Little Miss Scaredy Pants
February 6th, 2008
I drew this yesterday but took a picture of it today. This is Baby Bug suddenly afraid of the vacuum cleaner. She’s funny. She’s been fine with the vacuum cleaner, the blender, the coffee grinder, even the loud leaf blowers outside for her whole life but suddenly she now thinks she needs to get all dramatic about them.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
My kids (8, 5 and 3) still run and jump on the couch when I turn the vacuum on.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I wish we could invent a machine that could capture dreams because I would love to know what my kids could possibly be dreaming about.. I might use it on my hubby too ;) (but he’s not allowed to use it on me :|
SAJ says: Sorry to my later readers… I deleted 4/5ths of this post (which included a part about nightmares) because it just wasn’t cohesive enough. So if you’re wondering what August is commenting about that is what. I plan to write about it tonight or tomorrow because I have all kinds of things I want to say. It was just too rough to leave as it was. (Bug woke up from her nap before I could finish the post properly.)
February 6th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
There is something about vacuum cleaners… but I love the drawing. :)
P.S. Love the new header. My daughter (5) says, “It looks like a girl Gumball!!” Which let me tell you, she would be ALL ABOUT.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
ps… CONGRATS on reaching a goal of trying to draw something every day.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
This fear of the vacuum could serve her well later in life. Whenever anyone expects her to be all house-wifey she can just say, “Sorry. I’d love to clean, really I would. It’s just that I have this crippling fear of the vacuum cleaner.”
February 6th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
When I was little, whenever mom turned on the vacuum, my siblings and I made a game out of it. The vacuum was a monster and the carpet was lava. Mom loved that all 4 of us would run and jump all over her couches while she attempted to clean. It instilled a fear in me that lasted until I was 12.
:)
February 6th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I am 32 and I have an irrational fear of lawnmowers. I am totally afraid they will chop off my toes.
Maybe she has just gotten to the developmental stage where she realizes what harm can truly from cleaning.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I was given a “my size” broom once and I had the same reaction-baby bug and I are kindred spirits
February 6th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Aw, nightmares are hard. I hope they’re not about a giant vacuum cleaner sucking her up! Look forward to reading that one. :-)
February 6th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
It might just be a developmental thing. Both my older kids were fine with loud thing up to a certain age (of course I can’t pinpoint the exact age at this moment) and then they suddenly became terrified of anything loud. They’ve mostly grown out of it now though. I’ll try to pay more attention to how old Emma is when she develops the vacuum cleaner fear. :)
February 6th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
hmmm, the nightmare post should be interesting, we are dealing with that here too…and I just posted about it yesterday. Had some neat advice on dealing with them too, will have to see if they work for us.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
You know, I wonder if it is a deeper understanding of its functions that makes change.
Maybe now she understands the vacuum sucks and it “could” suck her in that bag?
I was deathly afraid of escalators as a child once it got a hold of a sleeve of a sweater I was dragging. I still get nervous and clammy when my kids get on one and I know better.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Oh, no! Hope the nightmares don’t last.
Love the new banner, by the way. I should change mine up…
February 7th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Used to have to go find the girl and tell her that I’d be turning on the vacuum in a couple of minutes. She still freaked a little but not as bad as when I forgot to inform her ahead of time.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:43 am
How cute! My cat does the same thing. =)
February 7th, 2008 at 6:38 am
My 8 year old niece has always freaked out over anything very loud such as the vacuum. BUT her little sister has a huge imagination with it instead and pretends that the vacuum is going to get her…etc. Baby Bug’s imagination may be getting the best of her.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Lil’ Bum was scared of the vacuum once. It could have been because of all the commotion the dog caused trying to attack.
Baby Bum on the other hand is not phased at all. He will sit and watch and you can even vacuum right up next to him and he doesn’t blink an eye.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:39 am
We’ve had dogs that were bothered by the vacuum. One that seemed to be afraid; another that would attack it (more than one ruined vacuum bag to show for it).
I always figured that the vacuum motor must emit some high-frequency sound that the dogs could hear that we couldn’t.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
My almost 2 year old is doing the same thing suddenly. So…what works is - I carry her while I push around my heavy vacuum. I don’t get nearly as much done since she is about 30 lbs, but I do get a workout. I don’t suggest it.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
J didn’t like the vacuum for about five minutes one day, and I didn’t want it to continue, so I made him vaccum (he was about 2yrs old) he was never afraid again!