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Introducing the Inside Voice

Ideas to get your tot to turn down the volume
By Melody Warnick

 While hollering in the library is cringeworthy, it's also completely normal for a 1-year-old, who lacks both the impulse control and the social decorum to keep noise to a minimum. Plus, toddlers simply delight in the sounds they can make. At around 3, kids should gain control of their sound systems. Until then, these ideas may help your little one pipe down:

Be the noise. Note different sounds in your neighborhood, then act them out together. The more your toddler can understand what loud and quiet mean, the better he'll be able to replicate them himself.

Tell a secret. If you whisper an invitation to sit down for a snack, your toddler may quiet down to hear you -- and may want to whisper his requests for more cookies.

Pump up the volume. The next time you head to the park, proclaim, "I'm turning on my outdoor voice now!" It'll show him that it's okay to be nice and loud...sometimes.

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