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Original poster

Nearly 3 year old terrified of white noise - making life difficult

17 replies

BikeRunSki · 18/05/2011 20:43

DS is 2 yr 8 months and has always been scared of white noise:
Showers
Hair Dryers
Hand dryers
Hoover
Food mixer
Food blender
Car Wash
Lawn mower
Extractor fan

He used to be a bit upset by these noises, and I thought he would grow out of it. But, as he has got older, he has become absolutely terrified of these things. Not being able to cook (blender, mixer, extractor fan), clean (hoover) or wash (shower, hairdryer) around him is pretty annoying, but I can work round it (usually by the power of CBeebies Blush) but the hand dryer thing is getting really difficult. He is out of nappies, and really good at telling me when he needs the loo/potty, but won't go anywhere where there is a hand dryer. If we are out and he needs a wee, he will sob and cry "no hand dryer, no hand dryer" before we have even gone anywhere near the loos. I am carrying a potty round everywhere, but then I usually have to go into the loos to empty it, complete with terrified, sobbing child.

What can I do to help him get over this fear? I have tried talking to him - he nods that there is nothing to be scared of, but can't follow this through with behaviour. I have tried "sensitising" him - once I managed to hoover a few stairs, but then he freaked again. He loves swimming, but now won't go past the showers to get into the pool.

In all other situations he is happy, bright and confident and usually the ringleader of low level mischief. His reaction to white noise is totally out of character.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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vintageteacups · 18/05/2011 20:58

check out this website all about hypacusis

vintageteacups · 18/05/2011 20:58

sorry, spelt it wrong - it's hyperacusis

Original poster
BikeRunSki · 18/05/2011 21:02

Interesting Vintage, very interesting.

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create · 18/05/2011 21:17

DS1 was like this. When he was 3 we had a week at Centerparcs with my DSis & her DH and my parents. Everyone had to go to the loo in the dark, because turning the light on set off the extractor, which would run for a while afterwards and he wouldn't go in there. He also wet himself everyday at Nursery, because the same thing happened there.

All I can say is he did grow out of it - before he started school.

vintageteacups · 18/05/2011 21:18

Hope you find out what it is and if it's just a developmental stage that many kids go through or whether it is actually hyperacusis.

My nephew who was 2 in Feb is petrified of the hoover and other loud noises. He literally clinges to my sister for dear life and for a while, she stopped hoovering in order to prevent the stress for him! Think he's a lot better though now, although she generally tried to do it when he's not there.

Original poster
BikeRunSki · 18/05/2011 21:29

Thanks ladies, I have barely done any hoovering for 3 years! I have been known to take the afternoon off just to hoover!

I will speak to HV and see what she says. Don't want to seem like a paranoid first time mum though, as we have already had an eye test referral! (was fine).

OP posts:
MrsJoshHomme · 18/05/2011 21:37

My DS (3.11) is the same, just about can manage to use hair dryer, extract but is just the same about hand dryers in public loos, it s a pain , but as he has grown out of the other ones I just think he will eventually grow out of it. The only other thing he really hates is the lawn mower, has to come indoors if DH doing the lawns. He used really freak about fire works, still not completely settled about them but will tolerate them. My DD completely not like this at all though. Different people different things I think.

MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours · 18/05/2011 21:43

|My DD was like this - used to run away screaming at very similar noises and also got very upset at loud bangs.

I put it down to oversensitive hearing due to her age. She has grown out of it to a great extent now (she is 5 1/2 yrs old and it started to get better at about 4).

Hope your DS grows out of it too.

Tiggles · 18/05/2011 22:24

My 2 elder DSs are both very sensitive to sound (they have high functioning autism). They would both happily throw tantrums over the sound of hand driers, but I have taught them to automatically put their hands over their ears and start counting. By the time they get to 20 the hand drier will have stopped. Did have a slight 'accident' with that the other day when DS2 whipped his hands up to his ears whilst sat on a public loo and promptly fell into it Grin... but other than that it works fairly well!

SpeedyGonzalez · 19/05/2011 00:02

Ooh was just about to start a Support thread for parents of Highly Sensitive Children and the saw this. My DS is sensitive to handdryers as well. Is your DS sensitive in other situations, compared to his peers?

hellymelly · 19/05/2011 00:24

Both mine hate hand driers,and went through a phase of hoover terror when they were about two,but got over it quite quickly. Hand driers do make a particularly startling noise! I know lots of children who hate them. I think that it is a normal phase,but mine are 4 and 6 now and although unphased by other machine noises still scarper if a hand drier starts up.

Original poster
BikeRunSki · 19/05/2011 08:33

DS is not sensitive to anything else. This morning he fell over whilst running to nursery. Made me wince, he didn't even cry.

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camdancer · 19/05/2011 08:48

DS was like that. We couldn't hoover while he was in the house until he was about 3 1/2. After about 3 we could do it when he was in the garden, but even then it was hard. Luckily we have hard floors so it wasn't too bad - and being a slattern helps! Hand dryers and showers are still an issue at 4. He knows to put his hands over his ears in toilets and dries his hands on toilet paper rather than use the dryer.

I find the hardest thing is other people's reactions. They just didn't believe that he couldn't tolerate those sounds. We were just being overprotective parents apparently. My Mum got quite a shock when she decided to just go ahead and vacuum with him in the house. She finally saw that it actually hurt him to hear that sound, rather than just being fussy.

We bought some ear defenders for the extreme cases - fireworks, chainsaws etc. They are really fabulous and now come most places with us. He loved fireworks this year rather than being traumatised by it.

Original poster
BikeRunSki · 19/05/2011 08:51

Camdancer, I like your good news story. Fortunately I am a hard-floor slattern too, so Hoovering is limited to up stairs and rugs. DH has awful hayfever so at this time of year we really need to keep on top of the dust though.

OP posts:
geordieminx · 19/05/2011 08:55

Could you buy him a toy Hoover/hairdryer and get him used to playing with them?

vintageteacups · 19/05/2011 09:53

ooh yes -a mini dyson Grin

Original poster
BikeRunSki · 19/05/2011 17:10

It is not so much the actual item, but the noise. He is happy to play with the Hoover when it is off (it is a fire hose to him).

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