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Crash, Boom, Bang
When Your Toddler Is Afraid of Loud Noises
By Keath Castelloe Low
Lerner encourages parents to be good observers so they can better understand how their child reacts to both lights and sounds. Oftentimes children who are sensitive to noise will also have sensitivities to bright lights.
"Children come into the world wired a certain way, but they are also adaptable and malleable," Lerner says. They are in constant interaction with their environment. Researchers are even able to see changes in a child's brain based on a child's experiences. For example, children deprived of stimulation at an early age actually have smaller brains.
As babies grow older and into the toddler years there is an increased awareness that the world can sometimes be a dangerous place. Sounds that previously did not bother them may become a source of distress – the vacuum, the toilet flushing, thunder, the blender in the kitchen, the hairdryer, a dog's barking, etc.
Jeanne Sager, a mom from Callicoon Center, N.Y., says her 3-year-old daughter is so afraid of the automatic hand dryer in their local Target store that on one embarrassing trip to the potty the noise of the hand dryer turning on caused her daughter such anxiety that she tried to yank the stall door open and run away while Sager was still using the toilet!
The key is to approach the situation with a sensitive and nurturing parenting style. Try to anticipate your child's reactions. When you know something will cause distress, make sure you are close by to provide comfort. Be calm and loving as you respond.
Lerner points out that parents don't need to overprotect their child. Instead she encourages parents to help their child acclimate to change in sound by empowering and giving the child a better sense of control. If the reaction is a result of fear, your approach will be very similar – gradually getting your child used to or familiar with the sound so it is not so frightening, helping him to understand that he is safe and secure, and providing him with techniques to feel a better sense of control and safety.
