Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think balloons can't be all bad....

127 replies

Minxie1977 · 14/09/2010 22:39

My friend goes to a village fete thing every year. The DC's run around the hall after it's all packed away - apparently it's the highlight for the DC's just getting to run about having fun. My friend took along some balloons with the intention of blowing them up for all the DC's to play with during their run about.

As she started on the first balloon, one of the mums came dashing over to say 'My DD hates balloons, would you mind not getting them out as we'll have to leave if you do'. My friend turned to her mum (also mid-balloon) and said 'You need to put them away Mum, there's a little girl who doesn't like balloons so none of the other children can have them'. Other mum said 'Oh, thanks, that's great' and walked off.

AIBU to wonder WTF!?!

OP posts:
paisleyleaf · 14/09/2010 22:41

I have come across a couple of children with a genuine problem with balloons.

musicmadness · 14/09/2010 22:42

YABU! a few kids have a real phobia of balloons, to the point of bursting into tears or being unable to be in the same room as them. Its the same as any other phobia, i.e. not rational!

Serendippy · 14/09/2010 22:43

YANBU to wonder, in fact, I am not sure what you are on about [late-at-night-sleepy-emoticon]

My DD hates balloons and we would not be able to stay in a room where one was likely to burst, but it is majority rules and you can't let one wimp nervous child ruin it.

scurryfunge · 14/09/2010 22:43

Seems a bit odd to stop everyone else from enjoying themselves though.

TonariNoTotoro · 14/09/2010 22:44

YABU.

DS used to totally freak around balloons (he's OK now he's a bit older)

Plenty of kids have phobias/strong dislike of balloons - it's the texture/noise/potential bang.

Also they're a really high risk for chocking in small children.

plonker · 14/09/2010 22:45

Hmm, I possibly would have said YANBU but I saw a little boy whilst out shopping who was terrified of a balloon ...and I do mean terrified! He was so distressed that he was covering his head and screaming, poor lamb Sad

So, with that in mind, I think YABU.
A phobia is a phobia. Would you have felt the same if it was a large tarantula left to run aroud the room?

I would prefer my child didn't have the balloon than put another child through such distress.

scurryfunge · 14/09/2010 22:47

But where does it stop? If a child has a phobia of anything, do we immediately eliminate it from all other children's lives?

misdee · 14/09/2010 22:48

dd2 would run into traffic to avoid balloons when she was younger. those balloon sellers in town was the worst.

my neice has a latex allergy and cant have balloons

plonker · 14/09/2010 22:50

That's a little dramatic scurry

It's not eliminating it from their lives scurry - it's eliminating it from the fete so that the child can enjoy the fete in the same way as everyone else.

scurryfunge · 14/09/2010 22:53

What if the same child doesn't like tombolas, bunting or whatever?.....it is madness to make everyone conform to the whim of a toddler.

The parents need to manage that phobia and deal with it not dictate to everyone else.

misdee · 14/09/2010 22:55

but this wasnt during the fete. this was for the run-around the hall afterwards?

GMajor7 · 14/09/2010 22:58

Difficult one...

I've always had a balloon phobia. I'm a little better than I was as a child, but being in a room full of children with balloons really makes me sweat!

SandStorm · 14/09/2010 23:00

YBU - the other mum asked politely and nobody seems to have raised an objection. Is this the first time balloons have been brought to the fete?

I personally can't bear balloons, not quite a phobia but not far off so I can fully sympathise with this mum and her little girl.

ChippingIn · 14/09/2010 23:01

It wasn't a big deal to not have the balloons and it meant the little girl could stay - I'm sure there are plenty of things she misses out on because of it.

At one party we put all of the balloons out into the ante room because one of the boys was scared of them - he & his Mum were just going to leave (quietly, not in a stompy way), but we didn't want that - we wanted them to stay, so moved the balloons, I don't think any of the other kids cared! At the end he left first and then we handed out the balloons to all the kids.

It's a phobia like any other.

plonker · 14/09/2010 23:03

I think a genuine phobia is more than "the whim of a toddler".

I understand your sentiment and agree that the parent needs to manage/help the child manage the phobia, but if all it takes is not getting the balloons/tombola/big scary spider out to make the child's life easier, isn't that the kinder thing to do?

Obviously you can't take a child to a funfair for example and expect that all the balloons be destroyed, but this was the end of a village fete and IMO it's really not a lot to ask the children to go without a balloon so that the phobic child can join in the run-around ...

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 14/09/2010 23:14

True about the phobia - I have a very strange one myself {blush]. Also hadn't considered the choking/latex allergy point! Hmm Although doesn't apply in this case - think we should encourage children to get past these things but totally accept a public village fete may not have been the time!

OP posts:
chipshopchips · 14/09/2010 23:15

She'd probably get used to them if the parent didn't pander to her phobia- especially when she realises she misses out on the fun if she has to leave every party where balloons are.

I used to have a phobia of daddy long legs when I was a kid- to the point of screaming in terror every time they came near me- soon got over it when I was left out of the daddy long leg catching game at school- wanted to join in so overcame the fear!

That mum should help her dd get used to balloons, not remove them.

BuntyPenfold · 14/09/2010 23:20

A really lovely nursery colleague has a balloon phobia, so the entire nursery cannot have any balloons.
We manage without them to be honest.
I agree it was a bit sad as the balloon donor meant well.

However, I cannot stand clowns and can't bear one near me - and I know it is a person in make up. Some of us are weird I suppose.

winnybella · 14/09/2010 23:20

YANBU. Sorry, but it wouldn't occur to me to tell other parents to not blow up the baloons because my child has a phobia. Ridiculous.

winnybella · 14/09/2010 23:27

Actually, YABU for not believing that someone can have a genuine phobia of ballons.
YANBU for questioning the mother's sense of entitlement.

ChippingIn · 15/09/2010 00:20

There is a difference between a child who just doesn't really like balloons - the noise when they pop and a child with a balloon phobia.

It's like not really liking standing on the edge of a cliff and having a fear of heights - the two aren't comparable.

Mowiol · 15/09/2010 08:46

Minxie1977 - I'm intrigued now! I need to know what your strange phobia is!
Mine is spiders [hopeful of getting an answer emoticon}

NestaFiesta · 15/09/2010 09:05

YANBU. I understand that some children are phobis of balloons (I am arachnophobic myself), but I think its selfish to stop the majority of children enjoying them because of one. I don't think the mother of the balloonyphobioa child should have stopped the fun of others.

And you can't compre it to a tarantula as tarantulas are not generally a wonderful part of everyone's childhood. Unless your Dad was Steve Irwin.

If my child was scared of cake, I wouldn't ban it from someone's birthday party because of my child alone.

GMajor7 · 15/09/2010 09:27

YANBU to be a bit baffled, but it's a genuine and quite distressing phobia, especially at children's parties. I'm ok if a few ballons are just hanging out in the corner of the room, but when there are several children headbutting, squeezing and sitting on them I invariably have to leave the room Blush. Completely mad I know!

HowsTheSerenity · 15/09/2010 09:33

Surely majority rules in cases like this? Only one person has the problem but everyone else has to suffer? The person/child with the fear should leave.

Swipe left for the next trending thread