Give it a name.  We named ours Nunu, from Teletubbies.  When ever I vacuum I say, "Nunu is hungry!"  He jumps on the couch & watches Nunu eat.  Once we named him after the vacuum on the Teletubbies we never had any trouble again!

just a thought maybe you could see if he will let you pull him along on it when it's turned off get a pillow case and put a whole in for the hose draw some eyes on it  without letting him see what it is underneth and while it's off see if he will have a ride and if not try one of his toys in it first for him to see????

dont know  but worth a try

At first E was scared.  It was big, strange, noisy and vibrates.  I allow her to come near it and help as and when she wants.  I always tell her when I am going to do it and these days she takes her dollies, makes them safe and quiet and comes back to help me. 

But she was real scared at one point, and that is where I came with the routine we have now.  The fact that she has gone from hiding under the covers and coming out to watch and now to helping me suggests i might have done something good for her, whether it was the quickest method to get her used to it i dont know, but it worked for us, and to me there was no time limit on it or urgency for her to start cleaning my floors.

Hope you find a way that works for you guys
Peace
EF.x 

My daughter was also scared of the hoover so we asked for someone to get her one (a toy) for her 2nd birthday, she loves it. She still runs away from the hoover but its to go and get her own.

My daughter was always terrified of the vacuum - and the blender, and the electric beaters, and the hairdryer.  Basically anything that made a loud noise.  I suspect she has sensitive hearing like my side of the family.  It was very awkward, but the way I got around it was to either vacuum very late at night when she was sound asleep (not in her room of course - that would be done by technique two), or to arrange for someone to take her out for a car trip or her dad would take her to the shops or something and I would do it.

At one stage I was lucky enough to be able to get a lady friend who was looking for some extra cash who was doing some cleaning for me.  So she would vacuum and do most of the cleaning while I took the kids to the playground for a couple of hours.  I miss her...

This is going to sound like child abuse but before you all attack me please.......  My son and I have always had a very funny relationship.

He was also terrified of the vaccuum cleaner and I used chase him around the house with it and say "Im guna get you" and laugh, when Id catch him Id do big rasperries on his tummy and rough him up play until he laughed.  At first he ran away screaming but after a couple of times he realised it was a game and every time I would vaccuum he'd come up to me and say "get me, get me". 

We have always had that relationship, when ever he gets cut at me, I poke him and tickle him and tease him until we both start laughing. 

Have you tried kids earplugs or earphones playing music, prehaps start vacuuming in another room first with somebody else with him to reasure him. Just an idea!!!!!

This is a common dilemma suffered  by a lot of parents... we tired allowing our little one to play with it (but never had any success). He also didn't like the lawn mower, or any other loud noises. In the end Mum or I had to try carrying him on our hip as we used the cleaner or he would just scream & scream. Eventually he learned he was safe & it wouldn't hurt him... however we still mainly use the vaccuum when he is at school or outside... The lawn mower gets used when he is at school.

Try getting him to help make ears and eyes(elephant)and stick them on the vacuum cleaner use it like normal but turned off make up a silly song and dance etc see if this helps regards Merle

Have you tried leaving the vacum out when you are not using it. Let him "play" with it or around it while it is not been used.