to be scared of letting DS play with a balloon?

[LonelyCloud]

Our neighbours had a big party the other day. I bumped into them outside the house, and they gave DS (13 months) a balloon left over from the party. DS loved the balloon.

He had a great time waving it about, chasing it around the room, bashing me on the head with it, prodding it etc.

But my heart was in my mouth the whole time. I kept worrying about him popping it and getting a fright, or choking to death on it. After about 15 minutes or so, I just couldn't take any more and removed the balloon. I've hidden it in the kitchen where DS can't see it, and told DS the balloon was tired and needed a nap. DS wasn't happy about this. He wanted the balloon back.

I'm just not sure whether I was being rational or not here. I'm a bit nervous around balloons anyway, so I may have been letting my personal anti-balloon feelings influence me here. AIBU?

[independentfriend]

I am phobic of balloons bursting and find being around small children with balloons very difficult (as I get scared I'll frighten them with my reaction to a balloon bursting).

I think 13 months is really a bit young for balloons to play with (and I know there are some reasonable safety concerns for children under 8 with uninflated balloons), so I wouldn't return the balloon tomorrow, particularly if you're uncomfortable with it. If you're on edge he's likely to pick up on it and you probably don't want him acquiring your personal anti-balloon feelings.

What I'd do is get some trusted adults to play with balloons with him when he's 3 - 4 or so, so he gets to have fun with them, when it's a bit more age appropriate.

[LonelyCloud]

I suppose it would be safeish for DS to play with the balloon under close supervision - and agree that I may be slightly phobic here - but I'm still feeling edgy about it.

The balloon is still inflated and hidden in the kitchen. I think I'll sleep on it, before deciding whether or not the balloon's going to find itself in the bin before DS gets downstairs tomorrow morning. DS won't be having any unsupervised balloon time regardless of the decision.

[Figgygal]

Balloons terrify me we are going to be a balloon free household when DS (9mo) is bigger

[KenLeeeeeee]

YABU, but so am I about balloons. Hate the damn things & I'm constantly on edge if the kids are playing with them. I fully accept that I am a loon about this.

[Lifeisontheup]

Wouldn't worry about a child playing with an inflated balloon but take them away as soon as they pop. I used to police party bags religiously as people were for ever putting a non-inflated balloon in them all ready for a toddler to choke on it. It's perfectly designed to seal off the windpipe. Hopefully people have stopped doing this now.

[CuriousMama]

I think helium balloons will be safer susit? They don't pop like air filled.

[susitwoshoes]

golly. well, when we got married, when DD was about 20 months, we had loads of helium balloons in the house and the children loved playing with them, and none of them batted an eyelid if one went off with a bang! Glad I hadn't read this thread then. All sounds a bit paranoid to be honest.

[KellyElly]

*made me paranoid

[KellyElly]

God I never realised this about balloons. This thread has be paranoid now! At first I thought you were a bit crazy but now I guess YANBU.

[edwinbear]

I've been the same with balloons ever since I went on a St John's Ambulance paediatric first aid course and the trainer told us that with any choking related incident there was a chance of removing the object - with the exception of balloons. This scared the living daylights out of me, so I can completely understand how you feel.

[JeuxDEnfants]

Playing with them is fine, kids seem to love balloons. However once they pop or deflate you must remove them immediately. Once a child gets one stuck on their throat, you will never be able to remove it and they will choke. Very dangerous.

[CrapBag]

I think you are being a little unreasonable but we all have things that worry us wrt our childrens safety. If a balloon pops in this house then I will immediately pick up all the bits and bin them. It annoys me at parties and toddler group when balloons pop and they are just left there as I am aware they are a massive choking hazard.

I would let your child play with it, just supervise. My DD, 20 months, loves them. Her brother, 4, gets them and she plays as well. I do tell her off for biting them though.

Popping in their faces, that is a bit ott. Balloons pop, its a fact of life. A child won't die of fright.

[aldiwhore]

Balloons can be dangerous, especially once popped and if left lying around. Your child is only 13 months, you obviously have a healthy fear of balloon danger (you sound slightly phobic?) so you are not going to leave a deflated balloon lying around and your child unsupervised, so YABU to worry about that, you won't let that happen.

As for getting a fright, well it happens (I never laughed when a balloon popped in my child's face EVER of course ) you will be there to comfort your child.

As for the risk of the balloon popping when your child bites it and some balloon gets lodged causing choking, brushing up on some basic first aid can be a life saver so (taking into account your fear) I would recommend that (actually think everyone should have basic life saving knowledge though mine is woefully inadequate) although the chances of that happening are very small.

I would allow your child to get the enjoyment that can be had from playing with a balloon. Both my children LOVE balloons, insist on a carpet full of them each birthday, there is far more wonder in a humble balloon than there is danger. YWBU to deny him that. YANBU to have a fear of them.

[NameChangeGalore]

I hate my phone. I meant OF AND ONTO

[NameChangeGalore]

There's a name for the fear if balloons, it's called Globophobia. I saw a documentary about it once. Very weird. Please don't pass this fear into your child, it's not fair.

[Clawdy]

My MIL had a horrifying story about a school trip to the seaside when she was a little girl,and they were all given a balloon as a treat. One little boy was trying to blow his balloon up when it popped. She said he inhaled it and choked to death while the frantic teachers tried to save him. None of her kids were allowed balloons and I have to say I get a bit anxious when I see toddlers playing with them. Unfortunately DD,although not her brothers, has a balloon phobia now(even though she doesn't know the story) and it's spoiled many a party for her.

[SonOfAradia]

Not irrational at all. Quote from a US website:

"Balloons cause more choking deaths in children than any other nonfood product... Balloons, long exempted from regulation by the CPSC, kill more children than any other toy except for bicycles and other riding toys."

Ie still rare, but a slight threat.

[akaemmafrost]

Actually I watched a programme about A&E where a doctor said a very common reason for children coming in was inhaling and choking on balloons. I don't actually think you are being daft. I now watch my kids with unblown up balloons and they are 9 & 6.

[noyouhavehadawee]

Im with you op - i hate ballons and mine are a lot older, when they go to bed i bite a tiny hole near the air entry knot bit then they are deflated the next mornign and oww what a shame they have to go in the bin

[meditrina]

Not irrational. Choking on bits of balloon is rare, but very serious as the bits don't dislodge as objects do. Under supervision only until past the toddler years.

[CuriousMama]

Ahh our fears can pass down to our dcs. Dsd is terrified of spiders, as is her mum. Last year we had to travel 90 miles to rescue her because there were 2 huge spiders in her flat. The house was a midden as she wouldn't touch anything for fear of disturbing the trapped spiders. It was awful to see, she was a wreck! She's in her 20s.

I can't see any future events like this regarding balloons though? Maybe you could work on your fear? Something may have happened when you were little to set this off? We don't tend to remember the trigger.

[DisappointedHorse]

I'm exactly the same, I hate balloons. I know it's irrational but these sort of things tend to be, I can trace it back to a single event too for which I blame my mother.

The DCs are actually fine with it. They really don't care that much when I say no if one is offered. I don't deny my children much in life, they can suck up the no balloons in the car or house rule.

[LonelyCloud]

I'm fine with most things, CuriousMama

But I really don't like balloons.

[attheendoftheday]

Just let him play with the balloon when supervised?

[InfinityWelcomesCarefulDrivers]

im the same op, absolutely hate balloons