My 3 and a half year old son has recently become scared of all things that go 'bump' but not just in the night. This is really a challenge for us because we live in an apartment so there is always noise outside from cars going over the speed bumps, and noise from the apartment above. We have tried using music machines in his room to block out the noise, but he either is imagining it (we don't ever hear it) or has very sensitive hearing. This has also become an issue with going potty in public restrooms because they tend to be echo-y. He is scared to go into the restrooms because of 'sound'. I know that even if we can't hear the sound it is still very real to him. I have tried my best to comfort him, but nothing is helping. Any advice on how to comfort him in this situation?
Hummm....id it continues, try taking him to play thearpy. I wanna say it is a phase but i recall my kids going through that.
Good that he is so aware of sounds! With your help identifying sounds of all kinds with him, he can learn that most sounds are usual and safe. There are some good books (library?) that can help him to see others his age have gone through this too. Make it a game to see who can identify each different sound before the other, when you are with him. Talk about the various sounds you two hear together at home such as: neighbors' bathroom sounds (water running, toilet flushing,) feet walking fast or slow in the unit above yours, vacuum cleaner noise and how it's too little to "suck him up", etc. Ask him if it hurts his ears because they are startling to him or if he the noises sound like they are echoing all around him, so that everything sounds like it's equal distance from him. If it's the 2nd one, see the pediatrician.
perhaps dont comfort him! these odd or new sounds are just that noise that arent going to hurt him or his feelings. he needs to see a more oh thats nothing reaction from you. the constant comfort for it is showing him that its something that needs to be scary! go ahead and tell him in a up beat happy voice did you hear that noise! wonder what it was can you guess? or even oh thats just a plane flying lets go out to see if we can find it in the sky. in the bath room make the echo fun! say his name in a happy way. or say silly words like potty, bath room. i wish i could let you hear the tone and quickness of these words.
i have done this same sort of thing for my son. i remember my nephew was scared of a lizard (from up north where there arent many creatures around). i told him in a silly voice oh thats just a lizard dont be scared. look i am going to poke it (really silly voice). ah he got away. lets catch him. muahahah (a silly evil laugh). hey come back here lizard. my nephew stopped clinging to his father and began chasing the lizard. try it out! good luck.
My daughter is three and is the same way, but not to that extreme. She hates "whirring" sounds (weedeater, fans, etc.) and hates public restrooms and will not go into the ones with fans on the ceiling or the hand dryers. I try to explain what each sound is, and it helps a little but I know it's just a phase and she'll be ok.
Grandma here... no tubes in his ears. Oddly enough, when we watched the fireworks this year, he didn't really have a problem with it. We were at a bit of a distance, but it was the same place we watched from last year, when he hid under his blanket almost the entire time. This time, he flinched a few times, but that was about it.
not sure, but maybe he has hyper sensitive ears?? did he recently get tubes placed in his ears? i know when my son did all of a sudden he could hear everyday mundane sounds that he never heard before. maybe make an appt with an ENT
My son is the same way..although lucky for me he doesn't seem to be terribly 'scared' of the sound. But I probably get asked a million times a day (no joke)--'what's that sound Mommy?'--as long as I answer with a sound he's aware of he seems okay with it! What gets me is if the sound and my answer do not meet his expectations of what he thought the sounds were, I get a broken record player asking over and over 'whats that sound...what's that sound'--he's recently resorted to covering his ears--and surprisingly that seems to be working!
When his 'monsters' make noises, I've had him make the same noise back louder and 'better'! Seems to work that way, then he doesn't seem to be scared anymore--maybe something like that would work for your lil' guy! Hope you find something that works, I'm resting in knowing its a phase that will past sooner than later I hope!
My son is the same way he is staring to deal with it better now that he's six, I bought soft ear plugs at a drug store, they come in a case and you can reuse them if they dont drop on the floor and get dirty. they dont get rid of sounds but soften them a little., he loves them
