Scared of hoover

[Denmark]

What should I do my 17 mth old daughter is afraid of the hoover she scream like crazy if I start to hoover. She has not always been like that I think it started when she was about 7-8 mth. I cannot recall anything that should have upset her, I have never left her alone, run after her with the hoover or something like that. I have tried to "kiss" it (I know it's silly but I try anything), let her try to touch it when it is off, sitting on the floor while hoovering ...... She tries to go in front of the hoover to shit on my lap and just scream her head off ...... ANY ADVISE ???????

[MarsLady]

I have that with the DTs. They are 16m. DT1 runs screaming from it and DT2 has just started playing with it when it's off. Just a case of persevering I think. They soon grow out of it. I just decided to keep using it anyway and hold them (one at a time obviously) whilst I hoover.

btw, interesting to see what your wee one does on your lap when you hoover lol

[Denmark]

She just holds on to me and screams (I put on the small one you use for furniture etc. yes I know it take a very long time)

[MarsLady]

I know darling, believe me I know. I don't really know what else to do. I just leave the hoover out as often as I can so that hopefully they'll play with it!

[weesaidie]

My dd (14 months) is like that. She is better if someone else is holding her but if no one else is around I have to carry her while I do it. That is no doubt a lot harder with a 17 month old though!

[nightowl]

ds was scared of our hoover for years until we persuaded him to "help". he was fine after that. (my friend used to "dance" around with it when she was vacuuming and that made him laugh too...and maybe he saw it as less of a threat then!!?)

[happymerryberries]

happened to dd, who is now 8. She grew out of it

[jamese]

My dd is also afraid - she is 18 months, but this happened around 12 months - no idea why. I think my mum thought that I had never vacummed before the way DD reacted..... Had wooden floors in last house so maybe didn't vacuum enough!!! Now have carpets (until we get around to changing floors) and have 2 dogs, so nightmare if we can't vacuum.

[fee77]

My DD physically shakes when i hoover when she is around. So now i live in a pig sty, but at least she is happy!
I tend to wait till she is in bed to hoover downstairs, and then get dh to play, take her out when i do up stairs.

[bee3]

Denmark, I have exactly the same problem with my 16 month ds (we're obviously not alone!). If he even sees it he points, says "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" starts crying and wants to be picked up (and that's when it's not even plugged in!)

My current plan of action is

• leave hoover in different places all over the house so that he gets used to seeing it
  
• play with switches on it (he loves any switches), while it's off, so that he starts touching it (this is the stages that we are at)
  
• use play hoover (we bought one especially - but he screamed at that, the next plan is to get 2 year old friend, who he dotes on, to come and play with said toy hoover and see it helps...)
  
• dh hoovers upstairs while ds and I are downstairs (and vice versus), while we dance and sing, and then go and see Daddy with the hoover to show him that all is ok, then retreat(and it means dh does all vacuuming )
  
  I'm assuming he will get over it at some point, and until he does, less hoovering happens, and his dear mum and dad jump through hoops trying to help him. Such is life, I suspect.

[wordsmith]

I suppose when you're little a hoover is a big big, loud and scary. Stands to reason really. My 14 mo DS2 is scared of our Dyson and cries when he sees me take it out.

[Slave2Babe]

DD is seven months and has just started to get anxious when the hoover comes out. She'll crawl across the floor in a circle to come to me making a fussy noise. If i try to hoover past her she gets all agitated and tries to get away as fast as possible.

The strange thing is it was the hoover that used to get her to sleep in the early weeks.

Comment from my mum: you obviously dont hoover enough!!

Right thanks mum!!

[toothyboy]

My ds was also terrified of the hoover - but he was quite interested in the 'dustbuster', so we got him used to that - he now loves to switch it on and hoover up crumbs that he makes on the floor! He now shows an interest in the big hoover, and doesn't mind me using it if he's in the room. The blender/spice grinder still terrifies him!! He turned 2 in April.