17 Month Old Concerned About Every Sound

Unfortunately, this is the age of fear. Every little sound seems to set toddlers off. Other times, a particular sound can make them elated! It's a touch and go time and he'll work out of it. As for the bionic ears, just be thankful that he has great hearing.

Good luck.

Hi L.,
Your son sounds like a typical toddler. He is learning about the world around him.
While his ears may seem bionic, it is just that he can hear sounds that you cannot anymore. Have you heard of stores that put in a sound wave machine that only teens can hear? It deters them from hanging around stores. Adults have lost the ability to hear it...my children tell me which stores have them!

As for the fears, it is normal. My son used to be frightened of any and all Disney witches. My nephew was terrified of the train that came through town and fireworks.
As long as you are supportive and explaining things to him, he will outgrow these things.

L.- I think your son is totally normal. Not that I am the sage of experience here- I am a relatively new mom myself, but my 21 mo. old daughter does all of the same things- she HATES the furnace- she begs to come into the basement w/ me and then clings to my legs and cries when we go by the furnace. She did the same thing w/ vacuums for a while that your son is doing with the snowblower- we'd be in Target and she'd freak out if she saw a vacuum! I laughed about the Curious George thing because our daughter also watches it and while the mean gopher man doesn't bother her (lol!) there were a couple of other episodes that always made her cry, even though she asks to watch it every day!!! I think like others have said, they are just recognizing their fears- fun, fun!

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know that my 19 month old daughter has the same kind of behaviors as your son. Maybe it's just a developmental thing?? I have heard that kids this age just need reassurance...lots of it. Good luck!

Good Morning L.:

Both of my children were very curious about sounds. We went through a similar phase with both about the sounds in the house. What's that? My daughter has been more sensative to sounds since she was an infant. She also has had to have tubes put in her ears when she was younger.

My son was obsessive about things being clean and put away until preschool/kindergarte. He needed to see other kids leave things out and get dirty and the clean thing was over. He is now 11 and needs to be regularly reminded to tidy his room.

Have a good day!

J.

Toddlers go through phases and most of them are nothing - just annoying or frustrating to the child and the parents. One thing you can consider is showing him how the noisy thing works - sometimes having Mom start the lawnmower or turn on the furnace shows the child that Mom is in control of the item and therefore it is not something to fear. Explain that it's much easier for Mom if the furnace goes on by itself. Of course, you don't want the child to see exactly what you do for these things such that he is able to start or turn off the appliance himself!

Take note of whether this is just sounds or whether it shows up with other senses. Do lights both him? Or rapidly moving objects? What about tastes & textures in his food? How about the feel of fabrics - is he constantly touching (or avoiding) certain things such as a rough bedspread, a bath towel, a couch, etc. I don't mean loving his favorite blankie - I mean more than that. Not sure what you mean when you say he is a little obsessive compulsive - is in in the sensory area? There is something called Sensory Integrative Disorder (or Dysfunction - depends on who you ask). This can be evaluated through the pediatrician or early intervention services. There are various treatments for it but I know a lot of people who have addressed this nutritionally so it doesn't have to be a drug solution.

Take some notes for a while and then you can figure out how to proceed. If it goes away while you're taking notes, then you know it's a phase. If you notice it in other areas, then you'll have some detailed information for any professional you choose to consult, if you go that route.

Good luck!

my kids did the same thing- my second more than my first. They eventually outgrew it- it was worse when we went to sleep over at a different place (like a hotel or Gramma's) and it was time for bed, but daytime was like that as well to a certain extent. She never liked loud sounds (true to this day and she is 14- hates fireworks!)like the hair dryer, etc. But otherwise she is a normal, well-adjusted teen. Loud noises don't bother her to the extent they did when she was little, she just avoids long times with the hair dryer or vacuum, but enjoys music, drums, etc.
Not any advice in there, just reassurance that you are not alone and that it can all work out ok, just with some frustration for you both now. Good luck!

