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.

splatt... DD also loves tge swashbuckle salute "eye patch, eye patch, pirates hat, swashbuckle cheer.... ooohhh arrrr".

Shadow I feel your pain! Here's hoping that they're both over their cracker phobias by next year!

Hoovers, hair dryers, hand dryers
Sensor lights/ any lights that flash
Crocodiles

Ds1 was terrified of the loudspeaker on the scrap iron van that goes around our neighbourhood regularly ("any old iron, scrap iron").

Ds2 doesn't seem to be scared of anything [dmile]

Mine is scared of the "noisy poobah" (hoover), the plughole and the shower. And puppies (we have 3 dogs, 2 of which are parents to a litter of puppies).

Absolutely nothing
Which I find odd .

My dsis use to be so scared of the hoover that one of our neighbours thought she was beaten with it as she use to have full on meltdown and go in to hysterics just at the mere sight of a hoover i used to chase her with it

DS hated clowns which is pretty normal I guess. My neighbour had a pair of red shoes and he would scream blue murder if we ever stopped to chat to the neighbour and he was wearing these red shoes. I frequently embarrass him over it now (he is 16 now)

DD1 hated dogs- terrified of them. We use to have to cross the road if we saw a dog coming in the distance. Loves them now- nanny (my DHs mum) got a little Jack russell two years ago and they are best of friends. They even sleep together when she stays overnight- wasn't keen on it at first but they do look so sweet together.

DD2 was scared of Peppa Pig. I have no idea why- but she watched it once and never again. She would just cry and cry if we put it on. Shes also the first one we've had who is scared of the dark- DS and DD1 have always slept in the dark but DD2 has always needed a nightlight

Remote control toys - someone got him a robot

Remote control toys - someone got him a robot one for his 2nd birthday and the second it moved he became hysterical. The you has been in the cupboard ever since!

Any automated display such as the santas grotto we went to complete with moving reindeer and elves.

Father Christmas

Hand dryers

Doctors and nurses, or in fact any HCP with a uniform (including me when I've got mine on!)

He did have a bath phobia but he's absolutely fine with it now which gives me hope for the other stuff!

Fire....

He started by being fascinated by the Great Fire of London, and the rebuilding of St Paul's and loved going to the bit of London around St Paul's. Then he watched the Lion King, and became terrified of fire. A fire drill at school gave him a fright until he was about 11, and he would have a meltdown until he was about 8 at the very word 'fire'.

The carpet.

Our landlord kindly replaced a slightly fraying carpet on the stairs and in the bedrooms ... and DD2 (aged 2) freaked. Took the best part of 2 weeks to get her to touch it, another week to convince her to crawl on it, and 2 weeks after that to get her to walk on the carpet.

Even now, months later she occasionally tell me the carpet is "too brown" and she doesn't like it

(Also, Hoover, DH's razor, one of my dressing gowns and any man wearing a hat)

ipswich a little friend of DD1 is terrified of electronic toys particularly a monkey which screeches when you take its banana. DD1 has it now and likes it.

I am glad to hear bath and hoover phobia seems to be pretty common - oh and hand dryer too.

Another one afraid of hand dryers, hair dryers and hoovers.

Also, more recently, spiders, noises at night and other random stuff.

I am a bit unsure whether to pander to her fears and be sympathetic, or take a more "don't be silly. It's fine," attitude. Real fears need the former, but I'm beginning to suspect an attention-seeking aspect to some of it (you should have seen the fuss over the microdot-sized spider in the porch this morning)