To expect parents not to drop their kids and run?!?

[MissSunny]

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Thunderduck, thank you for disclosing your balloon phobia. I never 'met' another adult who had this! You described it perfectly. The tension of waiting for it to pop, strong startle reflex, not being able to relax until someone takes the balloon away---that's completely me! Once at an outdoor cafe, I couldn't eat dinner because there was a balloon rolling around on the deck. I couldn't stop watching it, was sure it would catch on a splinter and pop. Finally, heart pounding, I went over, picked it up and made a tiny hole with my teeth near the knot so I could let the air out without popping. XH thought I was completely mental.

I can remember not liking balloons much as a child. There was a party I went to age 5ish, where we had to pop balloons by sitting on them, and I remember hating it so much and being quite scared. It really got worse in adulthood though, no idea why.

Anyway, thanks again, I don't feel quite as weird now.

I feel like that too.I though it was normal !!.

There are another few of us Globophobes here on MN Yankn. It is nice to know you're not alone.

There's always one difficult child at every party. I'm now in my 20th year of hosting chidlren's parties (big family) and I think it's much better if they leave the children and go and that's the normal practice anyway for most parents.

Fear of balloons is a known phobia. Get your GP to refer you to a psychologist on the NHS for some cognitive behaviour therapy about it.

I hate balloons too (not sure if mine;s a phobia). Agree it's the tension of waiting for them to pop! I can cope fine if they are hanging on a wall, well out of the way, and I can even pop them with a knife if I have to, but I can't stand people playing with them and squeezing them. Balloon modellers (especially amateurs) are my worst nightmare!

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