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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

8 month old scared of hair drier, hoover, blender etc - what can we do?

21 replies

bearhug · 08/06/2009 17:09

My DS 8 months old starts to cry the moment I start to dry my hair or switch on the vacuum cleaner. Also any noisy tools or kitchen equiment. We have probably been too quiet around him when he was very little, PFB

I would be grateful for any suggestions on how to get him used to these noises - being held by DP while drying my hair didn't help, and being held by me while DP started the hoover didn't help either...

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Earlybird · 08/06/2009 17:12

DD used to be this way too. I always told her verbally when I was going to switch on the hoover/hair dryer etc so that it wasn't unexpected - 'get ready for the loud noise', and it somehow seemed to help.

I also seem to recall doing the hoovering with one hand while I held her on my hip with the other hand. She eventually got used to it - or grew out of the phase.

KingRolo · 08/06/2009 17:13

Just marking my place as this applies to my DD too.

She's scared of the above and the ironing board, the washing machine and the garden hose pipe - makes it very difficult to get on with anything (so I don't bother ).

wonderingwondering · 08/06/2009 17:17

I had this with my son, so I started cuddling the hairdryer and doing a 'ahh, nice hairdryer' routine before I switched it on (also a PFB...). It worked. But a bit more difficult to muster the enthusiasm to do that to the ironing board though?

Original poster

bearhug · 08/06/2009 17:17

LOL KingRolo. Washing machine is fine, he loves watching his napies go round and round.

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fucksticks · 08/06/2009 17:20

ds1 was like this and grew out of it
ds2 now cries at hoover etc. i just carry him on one hip while hoovering, he cries less then and give him a big cuddle after
they'll grow out of it!

silverfrog · 08/06/2009 17:22

dd1 was the same.

she is extrememly noise sensitive (she is autistic, so has various sensory issues), and I could not get anyhitng doen easily for years.

have done the hooovering/blending/coffee grinding when holding her - helps a bit.

now she is alittle older, warning her works well - she can take herself off to another room if need be, but that has been built up over a few years (she is now nearly 5)

my house is a tip, as I can never get enough housework done, as dd1 objects to so many things.

also, can I suggest a Roomba?

at least my hoovering is done now, as I can "do" it while dd1 & I are in another room (or overnight)

MiaMamma · 08/06/2009 17:24

My DD was scared of hoover until 2y, now she's 3 and still not very sure about the machine. Sometimes she wants to 'help' me to hoover but most of the times just closes her door because it's 'too noisy in this house'. Sorry no much help here, I just ended up not doing any hoovering when DD around, sent DH out to the park with her.

Piccalilli2 · 08/06/2009 17:25

Dd1 was like this, only really grown out of it in the last 6 months and she's three and a half (the half is very important to her). I also just used to give lots of warning of unavoidable 'bad noise', put her in a room with a toy and the door closed if I needed to hoover, etc. She's still petrified of hand-dryers in toilets so we don't use them. I found the key thing was to acknowledge her fear, so say 'oh dear, there's about to be a bad noise' but not be too indulgent of it.

helsbels4 · 08/06/2009 17:25

My dd is still scared of the hoover, hairdrier, lawnmower, hand-driers in public loos etc and she's four!

She's getting better but still doesn't really like them. She's fine when they're not making any noise and hugs them and everything but it's just when they're on.

Thought it was just me that had a good excuse for not hoovering too often

pooter · 08/06/2009 17:26

My DS was/is like this - i just try to accommodate him - it cant be nice being scared of loud things. I hoover when DH takes him upstairs or outside, i use the blender when he is in the living room and i never iron .

He is 2.4 and we had a long 'conversation' last night about how he was 'really really scared about thunder' aahh. He just hates loud noises poor lamb. Im sure he will grow accustomed to dealing with it, but i don't think theres any need to make him endure it if he doesnt have to.

alicecrail · 08/06/2009 17:28

DD was the same. Now at 18months she actually plays with the hoover

moocowme · 08/06/2009 18:51

my DS was like this at that age. he was very sensative to loud noises so you needed to warn him before you turned things on. he grew out of it after a few months.

JackBauer · 08/06/2009 19:26

DD1 was exactly the same, she is now 3.4 and actually holds the blender/helps push the hoover, so it doesn't last.
I always gave her plenty of warning of the
'I'm about to do some hoovering so get yourself ready adn let me know when I can' type thing. I woudl sit her on the sofa with ehr special toy and then get on with it.
She wasn't happy with it for ages and still freaks out if next door start drilling but if she sits on the sofa and cuddles her toy she is 'safe' so can deal with it.

hophophippidtyhop · 09/06/2009 14:16

My dd (nearly 2) was like this, but is growing out of it now. The times I have been in a public toilet/baby change and backed into an automatic hand dryer and set it off have not been good!

merryberry · 09/06/2009 15:13

what jackbauer said.
a fair % of the population are highly sensitive to noise, go gently on him until he can exert more control over things.

JackBauer · 09/06/2009 19:43

Oh god hand-dryers, don't start me on potty training DD1 in public loos and farking hand-dryers!

Pitchounette · 09/06/2009 20:42

Message withdrawn

plonker · 09/06/2009 23:37

I echo Pitchounette

Nothing to do with PFB. My dd3 is 23 mo and has two older and extremely noisy sisters! She, however, is still scared of the hoover and hair dryer ...and don't get me started on blooming hand-dryers - they are the work of the devil!!

She is getting better and I find that plenty of warning helps, although she spends most of the time asking "have you finished now mummy ...have you finished now mummy ...have you finished now mummy" Bless her, lol.

One thing that I have noticed is that she has exceptionally good hearing. Has anyone else noticed this with their noise-sensitive little ones?

helsbels4 · 10/06/2009 09:03

I haven't noticed sensitive hearing with my dd and in fact I sometimes worry that she can't hear properly.

She's not hard of hearing or anything that drastic but sometimes she just seems not to have heard what we've said or she doesn't quite catch what we've said.

She's very aware of sounds around her when we are out and about though.

fizzpops · 10/06/2009 09:11

Strangely my DD doesn't mind the hoover too much but HATES hand driers and my hand blender. I think it may possibly be something to do with not being able to see where the noise is coming from, haven't tried to explain it to her yet as these are fairly easy to avoid.

Original poster

bearhug · 10/06/2009 09:32

Thanks for all the responses - from your experiences it sounds like it may take a few years (!) before he'll grow out of it. Oh well, messy hair and a dirty floor it is then...

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