken to repeating the following mantra over and over. And over again.
"Softer voice Lukas. We can hear you, we are right here."
"Soft voice."
My 42 year old ringing ears are holding out hope that it sinks in.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for Mrs. LIAYF and I (me mostly) to muster the energy to speak to each other, or hear each other, over the yelling and screaming that now emanates from Lukas' tiny lungs.
Sure, many of my regular readers may be laughing because they remember my recent post about how the Terrible Two's are a myth.
I received an almost universal response of "The two's were perfect. It's the three's that you have to worry about!"
To those who would chuckle, I can only say "Not so fast." No, Lukas has not suddenly turned into some kind of demon child who gets upset at the drop of a hat. No, on the contrary, he is still the adorable boy that we have always known.
Just at a higher volume.
The boy talks a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. He babbles almost non stop. About everything under the sun. And do you know what? Yes, you guessed it. He seems to have to YELL it enthusiastically. Often with spittle flying from his lips in all directions.
In fact, if we gave him red cherries to eat, a moment later he would probably have sprayed a pattern on the kitchen wall interesting enough to make the CSI folks take note. He's that energetic about what he has to say.
So, in a feeble attempt to counteract this newly developed verbal enthusiasm, Mrs. LIAYF and I have taken to repeating the following mantra over and over. And over again.
"Softer voice Lukas. We can hear you, we are right here."
"Soft voice."
My 42 year old ringing ears are holding out hope that it sinks in.
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Photo by Chris Landry Photography
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20 comments:
Yeah terrible twos are indeed a myth, but I would put it at more like 3 and a half.
And my son has had and continues to have terrible volume control at 7 yo. We even sunk to asking him to use his inside voice. Ear plugs and ipod headphones help!
Huh? What? Speak up, I can't hear you!
My 3 year old is exactly the same. In fact it makes me feel better knowing that you are also suffering. I cannot get him to be quiet. In a park of kids I can guarantee he is the loudest!
Volume just keeps going up and up. And if you ever give him a sibling... well let's just say my wife and I have developed hand signals.
be glad you never have to take daughters to a teeny bop concert w a bajillion girls screaming and one screaming was so shrill that you think your ears are bleeding lol
little kids are very enthusiastic. they take in a lot & they're trying to get it all out there to you. it's when they go quiet you gotta start worrying lol :o)
Telling your three year old not to yell is like telling them not to text when they turn to teenagers...
Just saying..
HAHA! Well, I'm betting the volume thing and the babbling are probably good. First it means he's not shy. That's gotta be worth a lot. Secondly, it means he's got a lot on his mind. That's even better! Well done, dad :-)
You know... there's this Yo Gabba Gabba song that goes a little somthing like this: "Inside voice nice and soft... inside voice shhhhhhhhhhh. OUTSIDE VOICE BIG AND LOUD OUTSIDE VOICE AHHHHHH." It teached them to speak in softer tones. I know you don't have television but hey... you could get it on video!
The Peanut has gotten way into interrupting to get her message out. It's pretty fun in a horribly annoying sort of way. And there is NO way you jumped 7. I call bs.
We struggle with the same thing, and my daughter is well past three. I think I'll be deaf before she reaches high school.
I think dads should be issued earplugs for use with chatty boys and girls.
Our youngest is loud when he wants to be, but is usually ok. His sister is a different story--nonstop blabbing from when she rolls out of bed to when she ends the day returning to bed.
Should I tell you now or later that the teen years are no better. When they hit their teens you'll be wishing they were 2.
Ear plugs might help. My sister's son Shtalks too. That's shouting while talking. I just made it up. You can thank me later.
Same EXACT problem! Here's what I did, and it actually worked. Tyler let out an ear piercing scream at the dinner table. Why? Oh, because he could, apparently. I said, "Wait buddy. That's an outside voice."
So, I immediately took him out of his chair, we walked outside, and I told him to show me his outside voice. We screamed out there for a few moments, stepped inside, and did our inside voices. Out and in for about 5 minutes, then back to the dinner table.
Whenever he starts to get too loud now, I tell him to use his inside voice, and we'll go practice his outside voice in just a bit. So far, so good, but don't think that I don't expect this to backfire at some point.
You mean they talk more and get louder? I think I am going to develop some hearing loss.
No, it's the teen years you have to worry about.
What a gorgeous photo of your son. Made me smile!
I'm really hoping my son doesn't get any louder than he is now. I can barely hear myself think to type this comment.
I'm late to get in on this one, but I can report a permanent 30% hearing lost in my left ear from my daughter's toddler years. Happy to hear I'm not the only one.
It doesn't get softer as they get older. My 4 1/2 year old and my 2 year old get into screaming matches. Literally screaming. High pitched, pre-pre-pre-adolescent screaming.
Tell you what, if you warn me about any blood coming out of my ears, I'll make sure I alert you to the blood coming out of yours.
This phenomenon is most likely why we will have hearing loss later in life.
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