So my son is loud. I can’t say too much about it, since I am also loud. In fact, part of my job is to be loud, or at least to be heard from the back of the theater anyway, so I have to accept that there was always the possibility that my children would also be quite audible from far distances. And sometimes this is okay. But then there are other issues here as well.
What is troubling to me, in addition to the sheer volume of my son, is that when he is very happy he emits a sound that sounds very much like he is being violently murdered to death. And he is happy much of the time. If he goes outside and sees something he likes? Bloodcurdling scream. If he is sitting on the couch and the cat walks by and does something funny with its tail? Horror movie shriek. If someone looks at him and smiles? Well, you get the idea.
I am actually very surprised that nobody has called the police on us yet, although I am always looking over my shoulder for them. Every ear splitting scream that he blasts out of his little mouth causes me to laugh nervously and assure whoever might be nearby that he is, in fact, pleased about something, and not terrified of his father and/or zombies.
Our neighbors must be used to this by now, though I still worry, but the poor people at the grocery store, or the bank, or the post office are clearly not used to it. We get a lot of…looks. And not “oh, how cute” looks. Hopefully this is just a phase, or at least something he can learn to control. Surely there are other ways he can express his delight. But the volume…that’s going to be a lifelong problem. Just ask my mother.