Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Other subjects

Flip

Original poster

ds hates the vacuum...

25 replies

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 11:42

i desperatly need to vacuum today, but when i put it on ds3 starts crying and shaking. it's not a particularly loud vacuum but he gets hysterical. help .

OP posts:

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 11:49

Help, I am drowning in a sea of fluff, dust and tinsel bits.

OP posts:

secur · 21/01/2004 12:00

Message withdrawn

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 12:10

Ds is 13mths old. The weird thing is, that he crys when i put it on and for most of the time it's on, usually stops just before i've finished. Then when i switch it off he starts again. Had the same prob with dd1 but that was a really loud vacuum so i bought another and she was fine. Was going to invest in wooden floor but will hopefully be moving soon so ....

OP posts:

Twinkie · 21/01/2004 12:15

DD is 3.7yrs and still won't let me vacuum whilst she is in the house - we can get away with me holding her and shutting ourselves in a room whilst DP vacuums but only on odd occassions!!

She has her identical dyson and is fine with that though!!

No help I am afraid - you just have to be a scuzbucket and only vacuum when she not there or go out and get DP to do it!!

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 12:18

Will have to try the Dp thing. Good excuse any way, I hate the vacuuming (well any house work actually)

OP posts:

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 12:19

All i need to do now is figure why he could hate the ironing and the dp can do that too.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 21/01/2004 12:27

DD does too - started at about 8 months and she is now 21 months. No idea what started it off but she won't go anywhere near it at all, saying "mummy, I no like it". At Christmas she got a very similar Dyson vacuum of ehr own and this is helping matters. She will now be in the same room as the real one but not when turned on. Her own she will now turn the noise on and pretend. Might be worth a try?

vala · 21/01/2004 12:29

Hi,
Sorry I can?t offer any real advise, but I can tell you that I have had the same issue with my DS (18mo). From birth to about 3mo he was fine about it. It even made him sleep .
However, from about 4mo he suddenly started to go absolutely berserk whenever I went anywhere near it, never mind switch it on.
I tried coaxing him to touch it switched off, but no joy. Started to call it nunu like in the Teletubbies to see if this would help, no. Got him to recognise the colour of it, (purple), but still no joy. Resorted to getting DP to take him out every time I needed to vacuum in the end.
By 17mo DS started to get really paranoid about it thinking each time I told him off I was going to get nunu out. This really upset me, so I hid it in another room out of his sight and told him it had gone away. Made a big fuss about how happy I was that it had gone and he seemed to be a lot more relaxed and stopped asking if I was going to get nunu whenever I said ?right?.?
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, DP was working from home, I was on holiday and DS was not at nursery as we?d had a hospital appointment that morning.
I had hidden nunu in the office, and yes you?ve guessed it, DS went running in after DP and there, horror of horrors, was the dreaded nunu. I expected allsorts of reactions from him at this discovery, but was astounded to see him greet it like a long lost friend!!. Went up to it, touched it, kissed it. I even switched it on and he took it and started trying to hover up with it. Now I can?t keep him away from the dammed thing. We have to say good bye to it every morning on the way to nursery, then hello every night when we get home. He couldn't wait to go to bed last night after I told him he couldn't to see nunu because he was sleeping. He thought he would find it in his bed :0
Just a phase???

mez75 · 21/01/2004 12:33

I have the same problem with DS 13mths. At first i thought it was because our mad boarder colie goes mad at it! but he screams at any vacum (have tried with various other peoples). We have put laminate flooring in lounge now but as I only get it out now to do upstairs, he's even worse than ever.

secur · 21/01/2004 12:34

Message withdrawn

LIZS · 21/01/2004 12:37

Both mine were like this. I used to have to wait for dd's nap to hoover, and as I live in apartments with a no noise between 11.30 and 1.30 rule, it wasn't always easy to fit in - at elast that was my excuse !. If you can bear it you could try to use NooNoo as a positive association, but both have outgrown it in time.

Actually I found that dd was sensitive to other noises too - like loud bashing on piano, drills and chain saws and she is still hesitant but at least no longer hysterical. This peaked at around 2.

Blu · 21/01/2004 12:39

Yep, same thing, DS (2.5) who is OBSESSED with every other mechanical gadget, absolutely hates the vacuum cleaner, and the 'pink milk maker' (blender). Doesn't like fans or fan heaters, either. I wonder what upsets them? I don't think it's just the noise, because DS loves drills.

LIZS · 21/01/2004 12:50

I wondered if it was vibration as much as noise -like a dentist's drill. Interesting thing with dd was it all seemed to be at lower pitch (can't remember from Physics O level hopw that relates to frequency, sound waves etc though).

She did once put the vacuum on accidently too.

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 13:02

I have just managed to do a quick vac whilst he was in his high chair. He still screamed though. I don't hink it's the noise he's scared of. I trhink it's the actual thing it'self, as he stats crying as soon as i open the cupboard. i have tried leaving out for him to investigate it in his own time but that didn't work.

OP posts:

bobsmum · 21/01/2004 13:04

Have exactly the same problem with ds now 16 months. He was always fine with it til he was about 5/6 months and playing on the floor rather than lying in a babynest or on a bouncy chair. It's as if this noisy beast has invaded his floor space. I guess it must be pretty terrifying from a baby's eye view to see a huge, very noisy thing growling towards them - especially if it's attached to mummy - how confusing

Last week I tried holding his hand and letting him walk with me around the room while I vacuumed, but he was crying hysterically the whole time. He squeezed my hand til it hurt and shouted "no no no no no!". I have a very fluffy and crumby house

Carla · 21/01/2004 13:27

Mine are still like it at 4 and 5. Lovely bundles of fur from moulting dog in all corners of the kitchen at the moment ....

sobernow · 21/01/2004 13:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slug · 21/01/2004 15:19

I only do the vacuuming while the sluglet is either asleep or in the bath. Lately she has decided that she is very brave and will sit on the sofa, clutching her teddies tightly to her, feet tucked as far in as possible talking about "Nuunuu do the noise!"

I blame her father for attempting to vacuum her hair.

florenceuk · 21/01/2004 16:10

Mmm - DS (2yrs) loves the vacuum cleaner, rides on it and turns it on and off while I'm trying to vacuum (grr). I let him do a bit of vacuuming as well - he thinks it's great!

JanHR · 21/01/2004 16:31

My DD usually climbs onto one on the chairs in the loung or sits on th bottom step when I turn the hoover on. She is fine when t is just sittng out waiting to be used or put away, but the second I turn it on she runs and sits out of the way.

Nicksie · 21/01/2004 16:41

Message withdrawn

bobthebaby · 21/01/2004 19:19

My ds only gets upset if I do the vacuuming and he can see me. What futher excuse do I need? It's weird how they get scared isn't it?

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 19:43

He is definatley S**t scared of it. When I was getting my coat out of the cupboard (where vac is also kept) he was sitting in the pushchair, so i left the door open to see what he would do (i know, horrible mother). Anyway he sat there looking form the cupboard to me and back again and then started crying. As soon as I shut the door he stopped.

OP posts:

scoobysnax · 21/01/2004 19:55

We have the same problem in our house - dd has finally managed to overcome her fears and have a go herself - aged 4.
I started off by seeing if she was brave enough to touch it when it was switched off, then built up from there but it took forever to get to the point we are at now!

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/01/2004 19:58

I think I'll just make it dp's job from now on.
My ds is a strange little chap though, he is also scared of my moms leather gloves and my dads pouffe (spelling ?)

OP posts:

Flip