Mommy's Little Helper

Ethan has always been afraid of the vacuum, any vacuum. They're just too loud for him. (All loud noises have always made him nervous. I went to see a fireworks show when I was eight months pregnant with him and he was completely still during it and for about an hour afterward. I thought something might be wrong with him, but that's another story.) Every time I turn on the vacuum I have to tell him to get ready and he usually runs to sit on the couch. The other day, he made a huge mess with Cheerios and I told him he needed to pick them all up. He started picking them up one by one and taking them to the garbage can. He kept getting distracted, so I mentioned to him that if he used the vacuum he could pick them up a lot faster. I said "Do you want to use the vacuum?" He, of course, said no with a nervous look on his face. I went to get the Dust Buster anyway, just in case. I, not wanting to scare him away from his task, asked him if I could turn it on. He said "NO!" and ran to the couch. I then told him I wouldn't turn it on until he said I could, but I kept reminding him that it would be faster to use the vacuum. I finally couldn't take his slowness anymore and told him I was going to turn the vacuum on, but that I would hold him so he was OK. I turned it on and he jumped, but soon warmed up to it and even put his hand in front of the nozzle. I showed him how it worked and coaxed him into touching the handle. He loved seeing the cereal "disappear" when he touched it, so he vacuumed the entire area under the table with glee. He now asks for the green vacuum when he sees a mess on the floor. Yay for little helpers!