Elevator fear!

My girls are 14 months and one of them is scared to death of elevators. When I say scared to death I really mean it......she screams and shakes unlike anything else. We were at the mall this weekend and she screamed and screamed and today at the doctors office she did it again as soon as we got on. I have never seen anything like this and didn't know if other kids were scared of elevators??? Any advice??

 

I noticed this the last time we were at the pedi too. It actually took me by such suprise seeing their reaction, that all I said over & over again was "Mommy's right here & it'll be over soon"...I didnt know what else to do..

We're scheduled to go back to the pedi in two months time so hopefully they'll be over it then...

 

when mine were younger they went in elevators fine now if we go in them my DS screams until we are out. if he is in his stroller he tried like heck to get out of it when we hold him he grabs on for dear life and cries so loud. so we tried the escalators DH held him while they went down and me and DD took the elevator. while we were waiting for the elevator i heard DS screaming all the way down the escalator. i guess its the feeling of falling that they freak out over. i think it will pass when they get older

 

Yes! That would be my son who was terrified of elevators! Now I'm not sure if he just outgrew the fear or it was just coincidence that when I took him out of his stroller and let him stand in the elevator, he wasn't scared anymore. ardon: Not sure what it was? I hope your little gets over his fear soon too.

 

My Nefeli was scared of elevators at about 1 yo. Screaming, crying and everything. I tried to get her in many different elevators often so she could get used to the idea. Also, i would make a whooosh sound right before the elevator would start so she wasn't surprised when it moved. i noticed that it was worse in dark elevators. if she could look at herself in the mirror or it was a glass elevator she could see out of she was much better so i tried more of those to get her used them. it took about a month and she got used to them. now she is excited to press the floor botton!

 

I would try letting them press the button to get on and to the correct floor, mine now LOVE to go on elevators for just this reason!

 

I hate elevators. I won't ride in them unless it's more than 5 flights or I have a stroller or something. I walked up 3 flights to all my NSTs with the girls. The nurses thought I was nuts. I think the PPs have some good suggestions.

 

My guys do not like them either....cry and cling to you. They freak when the doors close. We just use constant reassurance and count the floors down to help them relax.

 

My girls never really liked them either, one especially. She would freak out, but I would just hold her and talk to her quietly as we went up or down telling her what was happening and everything is fine. I didn't want to give into that fear and start taking the stairs all the time. They are both a lot better in elevators now.

 

yep, here too. One is way more dramatic about it than the other and she'll get her sister all worked up once the door closes. they're usually in their stroller too when we've had to use them. I reassure them as well and try not to get on with anyone else, or at least warn them to give them an option of riding with two screaming toddlers. I sure do hope they grow out of it. The button pushing would probably help quite a bit I imagine. Have to remember that one.

 

REagan did the SAME thing in elevators until here recently. The mall, the dr. office...she was just literally shaking with fear. Morgan hated them too, but she would just whimper and whine about it.

Now, they LOVE them...lol!!! Everywhere we go they ask if we can ride the "alligator!"

 

My Melissa is still afraid of them but getting better. I still have to hold her though.

And she has grandparents in high rises in the city, you'd think she'd be over it. But, she is "sensory" so it's one of those things that freaks her out.

My only advice is, just get where you are going, act like it's no big deal, let them push the buttons, count the numbers, talk about it...