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Behaviour/development

Henry Hoover obsession driving me insane!!

32 replies

Jhas · 15/02/2014 08:43

Help!!! I know it's totally random but DS1 has got a major obsession with the hoover. He is 2 and a half. So we bought him a mini Henry and just assumed that he would get bored soon. It has now been going on for 12 months! I mean I literally have had a conversation about the wretched Henry at least 10 times every single day! Right now he is sat on a chair looking at the "big Henry" as it sits in the cupboard! We have tried not using at all when he's around, or letting him use it when we use it, but it always ends in major melt down. The new tactic is to leave the cupboard door open but not allow him to get it out. I mean seriously, it is doing my head in! Any suggestions would be welcome, especially if your child has had a similar obsession????

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RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock · 15/02/2014 08:50

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and all the Henry and Hetty toys Grin

I say embrace it. My DS was obsessed with Henry and Hetty at that age. We have a Henry Hoover. He has all the toys. And he used to watch the you tube videos all the time (these prove we are not alone!)

Now at 4 years old, he occasionally plays with the toys and he likes to do the hoovering for us Grin

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Jhas · 15/02/2014 08:53

phew, well at the very least it proves we're not the only one! I am glad it's not forever, although another 18months might just finish me off!

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RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock · 15/02/2014 09:18

We had the meltdowns if we refused or restricted it so we went with it and honestly it's fine Smile

His first day at nursery was funny because all the other children had a mixture of favourite toys like ponies, action figures etc and there's my child, with a cuddly Henry Hoover Grin The teachers thought it was brilliant. I swear he could change a filter with his eyes shut if we let him. He just hoovers for us or along side us with his Henry now.

We are now in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles phase, I miss the Hoover phase Grin

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LyndaCartersBigPants · 15/02/2014 09:56

DS1 used to pester us to go the the vacuum cleaner dept whenever we were out shopping so that he could look at the Dysons. He had a toy one and his 3rd birthday card had one on the front. He would look through the Argos book naming all the brands of vacuum cleaner.

At least yours has a face so I can see why it's more appealing. He moved onto irons but luckily that only lasted a little while Smile

FWIW he's 14 now and still a bit odd gets obsessed with something new every few months, but it means he is very focussed and learns everything he can about a certain subject when he's interested.

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TawdryTatou · 15/02/2014 09:58

I had /have one of these too .

He's 13 now and hides it, but it's still there.

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HelenHen · 15/02/2014 10:22

Lol that's too cute! We have a vac but our 19 month old loves it. We call it the beast and it stays in the spare room! Sometimes he stands outside the room saying 'beast beast beast' and when I use it, he runs after it squealing in delight. He tries to cuddle it and says bye bye beast when I put it away!

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ViviDeBeauvoir · 15/02/2014 10:38

Another person whose DC was obsessed with Vacuum cleaners, especially Henry.
He used to talk constantly about him, tantrum if his sister touched it. Tantrum if he wasn't allowed it. Tantrum if I let him use it but then had to put it away. He also used to make me google him so he could look at pictures and videos and always made me stop if we went past a Henry/Hetty/other member of the family! (He still makes me stop in shops to say hello to Henry)

Eventually I got into the routine of using 'Big Henry', letting him have a go, letting him wind him up and put him to 'bed' in the cupboard Hmm (my house was spotless)

At all other times he was only allowed 'little henry'.
I suppose I indulged his obsession and talked to him about it when he wanted to and it has petered out now he's 3 (it lasted a good 18 months).
I did have a chuckle when I read your post but I understand the exasperation when DC is in full flow obsession but it does settle down eventually

Now he's obsessed with Buzz Lightyear!

Grin

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tutu100 · 15/02/2014 10:45

I have a house filled with Henry hoovers, working and not working. Loads of toy mini ones and cuddly ones, and any numatic international paraphenalia Ds1 can find. His obsession started when he was about 2, he is nearly 9 now and it is still as strong. He has to rescue unwanted Henry's from the tip and dreams of being grown up when he will buy and George and a Charles. One holiday in Somerset we even had to visit the factory on Chard that makes them. The obssession shows no signs of stopping and we are now making Henry videos for You Tube. is one of Ds1 and his Dad's efforts using a desktop Hetty which Ds1 customised.

Now Ds1 is nearly 9 I am actually glad he has an interest in something that isn't computer related. All his friends seem to do is play on game machines.

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MrsRuffdiamond · 15/02/2014 10:50

God, this brings back memories!! Ds1 had a major hoover fixation when he was little. When we went to friends' houses for coffee/play, he always asked to see their hoovers.

On being shown one, (must have been a particularly fine specimen) he declared appreciatively "You've got a lovely hoover", to which my friend replied "Thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day!" Aah, Happy times! Smile

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SleepSleepSleepSleep · 15/02/2014 12:55

Very interesting!!

