I understand that kids are kids, and they play and have fun blah blah blah. I love kids, but when they start screaming for no reason, I don’t love. My neighbor’s kid does that. She runs around in circles and screams at the top of her lungs – just playing and in excitement. She is not mentally disabled or anything. She just does it for fun and to get my toddler to do the same with her. She is 5. I would think that this stage would be over for her age, but my friend is extremely lenient with her child. She knows this. And because this child was creating a monster of scream within my child, I had to put my foot down. At their house, I felt it would be rude for me to say something to her kid, so I said it to mine so that the others could get the hint. “Honey, you don’t have to scream. People will think you need help or something. You can play and have fun but be a little quieter please.” Fail. My kid looked at me confused. I could understand. Her friend’s mom let her daughter do it, why can’t she? So, I leveled the playing field at my house. “Jenny” from next door began screaming and running around my house, and of course, my daughter excitedly chased after her. “Jenny, you are not allowed to scream in my house. If you want to be loud like that you have to go outside,” I said. Jenny looked at her mother with huge eyes as if to say, “Mother, are you going to let her talk to me like that?” Her mother, eyes wide, didn’t say a word. Sigh. I have a feeling I will be saying this again to this kid. And, I have no problem doing so.
