Weird thing Sydnee does

Hey all,

This is going to sound really weird but....

Sydnee just turned 18 months old today and the other day Syd and Jer were sitting out on the front porch talking to our friend.  There was a little Cessna type airplane flying in the sky.  Jer pointed up and said look Sydie and airplane.  She totally freaked out, ran for the door to the house and then ran back to Jer and was crying.  He held her and she buried her face in his shoulder... absolutely TERRIFIED of this airplane flying around.  It wasn't loud or anything he said.  The next day when she got up I was talking to her and said... did you get scared of the airplane?  and she got this look of fright on her face and started to whine a little and wanted to be held. 

So now anytime the word airplane is said she cries and hides her head.  So now we have forbid the kids to say the word airplane around her at all.  She has flown on one before and it didn't bother her... not like she realized that it was an airplane from the inside though.  I have never had any of my kids react like this before to an object or mention of the object.

Anyone experience this before?  Will she outgrow it?  What did you do to calm your childs fears about something like this?

B

My daughter is younger..but over the last few months we have been able to identify fears.  To me, it seems odd.  She is afraid of a cookie monster toy she used to love, a talking base-ball toy, and telephones.  Specifically, when the phone rings she goes bananas.  She cries, fusses and clinges to whom ever is closest.  We address the fears head on with the phone...it's helped some.  I.e. we don't shelter he anymore when the phone rings we answer it and talk.  We have explained to most of the people who we'd want to talk to that she's afraid of the phone, but we still have to use it.  At first I thought it was because the phone took attention from her, it still may be but she has done better.  And well- the baseball toy we play with it, with the sound off,  And cookie monster guards the electronics..LOL wrong I know.  Good luck...but I find avoiding the fear didn't help our lil one.  Hope she's over it soon. 

LOL about cookie monster guarding the electronics.  We kinda did the same thing the other day until we saw how badly it was scaring her.  We just took the gate down to the kitchen because it was scarring our wall pretty badly because the kids would hang on it or move it.  The kitchen is baby proofed.. but the dog dishes are on the floor and she gets in them.  Plus, I was cooking and I didn't want her to get hurt... ho****er, stoves, ovens and little kids scare me.  So Jer would say get out of the kitchen or the kitchen airplane is going to come out.  She would haul booty to get out of the kitchen.  LOL  It was kinda cute... but I feel bad now because she is truly afraid.  I was saying it in the car today to see if it was going to upset her... she kinda looked up out the window and then turned her head into her car seat.  I hope it passes and she grows out of it soon.

My nephew went through this at about 18 months old....but with ELEPHANTS.  He was terrified of them!  We couldn't say the word, make a movement like a "trunk" or an elephant noise.  He'd scream.... poor baby. 

He outgrew it..... Don't know why he was so scared.  He even has a toy elephant now and it's no problem. 

I'm sure Sydnee will too!

Cindy

DUCKs.  For my niece it was Ducks; we don't know why, how it got started or why it stopped suddenly but it did.    I found this website for you, maybe she'd like these planes....http://www.jayjay.com/

For my son it was that little 'pop corn' popper toy...you know, the one w/the plastic bubble and all the little colored balls the kids walk around pushing and it makes noise?  My mother brought him one...and he HATED it.  I'd never seen him react that way to anything...he'd pop it a few pops, then he'd grab the handle and squeeze it like he was trying to break it in half...shaking from squeezing it so hard...and he looked furious, squinching his face all up.  I finally put it away because it upset him so much.  A few months later, I took it out and he played with it a little...but then just ignored it.  Who knows what triggers these things.  I'm sure she'll outgrow it...and trying to avoid airplanes for a bit with her (including the word) like you're doing will probably help by not making it a big deal.  Maybe if you bought her a little toy airplane she could push around or something would let her know that they're ok?