2 Yr Old Suddenly Has Irrational Fear

Just a phase. He'll react as long as you do.
I'd probably hold him and walk outside and assure him that all is okay, but yes it is a loud motor huh? And remain calm. Reacting by closing the blinds and such is pretty much letting him know it's ok for him to be scared. That part is up to you. Either way, it's going to most likely be a short lived phase of 2 yr old weirdness for the most part. Write it down in his babybook so you can make fun of him later ;)

Try to get to the bottom of what scares him.
I mean, if it's a neighbor across the street, what does he really think will happen?
Lawn mowers are loud and noisy and irritating. That's for sure.
But try to figure out where the fear comes from.
Is is actual fear?
Is it the loudness?
Is it just the pain of having to listen to it?

I know that plenty of times when I get home from work after a hard day, the last thing I want to hear is everybody with their lawn mowers going. It's annoying. But, I also know that with our weather, there are few days the grass is dry enough so everyone and his brother is out mowing. Can't blame them, but it doesn't make for a peaceful evening after a stressful day at work.

My son had a little toy mower that blew bubbles. Maybe you could try one of those and let him "mow" a little.

I really think it might just be the noise that bothers him. Try some ear plugs.

Best wishes.

It's probably the noise. I think the best thing to do is let him watch from a distance, such as inside the house. Explain that he everything is okay, it's just a silly lawn mower.

I thought about saying it's okay you can't get hurt ---- but I wouldn't want to tell a child that a lawn mower can't hurt them because they are dangerous if they get close. I have heard of two kids who had their feet run over and lost a few toes. So he needs to understand that a mower is dangerous but only up close.

Not sure but I think the best way to get over fears is to face them. I would find a way for him to ride with me on a riding lawn mower up and down until he figured out that it is kind of fun and does not hurt.

My oldest son did this when he was this age, only with the bathtub. So, I filled the tub, sat with him in the bath and held him as we stayed in the tub while the water drained. He screamed, clung to me and was really scared. He was afraid of going down the drain with the water. As the water was draining, I just calmly told him, telling him- I'm here and we are not going down the drain. It worked. Once he realized that he wasn't going down the drain, he was fine and we never had any other issue with the tub.

So, something has clicked in your son's brain about the mower. Maybe he thinks he will be cut, just like the grass (totally rational!), just like my son thought he would go down the drain with the water.

I would take him outside when the lawn man is there. Before he starts the mower, let your son touch it. All over. Stand right there when the yard man starts the mower. Hug him, tall him that momma is not going to let him get hurt, only the grass is being cut. Follow behind the yard man as he mows. Yes, it will be very difficult, but stay the course. If you feel its too much, take him in and try again, from the beginning, the next time he comes to mow. This is called exposure therapy, if you want to google it.

I hope this helps, good luck!

My son is 4, and has Sensory Integration Disorder, and one of the ways it manifests is loud noises. I have been able to desensitize him to various sounds, like the vacuum cleaner, but he is scared of the sound the AC makes, and the sound of the vent fan in the bathroom, especially public bathrooms because they are so echoy. Here is a little bit of information about it.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditor...

My son did the same thing at that age. He suddenly developed a fear of taking a bath. He loved it one day and the next he would scream like he was being murdered the entire time I bathed him. I would do it as quickly as possible and get it over with. The fear disappeared one day as suddenly as it had appeared, though. No explanation. It's just something he worked through. I bet it will be the same with you. Good luck!