To worry about DD being left alone in the world?

[olivestree]

DH and I are lucky enough to have tickets to the closing ceremony of the Olympics. We have four tickets and are taking MIL and SIL with us and leaving 9 month old DD with (unofficial) Godparents.

I know how crazy this sounds, but I am feeling a bit uneasy about this situation as I think the event is a prime target for a terrorist attack. In normal circumstances that wouldn't stop me from doing anything, but in this instance I am worried because my DD's whole family (with the exception of elderly GF) will be at the event. All of my family live in Australia, so if the worst were to happen there would literally be NO ONE to come home to her, until my Mum got here. The thought of it makes me feel physically sick and not want to go.

Am I being ridiculous? WWYD?

I can totally understand you feeling that way.
If you'd said your baby was 9 weeks I'd say it was perfectly normal. But at 9 months, I'd say that is an unhealthy level of anxiety, and you need to consider seeing your GP.
I've felt exactly as you do in the past OP, so I sympathise. But it isn't rational, and it isn't healthy.

All this stuff about security at the games is a bit scary, I admit, but I have a fatalistic attitude to terrorism. You could be the victim of it every time you leave your front door. Every time you ride a train, bus or plane, every time you walk past a public litter bin or mail box. If your number's up, it's up, but the chances of you being caught up in something like that are infinitesimal. Think about it. Even if there was an attack, the chance that the bomb (or whatever), goes off right near you and your family are not even worth worrying about. FWIW I often fly on Sept 11, because the planes are half empty!

I wouldn' t have said it's an unhealthy level of anxiety for a parent!. The thought has crossed my mind too and we're only going to the beach volleyball

I agree with fairy, but , on a pratcical level, do you have a will? You can appoint guardians so you have people in this country who have a voice in who looks after your dd if anything happens to you. It made me feel a bit more at ease about things in general once we had done it.

I can understand, but I think a scarier thought is your dd growing up believing that she should be scared to do things she wants to do in case a terrible thing happens.

The olympic stadium will be as safe as possible, you can never stop tragedy happening, but you can enjoy life while you can.

Several years ago nearly my whole family was away together.
Me and DH our 2 (at the time) kids and my parents.

My DSis did not holiday with us.

we were in a car crash. We were all in hospital abroad. We were extremely lucky it was not fatal.

My parents were worried most of all that if it had been any worse she would have been left on her own.
Sister was 30 that year.

Missnevermind, I'm sorry to hear that happened to you, and I'm glad that it all turned out OK. But do you really think your post was helpful to the OP?

I think that the level of anxiety that you have, is unusual, if it does stop you from going. That does need to be addressed.

However, tbh, since i have been widowed and before my eldest reached 25, i felt the same, over my younger two. If you have a practical frame of mind, you do think about this.

You shouldn't 'feel sick' when you think about it, though. I am more careful, now, as my youngest has LD's and needs me around, able to work. I don't take the risks that i used to, but i would attend any event.

For me, meditation gets rid of stress, but it depends on what level you are at. Go and see your GP, as suggested, if you feel that your anxiety is affecting how you live/enjoy your life.

I think this sort of thing all the time as I live in Australia with dh and dc and we have no family here. I think about it when i am with dh and not dc in case we die and they are utterly alone.

Although it sounds mad I think it's hard for people unless they are in that situation. My dds would have to go into care until my family found out and someone got over here to get them.

But you have your unofficial godparents. That would be enough for me as I know (as I'm sure you do) that it's faaaaaar more likely not to happen.

Thanks for the replies.

Fairy your post made me . I don't regularly feel like this, and know I am being ridiculous. I don't think this calls for a GP visit really. Thanks for the concern though.

I agree with you juneau, I have just been made a bit nervous by the fact that it is all of us going to an event that the whole world will be watching.

Bolivia all of that is in place, but even that leaves her with SIL if something were to happen to BOTH DH and me. Might have to look into adding an extra clause or something.....

Fair enough Olivestree. I was only trying to be supportive, anxiety can be crippling.

Nice to have someone understand where I am coming from Savoy. I suppose it also stems from not having a support network even for babysitting, who we usually only have SIL for. This is the first time we are leaving her with the Godparents.
It isn't easy not having any of your own family around, but I do know it is much worse for some who don't have any family at all.
Savoy maybe our respective families can be surrogates for each other.

I didn't mean to sound rude Fairy. It is just that I do know I am being silly, and it isn't a problem for me usually.

We go out once a year. Without fail.

3 times since October. Hardcore.

You wouldn't catch me in London in August if my life depended on it!

Right sorry to throw a spanner in the works but BIL works in terrorism insurance. He has been invited to corporate events at the olympics but he is not going to go into London because of the risk of a terrorist attack

Mind you, I'd not be worried about the stadium so much. Terrorists have already brought London to a standstill by bombing the underground on a normal day. Imagine the chaos mid Olympics!

I think it's normal to worry like this when you have children , we're going to the Olympics next week and I do worry about something happening but I won't let the worry stop me going . If it starts to take over your life thats when you need to seek help.

Don't spend your time worrying that something awful might happen whatever you do. If you go through life like that you will have a miserable time and not enjoy anything. If you want an interesting life you have to make things happen. If you thought about terrorists being at the Olympic Games, why did you accept or buy the tickets?

I think it is an understandable sort of worry in the climate that we live in today, but a)it is highly unlikely, and b)if the absolute worst did happen, at 9 months your child would be blissfully unaware of it, and be cared for until your Australian relatives got to her..

So go, and have a great time!

I think I've read of some parents always flying separately because of concerns like these. Statistically it's very unlikely anything will happen, but there are no guarantees in life.

I do understand your concerns though, as I'm a lone parent with no exP involvement, so DS would alone in the world if I died, and that's something I've always been aware of. All you can do is make plans, ensure your will is up to date and that she is provided for.

There is so much hype and farce going on with the Olympics I think even the potential terrorists won't be arsed with it! In fact there's probably more of a chance they'd turn their attention elsewhere but there is going to be more intelligence stuff going on than you could fit in an episode of Spooks.

Seriously though I think everyone visualises these scenarios at some point. I was worrying about my DD learning to drive the other night, couldn't get to sleep because of it...she's 4.

at Samuel's 4 year old learning to drive.

Britannia I don't normally sit about worrying about these things so it didn't cross my mind when I bought the tix. It is only now that is getting closer and also that all four of us are going together that it has occurred to me.