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?

[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.

[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.

[Figgygal]

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

[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.

[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.