My son is scared of the hoover

[LGBirmingham]

My 21 month old is scared of the hoover, and the blender and hand dryers. The second two don't cause as much bother though. He is really scared of them, he screams and cries real tears. Now that he is napping less I could do with hoovering with him awake. Does anyone have any tips?

I used to just send mine upstairs while I did it and they hid in bed with the pillow over their heads! I sort of made it a game and they quite enjoyed it, helped tidy up and then ran upstairs to hide.

And then I started hoovering to get a break...

My two were like that as well, for years. Tears and all. Especially hand driers. DD was 8 the first time she actually used one. I just swept rather than hoovering.

They do grow out of it eventually but I think the best thing to do is not push them; it's a very real fear to them.

I have a Henry so bought my wee one a toy Henry! We whip it out when we Hoover and get her to hoover too… we get her to say hello to him and thank him for tidying up. She now kisses him 😂 it worked! sorry this is exclusive to hoovers though!

He will grow out of it. It’s not uncommon!

Oh god I’d completely forgotten this but mine was too - exactly as per a pp he used to hide under his covers!

My boy is similar. He didn't even like it when the hall cupboard doors weren't shut properly and he could see Henry.
Hoovering happens when he is at nursery.

Mine the same. I used to sling him on my back when I hoovered, only way to get it done. All three grew out of it around 4/5

Mine wears ear defender's, I try not to push it and do it when her dad's home to give cuddles. We don't use the loud (hand drier). She's 2.5 now and I think getting a bit better with it.

My DS is almost 5 and has ear defenders for the hand whisk, doesn't like hand dryers AT ALL. He's not long accepted the hoover and the lawn mower. It's very common.

My 3yo is like this. She can cope with the cordless dyson on but hates the plug in one.

iIf need to do a proper hoover she’ll go outside, go upstairs or close all of the doors to the kitchen and put her headphones in.

We have to use the disabled loo when out as she won’t step foot in the ladies.

Headphones and an iPad. I think it's the noise, it seems to be genuinely distressing for them

Get him a toy one, DS has a cordless dyson and isn’t scared anymore!

I was absolutely terrified of the hoover ...even when I was older I used to jump up on the sofa or the bed to get away from it ....eventually I grew out of it .
(Actually come to think of it am still terrified of the hoover because it means I am having to do my own cleaning )

Just use a carpet broom. Or a bissler. He will eventually get used the hoover but there's no point distressing him

Got my son a toy Dyson that actually sucks fluff too! He loves doing the hoovering now!

Ear defenders.

Hand dryers I believe is common because of the decibels, something along the lines of a child is closer to the sound than an adult so the decibels are greater and the direction of the sound is closer, as they grow it gets less. I'm sure I read something about it. I guess the hoover is similar?

Wow so many replies! Thank you.

The situation seems to have progressed, when he came back from the park he saw the hoover and wouldn't come into the room and was crying. He couldn't even bare me to move it whilst he was there. He had to go upstairs with Dh for me to put it away.

It is a Henry which makes me wonder if it makes it more scary?

I primarily sweep too, it's fine fir the hard floors but there's only so much sweeping a carpet that actually helps. It feels like it just puts the dust in the air? The house smells dusty!

Thanks for the suggestions to get a toy one. He does have a toy wooden one which he loves. Although it's an upright one and not like ours at all, so that probably doesn't help. I will see if I can pick up a mini-henry somewhere.

Also good ideas about him going out if the room. He's still very little and generally likes to be where I am. But I could definitely do that when dh is home.

My son was like this too. I found what worked for me was making the vacuum fun. I'd push it around the room without it on and do lots of over the top woo-ing and smiling. Then progressed to doing the same with it actually turned on.
I must have looked like a mad woman but it worked for us!