4mo ds terrified of hoovers, hairdryers and hand dryers !!

[Fairylea]

Help please !


As the title says really.

I'm obviously avoiding using the Hoover and hair dryer around him ... I just don't Hoover unless dh is at home to take him out (it's that bad) and I have to dry my hair upstairs with the door shut !

If he even hears a tiny bit of it his bottom lip goes and he literally screams like he's absolutely horrified ! My poor bubby :( ... nothing started it off he's always been like this.

Today I went to town and went to use the toilet and as I took him in with me a hand dryer went off and my happy little one was suddenly crying his eyes out !

I suppose I just can't use the toilet when I go out with him then ???? What do I do ??

He's clearly terrified of the noise. Any help or tips appreciated ... :(

[pud1]

no tips really but both my dds were exactly the same. they both grew out of it at about 2yo.

[Fairylea]

2 years.... eeeek :(

..... thanks lol.

I don't mind the not hoovering or hair dryer but I can't face the trauma of a meltdown every time I use the loo !

[QTPie]

At 4 months it isn't a surprise or unusual - he will grow out if it.

Sounds like you are doing the right thing with avoiding where possible. Don't avoid going to the loo thOugh! That would be inhumane. You could try and use a disabled loo - where available - then you won't be near anyone else using a hand dryer.

When he does get upset, just reassure.

[Fairylea]

Thanks I feel so awful for him :(

He seems distraught !

I used the disabled loo the other day but they often have a hand dryer in there and as I pushed the pram in it set it off and he went nuts !!

Ho hum. Just needed to share really..

[girlgonemild]

DS is just growing out of this at 2 1/2 I think. He still is on full alert when these things go on and is happy when they stop but he only has a melt down about 1/3rd of the time now...I have filthy floors!

[FireOverBabylon]

My DS was like that, and so many changing rooms / disabled loos had hand driers. I started carrying hand gel in my bag so I didn't have to wash my hands because no matter how quick I was, DS would be a sobbing mess when I'd finished drying my hands.

[ThePippy]

My just turned 3yr DD was the same. When we toilet trained her at 2.5 I have memories of her in a star position with hands and feet braced on the door frame of a public toilet as she didn't want to go in as there was a hand dryer in there. The other two (hoovers and hairdryers) we are kind of ok with now ( a process of frequent exposure at a safe distance until she finally stopped caring) but the hand dryer is still going strong and I am often seen fumbling back in the loo to grab enough loo roll to dab her hands dry. It is harder with hand dryers as she is not exposed to them often enough to get used to it. I know she will grow out of it however so I just plan ahead now.

[IslaValargeone]

I had the same problem with dc.
I wouldn't avoid though, I'd do gentle exposure like pippy suggests.