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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask what bizarre things your baby is afraid of?

160 replies

WorriedFTM1 · 05/09/2019 17:08

Lighthearted really, although I can't stop worrying about the amount of things my 1 year old is afraid of!

The biggest day to day worry for him is ceiling lights! This started a couple of months ago and hasn't gone away yet. We show him how they switch on and off and he seems to even enjoy this sometimes but at other times he can be happily playing and then look up at the light fitting (on or off) and get really upset. When I am carrying him and he is higher up so closer to the lights he clings on to me for dear life. He has started shows signs of being afraid of light fittings when out and about too.
He is also afraid of noises when he can't detect where they are coming from (for example, the sound of the ice cream van outside or when I talk to Alexa and it talks back- I've stopped doing this).
What unfathomable things are your babies afraid of? For those who have been through it, please tell me this will pass. I can't make light fittings go away unfortunately!

OP posts:
LaPufalina · 05/09/2019 20:38

These are lovely!
DD1 was very wary of stacking cups and would dismantle the tower one cup at a time, carefully. DD2 is part wrecking ball Grin

starfishcoffee · 05/09/2019 20:51

My 15 month old appears relatively unbothered by almost everything, no sense of danger.

However, my extended family have a social jackdaw that would come into the house and perch on your shoulder. We visited recently and the jackdaw flew onto DS arm, it didn't hurt or scratch him but definitely gave DS (and me!) a shock. Needless to say he is now horrified by all birds.Confused

Thurmanmurman · 05/09/2019 20:53

My DS used to hate me wearing bright lipstick

Em3978 · 05/09/2019 20:59

The arrows on the floor in IKEA, honestly, he freaked every time we pushed the trolley over one!

(however he was fascinated by ceiling lights (unlike OP's), and knew where he was by the light fitting. Odd boy.)

combatbarbie · 05/09/2019 21:03

Flies.... The flying type.... No idea where it came from!!!

ArcticHair · 05/09/2019 21:06

Both my children have been terrified of the hoover and hand dryers but that seems to be normal.

DS is terrified of all insects. It's definitely not something we've taught him. "Scary bee! Scary bee!" It's hilarious tbh (though we don't laugh at him).

ArcticHair · 05/09/2019 21:06

(All insects are bees)

Saisong · 05/09/2019 21:07

When DD was around 2 there was an episode of the Night Garden where Mr. Pontipines moustache flew off and landed on all sorts of things - you can guess what sort of phobia that started. In fact she has since developed a spider phobia and I wouldn't be surprised if the two are related.

Shinysun · 05/09/2019 21:09

My two year old is terrified of feathers. He'll occasionally pick one up and then go nuts and prance about screeching and shouting YAK YAK YAK!!!!

ThePolishWombat · 05/09/2019 21:10

@ArcticHair my youngest is like that too!

“MAMA THERE A BEE!!!”

Urrrrrmmm no mate. That’s a moth Grin

ReverseGiraffe · 05/09/2019 21:15

My 1yo DS is terrified of ball pits. If you put him in one he will sit very, very still for a while, and then burst into tears.

dancinfeet · 05/09/2019 21:18

Eldest was terrified of the Noo Noo in Teletubbies. She got a little motorised bump and go Noo Noo for Christmas from a well meaning relative, that would chug around the floor making little slurping noises and she used to scream the place down and try to climb up my legs. A trip into town could also be a trial if the council guys were out on those little ride on street sweepers in the town centre - she would literally scream ' ARRRRGH NOO NOO COME TO GET ME at the top of her voice and try to climb out of her pushchair. Even if they happened to be on the other side of the road. Same when I hoovered.
Youngest was scared of Spooky Spoon from the Numberjacks, The Map from Dora the Explorer and rabbits. Neighbour had a house rabbit, so this was frequently a problem when we were invited over for coffee. They are now both teenagers and seem to have got over their irrational fears, although my eldest still has a tendency to avoid the hoover if she can, though not because she thinks it's the Noo Noo coming to get her these days!

larry55 · 05/09/2019 21:21

My dgc was scared of dh when he wore his glasses, only used them when on the computer or playing the keyboard or the organ at church and scared of me when I took my glasses off, I wear them all the time.

tmh88 · 05/09/2019 21:29

Anything that flies! Was holding DS up to the window and pigeon flew really close I have never seen such a look of fear on his face coupled with screaming and clinging on to me for dear life (he’s 22 months) he now won’t go near windows if he sees a bird/fly/butterfly/moth and god forbid we get a fly in the house! He doesn’t like anything flying near him now!

glastogal · 05/09/2019 21:30

My toddler is afraid of a Christmas pudding cat toy 😆 he will only touch it if he can't find a tool nearby to push it away.

Also, he has a farm puzzle where you put the animals in the right spot and the correct animal nose plays. When he got it, the cow made him cry. Now, the cow is fine but he Adobe when the cockerel crows.. then he makes it crow again and cries more!! Strange little dude.

The only other thing he is scared of is me coughing. He doesn't care if anyone else does, but if I do then he freaks out and comes to give me a cuddle.

Newmum102 · 05/09/2019 21:33

The sound of a hand dryer, he’s absolutely terrified of it. However he loves my hair dryer. I find it really bizarre

Worlds0kayestmum · 05/09/2019 21:36

My DS is terrified of any healthcare professional (poor thing has had too many hospital visits) and also of hot water bottles. He's petrified of life size characters that you get at kids parties or theme parks, literally frozen in fear.

My DD used to be scared of the clock on countdown and the Zingzillas

BlueWonder · 05/09/2019 21:36

Grass!

mumtooneyr · 05/09/2019 21:36

14 month old is scared of Christmas tinsel 🤷🏻‍♀️

tinofbeans · 05/09/2019 21:37

Mine were both scared of the hairdryer, vacuum and any hand dryers in public toilets...

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 05/09/2019 21:38

Parrots. DD1 was fucking terrified of them as a baby and toddler. No idea why. She had nightmares where "a parrot goes on my bed" and at bedtime, we had to theatrically lock all the doors and windows "so parrots cannot come" and recite who had housekeys ("mama, Daddy, Nana and Grandad, but not parrots,").

Sometimes she would announce that "i will be brave to the parrots" but it was always false bravado.

Then some genius decided to point out that even though we locked up every night against the parrots, it was okay, as Father Christmas could still get down the chimney.

Cue a two year long phobia of FC Hmm she once told me in hushed tones that "he lives in the woods with bears and sharks and monsters and all his other scary friends".

We do not do Santa's grotto in our house Grin

Original poster
WorriedFTM1 · 05/09/2019 21:39

I've just been reminded that he is also scared of anyone coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose. He finds his own sneezes pretty amusing though.

OP posts:
Rtmhwales · 05/09/2019 21:43

A toddler I used to nanny was deathly afraid of fluff like drier lint or the stuffing that comes out of stuffed toys. No rhyme or reason. He eventually grew out of it.

Userzzzzz · 05/09/2019 21:45

Mine was older- maybe about 15 months when she got terrified of shadows. That was a bit of a problem!

Hand dryers have been an issue for some time. It seems something that lots of kids hate.

melissasummerfield · 05/09/2019 21:45

My eldest son was terrified by velcro, nose blowing and the man on the cebeebies programme ‘lets play’ Grin

The other two had none of these weird little phobias!

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