Many toddlers go through a stage where they are frightened of almost anything conceivable. Most toddlers are afraid of loud noises, the dark, monsters and thunderstorms. Well, Tony does not fall into the category of most toddlers.
Over the past couple of days we have had some strong rumbles of thunder in the area that have sent our dog Phoebe scampering for cover in corners and underneath blankets, but Tony has not been fazed by the loud booms created by the lightning.
Tony has told us in the past that he does not like it when it storms, but he has not lost his cool during a thunderstorm yet this spring. Now, we also have yet to experience a really nasty summer thunderstorm, and that might change the game completely.
Tony has asked if there are monsters in his room, but the issue has never gotten to the point where he cannot sleep or refuses to go up to bed at night. He also doesn’t mind the dark.
We live very close to two major roadways in our town, which causes a lot of loud noises when tractor-trailers rumble by, but those noises don’t even faze Tony.
This is a pretty big build-up to what Tony is actually afraid of, but it is necessary, especially when you see what it is he is afraid of right now.
Our three-year-old, who is smart enough to understand and speak Italian, is afraid of some of the silliest things. Now, this is strictly my opinion here, but some of these fears are definitely goofy. I don’t know if it’s because he thinks too much into things, or if he is truly scared of this stuff or if it is a game for him.
One of Tony’s biggest fears is having to use the big-boy potty, but you already know that because we have written about it quite a bit lately. With this fear, it is not all about the potty. He hates it when we talk about him wearing big-boy underwear and even breaks down into tears and starts screaming.
His pediatrician has told us not to force the issue and just let it happen when it happens, but the fact of the matter is he has actually gone on the potty at least a handful of times successfully. After those successful adventures, Tony has gotten so excited and we have clapped, smiled and rewarded him for his efforts. But, his excitement will quickly turn back to fear when told to go sit on the potty again.
Tony’s potty fear is that he will get cut by the toilet, not that he will fall in, which is a more common fear among toddlers learning to potty-train. Not sure where this fear comes from because I have never met someone who told me they were cut by the toilet after going to the bathroom.
Tony is also scared of getting his fingernails and toenails clipped by Nonna. This has to be one of the weirdest fears he has. Nail clippers, especially pediatric ones, are so safe to use. Couple that with the fact that Nonna is very gentle and I guess I can see where his fear comes in here or am I crazy?!
Nonna went to cut his nails yesterday and he utterly lost his cool; screaming and crying and begging her not to do it. He even ran and hid behind one of our armchairs to avoid it altogether. Nonna finally was able to cut his fingernails, but when she moved to his feet, he flipped again when she tried to clip the nails on his pinky toes. I am at a loss here as to explain this fear.
Another fear of Tony’s is having his hair washed when in the tub. Now, no one likes to get soapy water in their eyes, but he takes this a little too far. Instead of simply closing his eyes and letting mommy block the water with her hand while she washes his hair; he screams, cries and fights her to the point where the soapy water gets in his eyes. He doesn’t realize that if he just sits still and let’s his mother do her thing, he won’t get any soapy water in his eyes.
I am going to attribute all of these fears, especially the one of the potty, to being a stubborn three-year-old who is not welcome to change. When we first put his big-boy firetruck bed in his room Tony broke down and wanted his crib back. He warmed up to it after a little bit and absolutely loves it now. Hopefully he will warm to the idea of using the potty like a big boy instead of sitting in dirty diapers during the day.
Fears are common among toddlers, but Tony has some interesting ones. When most kids are scared of thunderstorms, monsters and the dark, Tony fears getting his nails cut, having his hair washed and using the potty. He is a character to say the least.
Image credit: Freedigitalphotos.net
