To be horrified at DD touching condom in park

[mcleanclan]

Yesterday we went to what I thought was a nice park, just as I spread my picnic blanket and noticed what looked like a condom in the grass (ie not a balloon I am sure), DD who is 7 noticed it too and went to pick it up! I grabbed her other arm and screamed and her fingers just brushed it (I think she isn't sure she touched it). I sprayed some antiseptic stuff on her fingers but still feel disgusted and paranoid about diseases/germs. Other people I have told don't seems as grossed out as me including DH but it is the thought of it makes me feel ill, esp as I have a 4 month old who will be crawling in a few months. Is this over paranoia or should I be expecting this when I take my kids to the swings and scan the grass every time?

YANBU atall! I would complain to the council if it was me. You are not being paranoid, if it had been one of mine, I would prob be so worried I Would have rung NHS direct or made the doc do a blood test to check they hadn't caught something < paranoid mum emotion >.

It's disgusting, but there's honestly no risk of your daughter catching anything from it. But definitely gross, I'd have been a bit freaked as well.

YANBU to feel disgusted, but YABU to feel that she may get infected from it.

I was thinking of ringing the council, think I will. I did ring NHS direct and they said HIV lives for a very short time outside body and Hepatitis still low risk . I remembered my daughter has Hep B vaccine from when we lived in Oz and Hep C is transferred by blood so not really a risk. Still bit worried though...

My 2yr old ds picked one up the other day at playground. I did shriek a bit but just wiped his hands with baby wipes and forgot about it until now! Was surprised he found it tho was in v small kids playground. Bleurgh.

Always a good move to scan the park for dog shit, broken glass, condoms and needles.
At 7, she really shouldn't be picking up litter by hand anyway.
I do think you are over-reacting as to the level of disease and infection your children are risking in a park, but my sister is the same so I won't argue the point further.

Oh, egg? Small children's playgrounds often have more shelter available and are usually unoccupied in the middle of the night.
So if you are a teen with nowhere to go...

it's gross but so is dog shit and that's got to be more toxic

8 month old managed to chew up somebody else's discarded chewing gum in the park.

She's 8yo now and perfectly fine. Revolting funny family story she takes as much delight in as anybody else.

YANBU to be horrified but agree wiht others that it happens.
My park checklist is
Check slides for
dogshit, human shit(oh yes), broken glass, paint.
Check under slide for same.
Check under swings and on swing seat
Check in climbing frame for condoms and remove with long branch if necessary.

It's not pleasant but got to be done!

Wash her hands, move on.

If she had a natural birth, she probably has had vaginal secretions on her before, which is all the condom will have on it (unless she got in the middle of it - but she was a sperm once too!)

What I'm saying is its not that scary, but yuck to think about.

YANBU to feel disgusted, but you are BU to have screamed, and to be so paranoid. You cleaned her hands. Its not as if she played with it / put it in her mouth!!

YANBU hepatitis can live for a week outside the body.

I try not to scream if I get a fright as it can cause a phobia / OCT in a child if you over react. try and be calm around your children, even if they are eating something they find.

If your DD has had all her vaccinations it should put your mind more at rest. keep their nails short and wash their hands when they come in.

I always check around for shit, glass, fag buts, needles and condoms. Just part of going to the park!!

I would definitely try to ease off on the screaming and yanking the hands out of things - be calm and talk about how not to touch any glass, needles and condoms they find.

Our playgrounds here thankfully get cleaned up every morning before we ever get there (was chatting to council man the other day). We rarely even see any rubbish at ours until later in the day and council man said they clear away any bottles etc left by the teenagers drinking there at night.

Never seen any poo or anything really unsightly thankfully until the other day!

Thanks for all your support/advice and opinions have taken it all on board. DH saying well did she put it in her mouth - no - so stop worrying!! Obviously she is 7 years not 7 months so that wasn't likely!!! Will be more vigilant in future though and I was a teenager once so I do get the 'no where else to go' scenario., just be better if they dumped it in a bin after!!