My nearly 3 year old DD used to be terrified of Henry. Now she still says she is scared but touches the hoover when I use it, says bye bye Henry when I put it away. When we walk past hoover shops she always shouts there is a HOOVER really loudly. I wouldn't say it is an obsession because she plays with a lot of other things but does ask me a lot if I am going to do the hoovering. I think she has a love/hate relationship with it!!

When it falls over she gets really scared and hides!! Same when one year old DD2 touches it - shouts She's TOUCHING it!! Aggghhh!!

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Jhas · 15/02/2014 13:31

Thanks folks! I had a really good chuckle at all your anecdotes, and it has made me feel loads better! I think i shall try to do a routine daily vaccuum so he gets used to it going away. cheers Grin

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Highlandbird · 15/02/2014 13:33

Nothing to add, just wanted to say this made me smile, I love toddlers and their quirky ways Grin mine makes me kiss all his toy cars goodnight

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HelenHen · 15/02/2014 14:15

Lol sounds like a boy thing! I wonder if it's anything to do with the fact that, when he was a baby, if I couldn't settle him and ran out of ideas, I'd turn on the Hoover and just leave it running for a while... Almost always without fail, it soothed him to sleep! Maybe I hovered too much when pregnant!

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BonaDea · 15/02/2014 14:32

Oh my! I think I may have a Henry obsessive in the making.

DS is 10 months and has always been very interested in Henry, although at the start was also very scared of him. By 9 months he would be wailing and crying while I vacuumed but always following me and Henry. Now he follows but doesn't cry. Whenever Henry comes out he is fascinated.

Based on this thread I am going to work hard at training DS to actually use Henry and do all my hoovering for me!

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LuckyDayInHell · 15/02/2014 16:39

I had no idea my DS wasn't alone in his 'Henry' obsession.
Well, cleaning in general obsession really. He is 20 months and all he wants to do is sweep, Hoover, mop and wipe things.
Some one suggested I get him a toy Henry, but I don't see the point if he can use the real thing. (I've trained him well Grin)
Has daily screaming abdabs if I don't let him into the cupboard under the stairs!

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Jellyandjam · 15/02/2014 18:16

My dd is nine and we still have to visit Henry and Hettie every time we are in a shop that sells the hoovers!

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expatinscotland · 15/02/2014 18:35

DS is 5 and still loves hoovers, Hetty and Henry especially. Get on YouTube, you will find thousands who share the love.

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Jaffakake · 16/02/2014 22:06

My ds (2.5) is obsessed with ladders. That is all.

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Fuzzymum1 · 17/02/2014 19:13

DS3 was utterly hoover obsessed from around 18 months until he was about 4 or 5. We couldn't go in a shop that sold hoovers without him having to find them and stroke them all he had pages fro the argos book laminated and talked non-stop about oooveees. We had all the henry toys, a box from a henry that was bought at DH's work and eventually a toy wasn't good enough - he had a cheapo argos vacuum that we put inside the henry box that he hoovered with all the damn time. he would have slept with it in bed if we let him. He is seven now and that obsession is long behind him but he still likes henry. His main obsession now is playing school.

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SchroSawMargeryDaw · 17/02/2014 20:52

Sorry, no advice to add. For us it's the steam cleaner (or anything he can pretend is a fire hose). Hmm

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bohoec · 17/02/2014 20:58

Oh god... This is perhaps a timely warning. I was vacuuming with our Hetty today and DD, 13 months, started to follow it around. I just thought it was cute - I didn't realise it might be the start of an obsession!

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teenagetantrums · 17/02/2014 20:59

I just had a look on U tube who knew there were so many Henry videos

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Weegiemum · 17/02/2014 21:05

Awwwwwwwwww expat I remember finding your ds sitting outside our "Hetty cupboard" looking at her lovingly. He's such a sweetheart!!

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DrewsWife · 17/02/2014 21:16

I have sat and snorted and chuckled at this. Reminded me of my nephew now 18 who used to love his dyson. He must have been 3 or 4. His mum actually bought him a real one and he would take it into town with them on the bus GrinGrin I used to giggle seeing him out and about. He would visit all the local Hoover shops and when he went to bed at night he would tuck it in bed and sleep on the floor! Hahahah. Oh boy. I loved him as a tot.

He moved on to Robert burns a few years ago and knew all the facts, peons etc and would gladly recite them. He went to Burns festivals too. And wore his kilt EVERYWHERE. And would ONLY eat porridge for brekkie with salt and had haggis, neeps and tatties for meals.

Embrace this stage. It won't last forever and I promise you will giggle about it in years to come Smile

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CaisleanDraiochta · 17/02/2014 21:20

OP do you live in the South East? We recently visited a Science Centre where they have built this thing with a Henry. You sit on a chair, then switch the hoover on and it sucks you (and the chair) up in the air!!! I forget what scientific thing it was trying to teach, but hours of fun were had by the DC going up and down on the thing. How much more fun would it be if you also had a Henry hoover obsession?!?!?!?!

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