Help with 2 Year Old Volume Control

Updated on March 07, 2010
K.D. asks from Oak Park, IL
9 answers

My son will be 3 at the end of June and really doesn't understand what quiet means at all. He knows how to whisper, but even if we keep reminding him he'll whisper 2 words and go back to loud again. His usual volume is very loud, so even to have him speaking normally can be disruptive, let alone when he's in the mood to yell. Any suggestions on how to teach volume control?

Another note --thanks for all the input so far. He really tends to be loud when he is playing by himself or making noises to himself. The rest of the family can't have a conversation because he's too loud. We all end up shouting!

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C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Ha ha! Yes, because my youngest (now almost 5) has always been like a tiny Ethel Merman. Her natural volume is LOUD. When she runs into the room and says, "MOMMY, GUESS WHAT?!" I holler back, "I DON'T KNOW, WHAT?" She'll say (in a more normal tone of voice), "Mommy, why are you yelling?" And I'll say, "Oh, I don't know! I thought we were playing a game where we were yelling at each other!" And she laughs, and then tells me what she was going to tell me, but in a normal tone of voice.

Sometimes you've got to fight fire with fire. =)

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L.A.

answers from Reno on

I'd go with lowering your voice to the desired level and say " when your voice sounds like mine I will be ready to listen." Ask others (grandparents etc ) to do the same. He'll catch on

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P.H.

answers from Chicago on

My yougest son was always loud and now one of my grand daughter's was loud. I say was, because she either learned to tone it down or out grew it. She's nine.
With my son, I pretended his belly button was a volume control and whenever he was too loud, I would just quietly "turn the volume down". Even though he was a strong willed little guy, he'd get the point and immediately lower his voice. Good luch to you.

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C.F.

answers from Chicago on

If his normal speech is loud he could have a hearing problem and speaks loud so he can hear himself. So first have his hearing checked. If his hearing is fine then just stay on him about his volume. He may not know that he is speaking to loud all the time.

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J.W.

answers from Chicago on

Hah! I love how you say "volume control". Wouldn't it be nice if we could just turn them down with a remote? My son is a very loud and wild boy. We finally got him to quiet down by CONSTANT reminders of "using our inside voices" and "sshhhhh" and "you're using your loud voice, please be more quiet". The one that really seemed to work was "do you hear how mommy and daddy are talking? Please try talking like us. " We also had to demonstrate what loud noises were and what quiet noises were, so he could distinguish between the two. Our son just turned 3, and is now MUCH better at being quiet. We still have to remind him, but overall, it's much quieter in our house. Good luck!

D.R.

answers from Santa Fe on

i have the same problem with my 2 year old daughter lol and let me tell you sometimes i wish she was born with a remote. but what i do is when she trys to talk to me in her loud voice i look at her and then turn away she'll keeping calling me to get my attention but after about 2 minutes she lowers her voice and say "mommy im to loud for you" and i simply reply "yes sweetie, next time will you be more lower when tryin to talk to me" and most people think that a 2 year old dont understand straight talk like that but you will be amazed.

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K.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Just a suggestion , have you had his hearing tested? My daughter was exactly like this , shouting when talking would be appropriate so I took her to an ENT and turns out she had fluid in both ears , she now has tubes (2 weeks ago it was done) and I have noticed a difference already.

M..

answers from Nashville on

This is something very important that every child needs to learn at a young age.
Take some time and practice on the couch or at the table and use some time to learn how to be silent and sit still. Do it for about 4 minutes.
Then in about an hour do it for another 4 minutes. Make sure that he is sitting still and that he is not playing around. Just tell him that this is something that has to be taught and that it is time for him and you to practice this together that way when you all are somewhere were you need to be quite everyone will know how to be quite.

I wish you the best of luck with this.

= )

J.D.

answers from Columbus on

Growing up I had a loud voice, and it is something all four of my children inherited. What worked for my parents and now works for me is constant reminders about inside voices, sometimes reminding them to use their inside voice is not enough, those times I whisper to them, like one will come in yelling 'MOMMY, GUESS WHAT?' and I will whisper 'what?' for some reason I can't explain that almost always works, and they will usually answer back at a normal to quite level of speaking.

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