To switch nurseries because of a 5G tower?

[Internshipquestion]

So my daughter is 3 and at a pre school/nursery that she loves. However, around a month ago a 5G tower was inserted right by the building (maybe 10m away max). Now I know there are no confirmed health issues, but I am getting really anxious and losing sleep over it, incase there are any unknown long term consequences etc.

Basiaclly what would you do?

Yabu = don't move her
Yanbu = move her

I understand your anxiety. None of my anxious thoughts about my children are rational.

I honestly think, though, that moving her would do more developmental harm.

OP I hear you
It's the new normal and we have to suck it up

Actually, I don't think you're being ridiculous. There are valid concerns.

But you do have to make a judgement. Sometimes there are no 100% "good" options. As a parent, you need to judge what is going to be best (or at least, the least harmful option) for her.

If I were your DD's parent, my view would be that the risk of harm to her from disrupting her routine and interrupting her personal relationships with the nursery staff and other children outweighs the presently nebulous and undefined potential risk from the 5G tower. So I wouldn't move her.

I do not understand the negative comments, and I don’t think you are being unreasonable. There are many unknowns and no long-term studies on the health effects of 5g so the fact is no one can no for sure!

You know your anxiety is making you unreasonable.

I know there's all sorts of info out there about the dangers but, as the link @Acdcccc posted explains, there is no consensus and nobody wants to put money into the research. But is anecdotal info helps: DH has been building the towers and installing the antenna since the mid 1990s and neither he nor anyone he works with has had any health issues that anyone ever even thought to attribute to the job.

You know you have 2 ways to approach this:

1. Move your DD, be ready to do that when you find another antenna near her next school, for the next 15 ish years
2. Go back to your GP and get some additional therapy. It's you, you know it's you and there is help you can get.

Best of luck!

@rorosemary no, not too simple at all Every tower and antenna built near a school (or any building*) has the aerial set to go over the school environs, the area directly under every aerial is always shielded. That's been the case for a couple of decades. When 'they' said that the safest place to put an aerial was on a school roof 'they' meant it!

• with obvious exceptions, depending on what area the aerial is supposed to cover! But they really want maximum coverage per aerial and even the small repeaters are shielded

I think you should speak to your doctor about your anxiety.

I'm going the other way. Nothing to do with 5g but ALL mobile phone towers emit EMRs and the Re known for health risks following studies. We had a survey done for EMRs because of an electric tower near a potential new house but it was far enough away. I'm unsure in the safe distance but I imagine 10m is OK. 5m would probably not be. Research it as studies have been done.

I imagine 10m is OK. 5m would probably not be. Research it as studies have been done. Sigh

It's generally the other way round - but won't be the same for any 2 antenna, they are all specifically oriented to cover specific areas. You'd have to know the specific orientation of each aerial on every antenna to know where would be 'safest'. And as the operators pay a fortune to fill any gaps in coverage I doubt you'll find many, especially in urban areas.

If you are worried about 5g I would be as , if not more worried about WIFI in your house.

So unless you house is WiFi free it's pointless.

Unfortunately we are all living next to technology that bad for our health but that's just the world in 2020 I'm afraid.

I'd suggest you either get help for your anxiety or go live in the woods. Technology isn't going to go backwards, there will just be more towers soon. You can't escape them.

Christ, you've really posted in the wrong place here, OP. You understand this subject far better than the posters with the 'we don't really know' stuff or the 'studies'.

Your child is being bombarded by far higher frequency EM radiation all the time (visible light, heat). Radio waves from telecommunications don't have the energy to do harm and they are the wrong frequency to interact with matter at anything more than a macro scale. The smallest are about 200,000 times to big to disrupt bonds in a way which might cause cancer.

Go back to your GP and get some additional therapy. It's you, you know it's you and there is help you can get.

This. Your issues are already potentially affecting your child- it needs dealing with.

I have generalised anxiety disorder, so I understand how you feel. Either go to your GP or search for your local NHS mental health team. Get some CBT. It does help.

OP if you have a science degree and so understand that your fears are illogical and the result of your anxiety, you should consider the possibility that moving your DD won’t help at all. Your brain will just find something else to fixate on and worry about instead.

I think you need to seek help for your anxiety. There is no shame in it; I have a debilitating anxiety disorder but with medication and counselling I have it well controlled and I am so much happier and healthier now. You deserve to feel at peace

So you believe deep down there's no risk?

Okay, so imagine you move her. What happens next? She's fine, so you tell yourself that you're glad you moved her, that your concerns were right, that there would have been a risk.

You would be feeding in to your anxiety further.

Please seek some help for your anxiety.

What distance from a 5g tower do you think is safe? Will you move her every time you can pick up a 5g signal?
Why is 5g a problem but not 2,3,4 g or WiFi or tv signals or a, and fm radio?
Why do you think that scientists would want to use harmful technology? Or do you think it's an oversight and it hasn't been tested for biological impact?

Move her. That close to the tower the 5g reception will be rubbish so you will struggle to browse the internet while picking her up or during the nursery Christmas show.

OP, as a scientist you know it is safe.

My DB is somewhat of a scientific expert on this kind of thing (has had books published). He says its safe. Good enough for me.

You’ve been losing sleep over this?!

Really?!

Logically, no you shouldn’t move her, especially if it’s a good nursery and she’s settled.

However, if it’s really distressing you, and you can find a nursery you like, then move her

It’s definitely anxiety talking. I know because this is exactly the kind of thing I would overthink 😂