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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:
jooseyfruit · 15/09/2010 09:37

I have phobia of balloons. I cannot be in the same room as them.

I'll always be the one to leave though.

Firawla · 15/09/2010 09:47

I think that mum should have taken her dd home if it was such a problem, rather than tell the others they can't have it, especially as the actual event had finished. Also agree with the poster who said the mum should try to get her dd used to it rather than reinforcing the phobia by keep saying "oh no dont have balloons my dd cant be in the room with them"
I would have thought wtf in that situation too

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 15/09/2010 10:00

Ballon phobia hadn't occurred to me - I just thought it would be a dislike of balloons - the popping or whatever upsets that child about them. Guess my Hmm was that someone would stop a person trying to do something nice for all the children just because her child didn't like something. Thinking on though it would be as hame for one little girl to miss out on the after fete mania just for some balloons.

I have nanosophobia - fear of dwarfs/midgets Blush Awful I know - thing is I used to LOVE the Wizard of Oz as a child!

OP posts:
ChippingIn · 15/09/2010 10:04

Nesta/Howstheserentity/Firwala - the children were having a run around in the hall - it wasn't necessary to get balloons out, they weren't already up, she simply asked that they weren't blown up so that her daughter could stay, there were plenty of things the kids could play without balloons - as for suffer - FGS, not playing with balloons is hardly suffering. The kids didn't even know there were going to be balloons, so it's doubtful that they sat around upset about not having them!

Mowiol · 15/09/2010 10:10

Curiosity satisfied Minxie- I am a nosey old bat. Grin

Actually I have another nosey question - if I may? (And please tell me to bog off if I've overstepped the mark!)
How do you cope if you meet someone with dwarfism?

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 15/09/2010 10:14

Not very well - am getting past it. There's a mum at Dr surgery who's DS has it and it's helped me get it in perspective a bit. I see this lovely little boy and have a word with myself along the lines of 'get a grip Minxie - how awful to be scared of a person, what if that was your own child'

Few years ago though I walked into a bar as a midget was climbing onto a stool and just walked out again. I was shaky and panicky - it is a phobia not just being nasty!

OP posts:
2shoes · 15/09/2010 10:17

SerendippyHmm

yanbu
the mum said the child "didn't like them" not that they had a phobia.
daft imo

ChippingIn · 15/09/2010 10:18

Minxie - I wonder if the Mum & Son are our lovely MN'er & her son? Wouldn't that be a lovely coincidence :)

2shoes · 15/09/2010 10:18

Minxie1977 bloody hell. so being afraind of migits/dwarfs is now a phobia, I thought it had another name!!!
Hmm

BaresarkBunny · 15/09/2010 10:19

My ds has a major phobia of balloons and I'm certainly not pandering to his fear. He's ok if he's playing with it but if another child is he's very nervy until it pops then it's him screaming with his hands over his ears.

It's heartbreaking becuase he wants to stay at the party but is to scared. So now before we go to a party I ask if there will be balloons there.

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 15/09/2010 10:21

Such as??

OP posts:
brassband · 15/09/2010 10:22

The children have had a good enough time in the past without balloons.I think to not spoil it for this child was the right thing to do.Can't believe others think differently.

Mowiol · 15/09/2010 10:28

Minxie - you sound like you are working hard to rationalise your fear.
Good for you - and 2shoes there is no accounting for phobias sometimes and Minxie obviously feels bad about it.

fartblossom · 15/09/2010 10:29

Well I am scared stiff of balloons. I cant be in the same room as one. I absolutely HATE going to a family friendly restaurant where they hand out balloons, cos no doubt the table next to me will have a lovely child with a balloon and I will spend the whole time panicing, sweating and constantly keeping an eye on said balloon to make sure that it didnt look like it wasnt going to burst. Really ruins my meal and Id rather leave.

Now I wouldnt make a fuss, but I probably would make some excuse and leave. I certainly wouldnt make other people not have balloons (only my children [evil emotion face] just cos Im afraid of them. Thats my problem not theirs.

As a child I was around balloons on occasions. It wasnt till I was about 15/16 when my mum stopped putting balloons up at xmas (when someone on TV had the same balloon phobia as me and she realised it was more than just being a bit scared), Id been to parties where balloons were a feature (both as a child and more recently at friends LO's parties). However, this phobia has not gone away and I certainly wasnt pandered to regarding it. My mum just told me to get a grip with it (but like I said that was before she realised I had a proper phobia - like she has with birds)

Consequently (I believe) I dont like the feel of rubber. I wont wear rubber gloves, I dont like the rubbery texture of some veg.

Having said all that I have no problem whatsoever with foil balloons, just the rubbery normal ones.

2shoes · 15/09/2010 10:29

Mowiol oh ok then ....yeah

fartblossom · 15/09/2010 10:31

I also have another fear of small fiddly things ie small coins and things that fasten up clothes (sorry cant even say the word or think it) and other similar stuff. Go all funny when I have to touch the stuff. I hate buying something thats 99p and getting the change ugh!!!! But Im strange and thats just me.

Gigantaur · 15/09/2010 10:33

I have a phobia of moths/butteflies.

I will be sick/scream/run around like a loon if faced with one.
I have very nearly crashed a few ties if one has flown past the windscreen.

I cannot be in a room with one.

I could not attend a family wedding as the bride wanted to release butterflies instead of confetti.

A phobia is not a toddlers whim.

It is also not just a bizaar discriminatory dislike to people who have a condition that affects their height.
Hmm

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 15/09/2010 10:33

Chip - would be lovely Smile as long as my insanity phobia didn't upset her - which I have a feeling it might, it seems it's already being implied as discrimination Sad

OP posts:
fartblossom · 15/09/2010 10:35

www.associatedcontent.com/article/239983/uncommon_phobias_the_fear_of_balloons.html

hope this link works, Ive never done one before.

fartblossom · 15/09/2010 10:37

globophobia

Original poster
Minxie1977 · 15/09/2010 10:37

X-post to see not implied but stated now! Where do I discriminate? I have always treated the people I have interacted with equally - but due to mu phobia have attempted not to interact in the past. Anyway this thread wasn't about me and should've known better than to mention it on AIBU

OP posts:
sugarlake · 15/09/2010 10:38

I have an extreme balloon phobia and as a result, never attended any parties/places where there would be balloons. Even the word freaks me out a bit.

I have had CBT, hypnosis etc to help with the phobia - I felt that I would die if I was near them even when they were in a packet.

The fear stemmed from a puff adder going underneath my sibling's pram when I was three. It puffed up at me but did not strike. I eventually transferred the 'puffing up' to balloons, hence the phobia.

I have learned to cope with being nearish to a balloon (although I would never touch one and cannot be rid of the feeling that they will burst at any time). It is a horrible, miserable phobia (as balloons are associated with fun).

Mowiol · 15/09/2010 10:39

The important thing Minxie is that you are working on it. It's not something you can just magic away.
For what it's worth I have a family member with this condition and I'm not feeling "offended" on his behalf. You clearly feel bad about it and sound like a nice person.

Mowiol · 15/09/2010 10:40

I'm really sorry I asked you now and placed you in this position Sad

Serendippy · 15/09/2010 10:42

How is being scared of people with dwarfism different to being scared of clowns, which is an accepted phobia. People are stating that phobias are uncontrollable, in which case you are just as likely to have a phobia of a person as of a butterfly, also ridiculous as they cannot harm you and you know you are being irrational. This comment is rude and shows a lack of understanding, perhaps your phobia is not as debilitating as you like to make out, Gigantaur, if you can't understand other people's irrational fears.

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