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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

Dealing with 9 month old's fear of the hoover.

18 replies

GiraffeAHolic · 17/01/2009 13:34

DD is 9 months old and is absolutely petrified of the hoover.

Any attempt to vacuum while she is awake results in her screaming, turning purple and struggling to breathe.

I tried to be sneaky today and hoover the lounge while she had her banana in her high chair in the kitchen..it didn't work.

She spotted me getting it out of the cupboard and started screaming and refused her banana (unheard of) before I'd even plugged it in.

How can I help her overcome this?

I've tried showing her the hoover and encouraging her to push the button but she really is terrified.

Does anyone have any ideas please??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 17/01/2009 13:36

Get her her own hoover and let her play with that.

Tortoise · 17/01/2009 13:41

My 4yr old DD2 is still terrified of the hoover. She has to leave the room if i get it out. She says it is the noise. She has had her own hoover, which i fine because it is quiet!
The worst thing i can do is take the hose bit out to do webs etc. She goes hysterical and cries. Have tried showing her it is ok, won't hurt etc.

So i can't actually advise how to help your DD. Sorry.

Original poster

GiraffeAHolic · 17/01/2009 13:42

I'm not sure a toy one will help, she's scared and screaming before it even makes a noise.

OP posts:

iwantitnow · 17/01/2009 13:44

Hoover when she is asleep or put her in her cot if urgent - not a big hardship, I had to do this. DD now 2 still doesn't like the hoover but has stopped screaming.

Their hearing is much better than ours so it may just be too loud.

Seona1973 · 17/01/2009 13:50

I used to hold ds while hoovering (back breaking but it was a good workout!!). He now tries to get me to hoover his feet and runs about in front of me (he is 2.3years)

meandjoe · 17/01/2009 13:58

my ds was terified of the hoover t this age, just seeing it in the understairs cupboard would make him cry, then when it made a noise he sobbed and shook, he was petrified. i just got him used to it gradually by either me or dh holding him in the kitchen while the other hoovered the living room, he could hear it but not loud enough to make him cry. we gradually moved closer so we could hold him in the hallway, then the livingroom door way, then eventually whoever was hoovering could hold him at same time. i think it was just getting his confidence up and trying to desensitise him to it a bit. he now is ok with the hoover (17 months) as long as he has lots of warning when the hoover is going to be switched on. i always say, 'right in a minute mummy is going to do some hoovering', 'are you ok if mummy switches the hoover on now' then finally 'ok the hoover is going to be switched on now, are you ready?' that way if he is scared he has plenty of time to come for a cuddle. i still have to hoover with him in my arms sometimes .

weebump · 18/01/2009 00:12

Not much advice to give, but wanted you to know that my dd was exactly the same. As a result I managed to avoid hoovering when she was awake/in the room. Luckily our apartment is only carpeted in one room, so I resorted to brushing the rugs etc. Anyway, just recently - about 2 months on - we turned on the hoover and not a bother. She's still a bit cautious of it, but no more crying. The food processor used to make her cry to, so I must test it out to see if she's over that too. Here's hoping it's just another phase.

RobynLou · 18/01/2009 00:23

we're the same - dd is 16months and shakes violently with fear at the sight of the hoover and any noise which sounds like it.
we have a henry and were going to get her a toy version to hopefully get er over the fear, but she saw the box in the toy shop and scrambled into my arms in terror
have resigned myself to only hoovering when dh is around so one of us can take her out...

EyeballsintheSky · 18/01/2009 00:29

Hoovers and hairdryers here. DD (12 months) even hates the flex of the hoover and won't step over it. In fact, who needs playpens. I could surround her with the hoover flex and she'd be frozen on the spot Poor little mite..

naturalbaby · 18/01/2009 07:55

my 8 month old is starting to protest at our hoover. i make my oh play with him upstairs with his favourite noisy toys while i do downstairs and vice versa, am hoping it doesn't develop into a full blown phobia. our cat is terrified of it and would run a mile when i opened the cupboard door to get it out but she's not as bad now cause i talked to her lots in that silly, soppy baby voice while i got it out and plugged it in. am doing the same with baby and he's just about o.k with it.

littleboyblue · 18/01/2009 08:01

My ds was the same at that age. I didn't actively do anything to help him overcome this, I just hoovered rooms that he wasn't it at the time (he didn't crawl or anything till 10m). He has outgrown the fear or whatever it was by himself and at 17m, he turns it on and off for me, tries to help and I chase him round the house with it.
Think it's just one of those phases that lots of lo's go through

Plonker · 18/01/2009 23:48

My dd (18months) is still petrified of the hoover

Its not as though she hasn't heard it a million times, we have a verrrrrry hairy dog and hoover at least twice a day! It isn't too bad when dh and I are both in as she is ok if she is in someones arms, and at other times I have to do it when she is either at my mums (she childminds for me) or when she is in bed.

I was rather hoping she'd have grown out of it by now, but nope!

You have my sympathies

GypsyMoth · 18/01/2009 23:54

isn't it strange!!?
my 10 month old LOVES the hoover....adores sitting and looking at it and touching it. plays with the attachments for hours!!

if i switch it on he does a runner (well,a crawler really!) then immediateley comes back and wathes me in awed silence,following from room to room.

he's the same with the washing machine.....total awe!

MabelStark · 19/01/2009 02:03

I had this problem with my DS - he was terrified. I tried all kinds of things to help him with his fear and nothing worked so I vaccuumed when he was not in the house, then overnight he just grew out of it! He is now 3 and has no issue with the vaccuum at all.

BrownSuga · 19/01/2009 02:29

I carried DS around in a sling, he still didn't like the noise, but it comforted him somewhat. Now at 19mths, he gets the vacuum out of the cupboard and is most insistent on having a go himself.

MadameOvary · 19/01/2009 03:59

My DD hates it too, thought it was my fault as my house is so quiet. She is just about ok if someone can hold her. It forces me to use a carpet sweeper, very Eco - friendly!

alipiggie · 19/01/2009 04:44

My ds1 used to ride around on my cylinder Dyson , at first I couldn't work out why it was so heavy until I dragged him and the Dyson around the corner. I would try switching it on and offer and laughing, making it a joke and go and see if that helps. Little and often maybe.

Original poster

GiraffeAHolic · 19/01/2009 11:14

Forgot to check this thread

It's really good to know that I'm not alone in this one.

We have a Henry too and DD's birthday is March so if things are no better by then I may be tempted by a toy one.

I really think it's the noise as she encountered a 'tickle me elmo' the other day and was equally terrified.

OP posts:

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