The random fears of toddlers...

[badgerinapreviouslife]

DS is almost 28 months and I've some intriguing feedback from his nursery. He's a little hesitant around other children (which, mercifully, he's starting to get over) but he is absolutely terrified of a pair of identical twins.

We also can't watch any episodes of ITNG that involve Mr Pontipine being separated from his tache..

What random things are your small people afraid of?

[FatalCabbage]

Today we were at a toddler group in a building where the PA system was being checked. All of a sudden the engineer did something wrong and there was a very loud and ugly feedback noise.

Every child without exception was absolutely terrified. But weirdly, the younger they were the sooner they recovered - the older ones seemed frightened it would happen again.

[KittyandTeal]

Bees! My 19mo DD is terrified of them. No idea why, she's never been stung, we've tried to tell her they're nice and won't hurt her etc

I'm especially aware that I don't want her to be scared and panic as I'm slightly allergic and she may well be too so flapping around doesn't help avoid stinging.

She was stood crying and repeating 'bee nice, bee nice' the other day, like she was trying to convince herself. Poor thing.

[Nishky]

Maybe it was be nice - an instruction to the bee?

[badgerinapreviouslife]

The thing is he's quite calm when there's only one in his line of sight, but the minute they are both there (dressed identically too) he freaks out a bit.

I must admit I do find it quite amusing...tells self off

[KittyandTeal]

That's true nishky. Maybe she was telling the bee to be nice.

[SquidgyMummy]

In a public loo, 3yo DS says I must not use "the noisy one" ie hand-dryer, only "water and tissue, okay?"

He nearly had kittens when i once used a dyson airblade

[NormHonal]

My 2yo is convinced that any animal (usually smaller than him) in his proximity wishes to eat him.

I have no idea why.

[neversleepagain]

One of my twins is absolutely petrified of the dancing shapes on Mister Maker. She cries and jumps on me when they make an appearance.

[neversleepagain]

She is 19 months.

[Tidypidy]

My dd doesn't like the highly polished black floor in our local debenhams because she says it feels like she's walking on the ceiling as it's so reflective. She's 7.

[FatalCabbage]

Oh yy to hand dryers! Even the very cool and streetwise in his own head nearly-6yo jumps out of his skin at those.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

Santa, utterly terrified of him.

[EverybodysStressyEyed]

My 3yo hates stickers. On first day of nursery they tried to put a name sticker on her and she completely freaked out. I have to tell people not to give her stickers as rewards.

6yo ds is terrified of keys and can't Bear the sight or sound of them

[oikopolis]

Ants. He backs away from them carefully and tries to hide behind me. This is amusing while we are out walking on the footpath and he suddenly stops dead and starts making little whimpers.

[naty1]

None so far but the fear of identical twins is very funny.
Almost sensible in a way

[EatDessertFirst]

Hand-dryers and hoovers are big fears for both DD and DS.

DD is also petrified of the Jammie Dodger Monkeys. She was so hysterical the first time she saw them on TV, that she nearly knocked herself out on the coffee table trying to get away from the TV.

She still can't look at the biscuits in the shop without flinching.

[JuniperTisane]

Ds1 is also afraid of stickers. Nursery used to give them out at the end of the session as each child left but he completely freaked when they tried to stick one on him so they changed to hand stamps instead for all the children.

He is afraid of bees too but has got over his fear enough to look suspiciously at them from a very long way away while asking if we can 'Take it back to its mummy to play with its cars' (ie send it away somewhere he can't see)

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

DD is 2 and loves Mickey Mouse, although I don't let her watch too often, but they changed one of the characters 'toodles' they gave him a face - she is terrified of him when he has a face!

[ReeseWithoutHerSpoon]

The dyson and the hair dryer. The dyson doesn't have to be ON, just out of its cupboard. She backs away from it like it's going to explode or pounce on her (18 months old). The vax, that lives in the spare room doesn't bother her- she plays with the buttons on that, but she's petrified of the dyson. idly wonders if we have too many methods of floor cleaning that we don't use

[HuggleBuggleBear]

DS (2 years) is frightened of cat hair on the floor. As we have a particularly hairy cat my ds can often be seen shouting "cat fluff mummy cat fluff"

[StackALee]

He he the identical twin thing made me chuckle.

DS isn't really scared of much but he does like to sit facing the door when he eats so that he can see if the bears are coming in. Sometimes we build a barrier made of cushions, vacuum cleaner and anything we can get our hands on.

[meringue33]

My 15 mo is scared of the vacuum cleaner but he pretends not to be. If we leave it in the hall it's an effective way of keeping him in the living room, he'll saunter out for a stroll then see it and just very casually pretend he's changed his mind and is coming back to play with us...

[VashtaNerada]

The window in the living room. Sometimes he'll be wandering around playing, freeze, and then run over screaming "scared of window!!"

[Zara8]

18 month old DS is another one TERRIFIED of hand dryers

Also the shower head in the bath - god forbid if I try and use it to rinse hair (not his, mine!) etc. Poor thing trembles like a leaf, wails and desperately tries to climb out of the bath!

Having the door closed in the bathroom when he's in the bath

Folddown change tables eg the ones in public bathrooms

I have no idea where all these bathroom aversions come from, as he otherwise loves baths!

He was petrified of grass for quite a while too when he was smaller....

[stressbucket1]

My nephew was petrified of rubber gloves the washing up marigold ones. He used to shake he was so scared.