Scared of Hoover and bath - what are your toddlers afraid of?

[inadreamworld]

My DD aged 2.8 is terrified of the hoover (we have Henry Hoover with the face on). I have to tell her every night that he can't get out of the cupboard. When I hoover she hides behind the sofa or goes to her Dad if he is in at the time. This started about 6 months ago when she saw a friend take my MILs hoover apart to get a blockage out. Before that she was fine with it.

She is also terrified of having a bath, especially water on her face.

DD5 is still, it hasn't been on tv for ages afraid of the Jammie Dodger monkeys off the tv advert. Won't even look at a packet of the biscuits in the supermarket!

DS3 is afraid of the hoover. We have a Dyson and to his little ears it must sound like a rocket starting up! He gathers his toys and legs it to his room when I get it out. On the plus side, I can hoover without having to pick up his toys first!

DD was terrified of Theatre curtains. Once the show started she was fine, but up until then she would be cowering in her seat

DS was a massive Thomas the Tank Engine fan, so we took him to the Bluebell Railway.

Terrified! Screamed until we went home.

He was also very scared of chickens, ducks and any other walking bird. Even in cages.

DD1 was terrified of balloons for a long time, which made birthday parties tricky.

DD (2.3) is scared of the hoover and of sitting down in the bath. No idea why for the latter. She's also petrified of dogs which I can't work out as she hasn't had a bad experience with one that I know of. It seems to be extending to all animals and birds. The other day a blackbird flew between some branches about 6 feet away from her and she screamed. I find it a bit frustrating to be honest, though I haven't told her that!

DS1 is afraid of the wind, but only the noise it makes, not the actual windyness of it.

My DH cut his chin shaving yesterday (just a little nick) and my 3 year old screamed, cried and refused to let daddy anywhere near him for the rest of the night. Bizarre child

DS3 used to be scared of goats, donkeys, balloons and lifts (elevators).

Balloons. "No like boons!" That made birthday parties quite tricky.

All animals, including cats. "No like tigers!"

He once had to be taken back early from a nursery trip to the city farm, he was so terrified.

He's five now, and living happily with two cats.

Father Christmas (could not go near any garden centres in December, had to miss the nursery christmas lunch, etc).

Anyone else dressed up, eg in a Mickey Mouse costume. Cannot go to the panto.

Dogs

People with face paints on

People with helmets on

I have a pair of scaredycats

Any fruit that is not an apple or banana.

Any vegetable that is not carrot or sweetcorn.

The expectation that he sleep in his own bed.

Mine are older now, but as toddlers both hated the Hoover. In dd2's case she says it was because the high-pitched background noise sounds like screaming. She still avoids hand driers and won't dry her hair alone in a room, and she's 12 now.

As well as the Hoover, toddler dd1 was terrified of the back hedge, and dd2 went into hysterics if anyone sneezed on the TV. Real-life sneezes were fine but TV sneezes - nope . And it lasted until she was about six. Having a child like that really gives a full appreciation of just how fundamental the huge, comedy sneeze is to the humour on children's telly.

DS2 was terrified of the plug monster in the bath it gurgled everytime the plug was pulled and I might have mentioned the monster in the plug that made the noise

Ds is now 6 and scared of bloody everything at the moment. He was always easy going and not phased by anything. Now he is scared that the cat is going to scratch him (has never happened in his life), scared of many pictures from books and some tv programmes. He started to have nightmares about 6 months ago and now he worries that certain things are going to give him nightmares.

Oh yes, those dyson dryers you get in loos in shopping centres. To be fair, they are bloody loud!

I only clicked on the thread to suggest buying a Henry as that cured my ds's fear of the hoover when he was a toddler! Having read the OP, buy an upright?!

As a pp ^^ ds is scared of sitting down in he bath and water on his face. Tbh, I'm not a fan of water on my face either, splashed water like when swimming in the sea - although I can swim like a fish and love diving

Ds will also point at random things during the day - DH, window, weebles, toy car, his shoes - and proclaim "scary" with a lower lip wobble.

He has recently started screaming inconsolably when he wakes up, in the morning or after his nap, like from a nightmare. We co sleep, he is 2yo, not sure what's going on?!

Oh yes, Henry issues here too, and hoover-wielding cleaners. Any hand-dryer, not just dyson. Though incredibly about 2 years after that one started, at 2.9 she will now actually use a hand dryer!!! Hurrah!!! The bath taps being on (fine when bath is ready). And the wind. Oh, lord, the wind. That is the most annoying. She used to be petrified of ants, and still freaks out about "a little thing" i.e. Small moth. For a while she wad afraid of the dustpan and brush. Go figure!

Friends have said hoover fear was cured by a toy one, but DD used to give about a 2m wide berth to the toy hoover at playgroup!

Arthur that is interesting about your 12 year old and hoovers - my DD1 hates hand dryers too. She is only 2.8 and just says it is the funny noise and on Henry the noise and funny face.

Interesting to read everyones posts! Seems as if the hoover and bath phobias are quite common.

My DD loves all animals but I was scared of dogs as a toddler and my friends 2 year old is afraid of all animals especially cats.

Christmas crackers, we discovered as we sat down for Christmas lunch at MILs. Everyone pulled their crackers and DS lept of his chair and buried himself in me wailing hysterically.

Shoe

Hand dryer (though loves having her hair tried at home).
The 'walk the plank' bit on Swashbuckle (she hides behind the door until it's over!). Otherwise adore the programme & is forever doing the swashbuckle salute!

Funny creatures aren't they!!

Hand dryer (though loves having her hair tried at home).
The 'walk the plank' bit on Swashbuckle (she hides behind the door until it's over!). Otherwise adore the programme & is forever doing the swashbuckle salute!

Funny creatures aren't they!!

Hand dryer (though loves having her hair tried at home).
The 'walk the plank' bit on Swashbuckle (she hides behind the door until it's over!). Otherwise adore the programme & is forever doing the swashbuckle salute!

Funny creatures aren't they!!

Discovered that DS1 is scared of Christmas crackers when we had Christmas lunch at my parents.

He was fine until the first one was pulled, and since then has started screaming in terror at the mere sight of a cracker.

Hoping he'll be over this by the time Christmas stuff starts appearing in the shops again.

DD is 22 months & scared of henry hoover & hairdryer. for christmas she has a little red minnie mouse hair dryer & a mini working toy dyson. its helped LOADS. although still a bit nervy around the big hoover. she hoovers with me now rather than standing in a room crying her little heart out. hair dryer a compkete sucess. no more wet hair goung to bed!