I laughed as i read through this because it sounds just like my 19 month old son. We own a an apartment and everytime the cats run around upstairs he points and says whats that. He is forever running to the window when a trucks drives by or if he hears a plane. I think that it is very normal, kids have great hearing, a good thing to remember inthe car, i try not to turn the music up to loud because i know his hearing is better then mine. As for being afraid of loud noises, this is a normal phase also. me son was soooo afraid of the vaccumm for a long time but now he thiks it is a game every time i pull it out. Some noises they get use to and others they contiue to dislike, it's all normal

Your child may just have oversensitive ears or it may be something else. You can read about Auditory Integration Training at this website, but you should also talk with your pediatrician. There could be a very simple solution to solving this issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_integration_training
Auditory integration training (AIT) aims to address the sensory problems such as hearing distortions and hyperacusis (oversensitive hearing), which are said to cause discomfort and confusion.

I did not copy the whole article, you can read it on your own, but read this info - if any of the examples at the website sound familiar, you should talk more thoroughly with your pediatrician. Good luck!

Hi,
You asked 2 great questions. What is typical? and How can I help him feel more secure?

Typical behavior for this age includes many fears and concerns as he is figuring our his world. Another writer suggested you write down any concerns you have, as this will help you if you are concerned about the intensity or duration of reactions, and want to discuss it with your pediatrician.

For now, you might choose to do a few things. When he is fearful, be kind, but do not try to "talk him into anything". Matter-of-fact reactions on your part will model appropriate reactions.(Yes, honey, it's a noisy snowblower. Right now it's quiet because it's not turned on.) You may also choose to completely limit t.v. for now. It's rapid rate, in-you-face, graphics and sound are too intense for many children. They are fascinated by it, but cannot internalize what they see and hear peacefully. Finally, security is fostered when life is on a regular schedule, so for now at least, try to keep his day predictable and routine.
Take care

You could be describing my daughter!!! It was very hard to deal with. She didn't seem concerned to know what the noise was, but she had overly sensitive hearing. She would block her ears when I would flush a public toilet. We couldn't go into places where there was loud music. She would have a melt down about going to the bathroom in a publis restroom because of the noise of the toilet. I will tell you, now that she is 4, it has phased out dramatically. My daughter also had an obsessive compulsive tendency. Like if I picked up her cup and put it back down in the "wrong" spot she would yell at me that it didn't go there and put it back in the "right" spot. Again, that behavior has stopped as well. It is nerve wracking to deal with though. Does he have other fears like water, fans, swings, slides, ect?

Sounds like you have a very bright little boy who is just at an age when he is becoming aware of his surroundings. Unlike a baby who is nearly totally focused on self.
Loud noises can be very frightening to a small child...like the snow blower.
My 3 yo grandson has spent 3 years being nearly terrified of the vacuum. Saturday he helped his Mum vacuum the floor.
Its pretty typical behavior, yes. Just reassure him that there are lots of loud noises but noises cannot hurt him.
Scare him yes, hurt him no.
Do not know what to say about the compulsivity. Maybe thank you God for a neat male child?
Give it all a tincture of time and this , too, shall pass.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

Hi L.! My son did the same thing at that age. he would hear a sound and say "What's that noises?" It just means that they're curious about the world around them. My son was really OCD about putting things back where they were originally and would fix it if I put it somewhere else or someone else did the same. It's the beginning of their "control issues." This is the age that they want to know what everything is and how they relate to it. I know the George episode you're talking about, and my son didn't like that guy either. Personally, I thought he was a bit of a creep, but that's another story.
Don't worry too much about the noise thing, he's just noticing that there are more things going on than just what's in the room he's in. You don't notice the noises because you've just gotten used to them. Adults block out noises that they area accustomed to. He'll eventually have enough info, that he'll figure most of them out on his own. Same thing with the OCD thing. My son is 3 now and he destroys his room! The putting things back where they originated is just them being able to control little things in their lives. It's good that he does it. If that were to proceed into maybe 4 or 5 years old, maybe be a little concerned, but other than that, Don't sweat it! He's just curious!