Vocal Voices

Oliver has developed a fear of the plug in his bathtub. At the end of bath time he's literally shaking with fear and scooping the toys out of the water as fast as he can.

He's now getting to the point where he doesn't want any toys in the bath for fear of what ever it is happening to them.

Poor lad, he shakes like a leaf and screams in fear.


I've figured out that this bath has a noisier draining sound than our old bathroom. And I think he thinks that there might be something in be drain that might get him/toys?? Like a monster? But his language still isn't really good enough to tell me exactly what is bothering him, so it's a bit of a guessing game. He's only 2 but has a really good imagination.


Any ideas on how I can help him to overcome this?

It sounds like you have hit the nail on the head Weka. Try asking a plumber to come in and fiddle around with the pipes? Maybe that would ease the little lad's fears.

How about getting in yourself first without Oliver but with the toys, pulling out the plug and carry on playing and talking calmly and showing him that it''s ok? Make a big game of it. If he gets used to that try it again with O in there, then eventually on his own.

Might not be a bad idea as well to get the noisy pipes looked at

Is it that when Oliver sees the water disappearing down the plug hole he thinks that he and his toys might get sucked down there too? As Cromwell says, see if a plumber can help with the noise. Also try to explain to Oliver that only the dirty water goes down the hole not clean things like him and his toys.

Just seen Kaz's reply, that's a good idea.

Suggest you do not run the water out till he is elsewhere? Or perhaps you could give him a shower instead of a bath.

i was going to say the same dont empty the bath while he is in the bathroom
tell him the toys can have a play while you take him out of the bathroom to dry him
show him the toys after

Thanks for the ideas. we cant do anything about the pipes at the moment, we just haven't go the time yet. The bath drains so fast though, I'm wondering if something maybe in the pipe to let some air in???? I'm not even sure if our pipes are internal or external.

He won't leave the toys in the water, he's so so scared. Poor thing. He's starting to not want the toys in there at all and kicks up an almighty fuss when Sasha wants to put one in there to plAy with.

Sasha went through this too about the same age, but it only lasted about a week.

I think you are on to something about leaving the toys and water in the bath till he's left the room, the show him them back in their basket. Then after a couple of days maybe I could show him a couple still in the bath?

Poor thing, he really is petrified.

Something I was thinking of was to make a spinner which will spin in the vortex when the water goes out. He should be fascinated by the way it spins (colours etc and also see that it doesn't go anywhere or get harmed).

Just a thought.

BTW for the vacuum thread, our middle Grandson didn't like the hoover. It turns our he has very sensitive hearing and doesn't like loud noises in general. Still finds large tools in the workshop difficult at 13 but has no issue with quite battery drills so it's not mechanised technology, just the noise. Try some earmuffs on him.

Suff you could be spot on there! My Harry hated the hoover when he was little, cried and sobbed and shook when it was on............I had to hoover when he was at nursery or school......He has incredibly sensitive hearing - he can hear conversations downstairs when he is in his bedroom on the top floor Seriously he can.............

Maybe Olly is the same? xxxx

Noise is a common factor with the bath and the vacuum.

Children do have sensitive hearing and it could be that Oliver is hearing sounds just outside the adult range with the bath and the vac and that these sounds scare him.