Infantreflux.org | Scared of vacuum

This topic has 11 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 19 years, 11 months ago by Anonymous.

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November 15, 2006 at 3:53 pm #18098

Anonymous
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Any ideas on helping a toddler get accustomed to the vacuum? My daughter used to LOVE the vacuum noise as an infant. Now as a toddler, she screams and cries if she even SEES the vacuum in the room. Once I turn it on, she runs crying out of the room. I feel terrible turning it on. But now my house is being taken over by dust and cat hair. She’s home with me all day, and by the time my husband gets home it’s time for her to go to bed, so there’s no chance to vacuum in the evenings while he has her. Just wondered how I can get her used to this activity! marysmom2006-11-15 15:54:17

November 15, 2006 at 4:02 pm #18099

Anonymous
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Sry – Matthew hates it – that and the blender!!! I just do all the stuff at the weekend, when husband takes him outside usually…

November 15, 2006 at 4:05 pm #18100

Anonymous
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Dylan just started getting used to the hairdryer and the vacuum. I either did it on the weekends with DH around, or just let him cry for a bit until it was done…. Now I have a cleaning lady do it when nobody is home now that I am back at work. The sitter takes the kids outside or Dylan is still at school sometimes when they come.

November 15, 2006 at 4:33 pm #18101

hellbennt
Keymaster

Jonah just got over these things, too (he’s 3).

He would hear the vacuum or the drill (ha ha my dh is hardly a handy man, but he does do a few things, lol) and cover his ears and say “NOISE!”

I suppose you can try and condition her? (I didnt do this but my babysitter started to- she lacked follow-through, lol)

take out the vacuum and leave it somewhere where she’ll see it. leave it there a while. then have her touch it. then get silly and play with it (still not turned on)…not sure how long to do each of these steps, but probably a while…

maybe even cut out pictures from a magazine as a cute glueing project & cut out flowers, vegetables, vacuums…

talk incessently (that’s what I’d do, my poor kids) about the vacuum to her for a few days…

November 15, 2006 at 4:39 pm #18102

Anonymous
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My kids like to ride on the vacuum cleaner while I vacuum. I just try to make it fun for them so they don’t get scared. I tell them they can have a fun ride, then set them on it. Then I warn them that there’s going to be a big noise (in a positive way). They have a blast. Gives you a good workout too . They like “helping” too. I just let them help me push it for a little while.

November 15, 2006 at 4:43 pm #18103

Anonymous
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Alexis use to hate the vacuum cleaner as well. We actually got her a toy dirt devil like mommy’s and everytime I vacuum she does too. Her vacuum cleaner makes the noise too but very quietly, I tell her mine is so loud is because it is so much bigger and I’m picking up more dust than her’s. She thinks the more she pushes her’s around the more dust it will pick up and therefore get bigger and louder than mine. Same goes for the blender and hair dryer, she has toy ones that she uses when I use ours.

November 15, 2006 at 4:57 pm #18104

hellbennt
Keymaster

Heather & Sue,

I love your suggestions!!

I wanna live with you, lol

November 15, 2006 at 5:17 pm #18107

Anonymous
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The dreaded vacuum cleaner. I babysat for lots of toddlers who were afraid of and two of mine were too, so it seems it must be a common toddler fear.

I think Ellie got over her fear of the vacuum because I would become so desperate to vaccuum the pigsty we were living it that I’d just turn it on and hold here while vacuuming; not fun…she was heavy…..but it did get her used to it and she eventually stopped being afraid of it.

November 16, 2006 at 10:54 am #18132

Anonymous
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Brianna used to HATE the vacuum, and I kind of did the same thing that Christine did. We have two dogs, a lab and a rottie mix, so I had no choice but to vacuum. But I would hold Brianna, and let her hold the vacuum and help push it. I think in the end this is what really got her over the fear…my daughter has always wanted to do everything that the adults do . So as soon as she started helping me vacuum, she started to like the vacuum….we even named it (don’t laugh). Now I vacuum every morning…sometimes Brianna still helps me, and sometimes she just walks behind me while I vacuum.

Good luck!

November 16, 2006 at 9:12 pm #18197

Anonymous
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I have a 3 year old who also just got over her fear, but what helped was getting her a special toy to play with in her room while I vacuumed. We only got the toy out at that time and it stayed on a shelf in her closet until the vacuum came out. She actually started to be excited to see the vacuum come out after awhile because she got to play with the toy again. She would stay in her room while I vacuumed the rest of the house and then she would take her toy into the living room while I did her room. It worked great!

November 17, 2006 at 10:26 am #18228

Anonymous
Inactive

Naomi, that’s a great idea!! I’ve used special toys for different things and it often helps. I never thought of it for fears, though. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I have a three yr. old with lots of fears.

November 18, 2006 at 6:23 am #18288

Anonymous
Inactive

Kaelyn used to love the vacuum and now she’s not thrilled with it. If I let her push it or she uses her toy vacuum while I’m vacuuming, she is usually fine. I’ve also let her ride on it while I vacuum. Sometimes she loves that, other times she totally freaks out. We have a tri-level, so our family room and living room are on different levels. So, sometimes she’ll play on one level while I vacuum the other and that usually helps as well. I got a Roomba last year, and I use that for a lot of the daily type vacuuming. It’s great because I can just turn it on and then leave the room, so we can all be in a totally different area of the house while the vacuum is going.
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