Help!? School trips and terrorist attacks

[mummysparkles95]

My son is 10, he is due to go on a school trip to london for 3 nights next year and his school is also invited to go to young voices in manchester arena in the next couple of months, my anxiety us through the roof, with terrorism attacks being so common lately and threats made towards school children and schools, it seems like a easy target and im thinking about not letting him go, but theb i also feel so selfish and mean making him miss out, does anyone else feel the same or if you was in my position would you let him go? Thanks 🩷🩷

Let him go

Please get professional help for your anxiety. This is no way to live. Your children will get such a lot from these opportunities. The risks you are worrying about are miniscule.

I agree with @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , your worry is not at all rational and you'll start to impact your children with your anxiety. Do seek help.

How many terror attacks can you think of/name, that have happened this year in the UK ?

I can think of one, and that was not against school kids.

They are not common.

This is an anxiety problem rather than a terrorism problem. You’ll know how much more likely it is that your child will be harmed in day to day life (car accidents, accidents in the home, etc) and so worrying about a terrorist attack is entirely disproportionate.

If you stop them going, your mental health is having a direct negative impact on your child, and your child will be more likely themselves to have issues with anxiety.

I say this as someone with anxiety issues who is getting treatment for them.

Terrorist attacks are not becoming so common. They are incredibly rare still hence the huge news coverage when they do happen.

You are being ridiculous and should probably seek some help for your anxiety.

What do you think is parents who live in London (or Manchester) do? Do you think we just hide away 24/7 and never let our kids out of the house?

Please get professional help and don’t put this fear of the world onto your son.

also you sound uneducated about current affairs, maybe critically read proper news sources.

Get some help op and stay off social media as despite what it and our 24 hour rolling news cycle might tell you we aren't less safe than we were 5 or 10 years ago

Let your son enjoy his school trips.
Don’t make him miss out because of your anxieties.

There are schools in London. My commute is full of crocodile high vis kids getting on and off tubes. Let your boy live!

I don't think you are being unreasonable to feel like this - i think it's quite understandable given the news we wake up to every day. I don't think you need professional help at all!

However, pp's are right in as much that the actual chances of it happening are as tiny and you can't live your life afraid.

We live out in the middle of the countryside and i feel the same as you about school trips to big cities but i take a deep breath and let them go.
💐

I understand why you're anxious but you dont need to be. The 24 news cycle will convince anyone living outside of a big city that this Lawless England and danger is everywhere. There is risk everywhere, thats is unavoidable but shouldnt stop you from living your life.

Your son will have fantastic and it will be good him and you x

Get help. You're going to fuck him up with that kind of attitude.

Where have threats been made against children and schools?

I only saw this nonsense on tiktok?

How on earth do people in London cope, evacuate the whole city? Just in case

Op I take my children into London all the time and go on the tube with them.
You have more chance of being hurt or killed in a car crash.
You can’t let fear dictate how you live your life.

No threats have been issued against children or schools. That is made up nonsense being spread by Tommy Robinson on social media. There has never been a terror attack on a school in the UK. If you are genuine, OP, get off social media and find a more credible source of news.

They are less common these days than when I was a child and young adult and the IRA were setting off bombs all over the place.

I remember having bags checked every time we went into a public building.

I'm sorry OP but this is exactly what the racists and haters of democracy like Putin and Musk are spending their money wanting you to think. They are today's Lord Haw Haw, trying to undermine our morale by planting lies in people's heads. Imagine if Hitler had had access to the levers of social media!

It's blatant nonsense, but they want us to be frightened and diminish out nation. Don't fall for it!

Edited for typo

There has been one terrorist incident in the uk this year - the Manchester synagogue attack. This is clearly one too many, but in comparison there were seven IRA attacks in 1990, 4 in 1991 and 8 in 1992.

Your DS is more likely to get hit by a car on his way to school or die of cancer than be a victim of a terrorist attack. The death rate for children under 10 is about 1 per 10,000 children. That’s around 700 children per year. The highest cause of death is cancer, followed by respiratory disease then accidents (RTAs, drowning, poisoning). Terrorist attacks don’t figure at all in the statistics.
Knowing the facts can help you put things in perspective.

Yes I remember in the 1980d, my dad worked in central London...he used to be late home so often because of bomb threats and the train stations being closed

Probably best to focus on the hundreds of thousands of children (including mine) who travel to their schools safely in London each day and the thousands in Manchester, ditto.

These rare events are widely reported because they are rare.

You’re being irrational. Terrorist attacks really aren’t “so common”. Please seek help for your anxiety.