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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

When do toddlers stop being afraid of hoovers?

23 replies

AngelDog · 30/03/2011 20:53

And other loud noises?

15 m.o. DS hates the hoover. I almost never use it while he's awake. Even so, the mere sight of the handheld hoover charging this morning was enough to have him very worried and not wanting to eat his breakfast. (Normal eating resumed as soon as I'd put it in a cupboard).

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nailak · 30/03/2011 20:54

my toddler does the hooverin

bamboobutton · 30/03/2011 20:56

my ds is still scared and he's just turned 3.

i think it has something to do with dh thinking it would be hilarious to put the nozzle on ds and suck his t-shirt up idiot

yorkiepuds · 30/03/2011 20:57

If you can afford it, get a toy hoover that switches on.

Mine were scared of the upright hoover but they liked the Henry type one.

LucyInTheSkyWithAntiHistamines · 30/03/2011 20:57

I'm 35 and I'm still afraid of them.

TeamLemon · 30/03/2011 20:58

My DS is 2.8 and has just begun to tolerate the vacuum cleaner, but he's still not keen on it.
He'll sit on the sofa with his feet tucked up and his toys safely stacked around him whilst I have a quick whizz around, but have to wait for him to be out before I can do a proper clean.

CherryandWhite · 30/03/2011 21:00

my ds is almost 5 and still runs away from the hoover! I find this really funny atm because earlier this evening i had ds sat at the bottom of the stairs with his fingers in his ears and eyes closed because the hoover was on...I was hoovering the living room where his 8 week old little sister was lay on her play gym happily cooing away at the time

monkoray · 30/03/2011 21:06

my DS 17 months is petrified of our Henry hoover. He won't walk into the room if its sitting in the corridor, even when its not turned on. We also have a roomba (robot hoover) that he has accidentally turned on from time to time - oh my goodness that scared him.

MammyT · 30/03/2011 21:30

In our house, it was about the 3/3.5 mark! Handdryers were also a problem in public toilets.

monkoray · 30/03/2011 21:34

oh yes dyson air blade hand dryers are the worst - can't dry my DS in the changing rooms after swimming if someone is using the hand dryers cos he's too busy panicing.

Original poster

AngelDog · 30/03/2011 22:56

Sounds like I could have a while of it then! :)

He doesn't like hairdryers either, or drills, or close-by emergency sirens...

OP posts:

camdancer · 31/03/2011 05:53

3.5 in our house. I can finally vacuum without it being a military operation to get DS out of the house. He would wake up if we tried when he was asleep. Handdryers are still a problem though at nearly 4.

We bought DS a pair of ear defenders. It is one of the best things we bought him. He even enjoyed fireworks night this year.

Cymar · 31/03/2011 11:59

When you realise they're screaming at you because you're not allowing them to ride on it. Not a problem in itself, but the hoover gets rather heavy to push around, and I refuse to carry it upstairs with them stuck to it.

hophophippidtyhop · 31/03/2011 15:27

The amount of times I backed into the automatic handryer after changing dd1 in mothercare and she screamed her head off.... She's recently stopped being afraid of hoovers at 3 1/2, while her 8 month sister doesn't bat an eyelid!

LifeOfKate · 31/03/2011 15:36

Ds loves the hoover (a henry) and follows me round switching it on and off

But he hates hand dryers and gives them a very wide berth... He's also 15 mo BTW

storminateacup10 · 31/03/2011 15:54

hand dryers also have the capacity to scare the crap out of me though- especially when me or my 3 y.o. walk to close to one and accidentally set it off- PANIC!!!

Housemum · 31/03/2011 16:08

My 18yo is scared of it. And dusters, washing machines, dishwashers...

drivingmisscrazy · 31/03/2011 17:13

DD (2.2) loves the hoover, but like lifeofKate hates the hand-dryers

PartialToACupOfMilo · 31/03/2011 20:15

My dd also loves the hoover - and also turns it off when I'm mid-room... She also really likes the hairdryer, although she didn't like either when a small baby (she's 16 months now). Not sure about hand dryers acutally, although I guess she must be fine with them as it's not something I've ever really noticed.

I think it's the wind in her hair she likes about them. Pity really the blow-y out bit is next to the on/off switch on the hoover...

Pkam · 31/03/2011 20:48

DD1 (4.7) hates hoover noise and is very scared of hand driers. Have to go to disabled toilets as in those no-one other toilet 'user' can start the dryer. If no disabled toilet handy then she will go to the toilet with her hands firmly clamped over her ears just in case. This can be quite interesting as then incapable of balancing on toilet, pulling pants up or down etc. Makes it all a bit tricky...

LittleDonkin · 31/03/2011 20:58

oh no seems I have ages of my DD not liking the hoover then just recently she has started balling her eyes out as soon as I turn it on!

Pkam · 31/03/2011 21:05

Good excuse not to hoover

My mother has one of those old-fashioned push along things for spot-cleaning (she hates hoovering) and the kids love it. They will actually do some pretty good cleaning with one of those so child labour can be utilised.

thinkingkindly · 31/03/2011 22:30

Mine was nearly 5 if I remember correctly. Also very scared of hand-dryers. She has just started using them at 6.5! Think you just have to go with it if you have a sensitive child.

Jbck · 31/03/2011 22:45

dd2 recently started to want to help hoover and she was 3 in November but she's still scared of hand dryers.

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