To take my daughter out of nursery because of balloons

[Theharvestwidow]

My husband is a farmer and today came home with a balloon with long ribbon attached, which he rescued from a calf trying to eat it in the field. We have realised it is from DDs local nursery as part of a mass balloon release (this is the second such event in the space of a few months). It seems this time each balloon had a child’s name and what they want to be when they grow up and were released as part of class ‘graduating’. The previous event last month was I think to raise money for local firefighters, they wanted us to donate £1 for a balloon but I refused to take part. It’s a big chain nursery.

Husband and I are obviously lovers of the countryside (and the planet in general!) and I feel really strongly about cutting down on the use of plastics and littering/rubbish etc. I’m going to take the balloon in to nursery and write a strongly worded email to head office as I wonder if this kind of activity is dictated by some central policy, but I do feel in this day and age with so much more focus and understanding on environmental issues, that it’s a bit nuts to still be encouraging our next generation to do this and want to consider looking for a different nursery which acts more responsibly...AIBU?

If your DD is happy, I wouldn't move her yet. First, I'd write a letter outlining your concerns and hope that they agree not to carry on releasing balloons. If they refuse, I'd then consider moving your DD.

...I thought balloon releases were a thing of the past, how irresponsible of them!

So irresponsible and reckless. I mean, would they encourage the children to take part in a long countryside ramble where each of them dropped a piece of plastic litter along the way? No. But that's exactly the impact they are having.

I think I probably would be thinking about moving to a different nursery. It's pretty mind-blowing to me that a modern childcare facility could be so behind with the times and lacking in judgement. It would definitely make me wonder what other practices they are following that are outdated.

YANBU to be annoyed and complain about it but I would wait and see what they say before moving your DC to another nursery. It sounds to me as if they simply haven't thought about this (which is bad, I know, but it's not willfully destructive).

For the sake of your daughter, who is probably quite familiar with the nursery by now, I would wait to see what they say before making any decisions. For all you know they might apologise and agree to stop doing it. That would be a great situation because then you've made a positive impact AND your DC doesn't have to change nursery.

Agree with VampirateQueen

YANBA
It's a good opportunity to educate your nursery though - go to the very top, explain your concerns and suggest an alternative. What about sowing wild flowers or planting something?! Keep at them and enlist other like me minded parents if possible.
If you just complain and change nursery, they'll keep doing it and nothing changes.

Take daughter out of nursery? Seems a bit of an overkill. Can't see you mentioning that you have already spoke to them about this, only that they have done it before. Just have a word with them and I'm sure they'd be supportive. Our nursery are great at listening to parents and finding solutions especially if environment could be impacted.

Why write a letter /emails. Just speak to them in the office!!!

If you have been happy with the Nursery apart from this, then I'd think very hard about removing her (will depend on realistically how much other choice you have), however, you should definitely go in and complain, and explain about the harm the do, and you should also complain to the Head Office.

However, you say this is the second time in a few months. What did you do after the first time ?
If you complained then, then I think you should take to the press / social media if they have ignored the fact they were educated after the first time..
If you did nothing after the first time, then I think they have the right to think everybody was happy with it., so would just go with contacting them, and head office.

On top of all that, I'm somewhat surprised they are releasing children's names to be found by 'they know not who'.

Yanbu. Take it into the nursery, it is unacceptable.

I’ve seen a fair few balloons floating about this past week, big ones as well with the number 1 and 2. We live near an airport. Imagine if one got sucked into the engine

A family member of mine passed away a few years ago, when it first happened there was a good 5 balloon releases over a couple of weeks. Hundreds and hundreds of people came with balloons. It made me so sad.

Are paper lanterns any better? Can they be biodegradable?

When I worked for a charity, the balloons they used were fully biodegradable and should disintegrate in the atmosphere with just the tag falling to earth (so the contractor said) it's since been discontinued on environmental grounds.

Yanbu but try to make them aware of it and change their behaviour first, maybe try to get other parents on board if you can. If you just withdraw her they will keep doing it.

I would take the starting position that they must not realise the potentially fatal consequences of balloon releases and raise it constructively first.

Just because it seems obvious to you, doesn't mean it's obvious to the people involved or making the decisions.

PoppingOneOutIn2020 No! Paper lanterns are bad.

I'd be livid.

Balloon releases need to be banned quickly.

If they don’t respond stating they are banning this nonsense then I’d take your concerns to social media and tag them in it (along with a screenshot of their response).

Paper lanterns are just as bad. They can burn livestock

Surly purposely releasing a balloon into the air is littering and should carry the same penalty, per balloon released

Even if the balloons themselves are biodegradable, isn't helium running out? We need it for medical use so why are we wasting it on silly things like balloons?

Every day on the way to work in a traffic jam I look at the same silver and blue foil balloon caught in the top of a tall tree. It’s been there for years.

@stucknoue latex balloons on their own should shatter when they get high enough if they're not attached to ribbons.

OP, even the big balloon organisations are against them: www.bapiaonline.com/environment
nabas.co.uk/balloons-and-releases/

YANBU to send an email to raise the issue!

It is completely out of order. It is very tricky when balloons are released around a funeral (not right, but difficult to raise), but not on to raise money or celebrate.

YANBU to consider a different nursery if the reply is not acceptable, but you also want your child to be happy.

I would assume anyone unaware of the consequences of this to be a little bit on the dim side, timekeeper, and I would not want leave my young child in the care of such people. It shouldn’t be down to op to educate them?

I think I’d go in, armed with the social media of the two calves that did die (it was earlier this year, I can’t find the post) or the horrific story of the two horses that had ingested poo bags and the autopsy revealed lots of plastic which had killed the mare (left her foal motherless). It would be more impactful and possibly also something from the local police about littering/fines.

They are absolute wankers for doing it.

Definitely talk to the nursery.

My kids love balloons so I have already started investigating biodegradable/compostable options for their birthday. If it's not possiblw they won't have balloons.

There are no good options here, AFAIK. There are many options that claim to biodegrade, but they take months or years, so could still do damage to wildlife. A calf or any other animal might easily try to eat a 'biodegradable' balloon; it would still kill them.

Paper lanterns (mentioned by another poster) are very dangerous, as they are not always extinguished before they land and can cause fires; also they can catch in trees and houses and set them on fire.

Anything with metal parts is dangerous for animals that might eat it (some lanterns have metal).

I wouldn't have a problem will balloons being banned full stop tbh.