16 month old afraid of certain types of trash cans

[nervousmommy]

He's fine with some..wary of others and downright petrified of ones with swinging lids with a rounded top. Screams with the diaper champ.

I think I did a really bad thing by trying to show him it was ok and taking him with me to put a diaper in it. He was in the ergo and his body went ridgid and he sceamed! It was awful

Now I'm sure he's going to need therapy at some point in his life because his bad mommy forced him to witness a diaper go in the trash can he is terrified of.

Does anyone have experience with children and these fears? How do I help him? Is it rooted in something else? We don't leave him that much..could that be an issue?
I love this little man sooooo much!! We are a babywearing, co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, attachment parenting family. I'm a SAHM.

[sapphire_chan]

I'm betting he'll get over it. Meanwhile, try opening it with your hand instead of the foot pedal (or put your hand on the top so it opens more slowly) and see if that helps. Or see if he's interested in working the pedal himself, maybe go to the store and let him explore a smaller trash can.

And just talk him through it. "The trash can lid is going to open so we can put the trash inside. Do you want to put trash inside?" and use whatever you usually say for fun stuff "ready? 1..2...3!"


Also, I'm jealous that his freak out is about something you can control. Worse comes to worse, tuck it into a closet and use it for stuff you don't want him getting into. Lina's freak out is beeping. Like my phone ringing, the alarm clock (only when it's in the next room though, , car horns, which can't be planned for.

If it's any comfort, they started freaking her out about a month ago, and while she still runs for me with a shriek she also pats my cheek and hugs me and kisses me and tells me "s'okay, s'okay, phone (or car or 'beep'), s'okay"