Question about Robina Pseudoacacia toxicity

[Servalan]

Hi, wonder if anyone knows about the risks of this tree?

I have OCD and am going on a bit of a panicky spiral here.

DD has been given charge of the "class pet" tonight - the class pet being a toy dog.

After school, I took her to a children's playground as I had promised her this morning before I knew about her looking after this toy.

She has to do nice things with the toy to write about in the diary, so I let her run around the playground with it and play on the swings etc with it.

Just before we were about to go, I realised that she had fastened its lead to a bush and it was standing in some blossom from an overhanging tree. The tree overhangs the playing area and there is blossom on the ground at the far end near some of the swings. Looking at pictures on the net, I think the tree is a Robina Pseudoacacia - which is apparently toxic. I can't work out if the blossom is poisonous.

I'm now panicking that the toy has been "contaminated". It is a surface wash only toy and I need to take it back to school tomorrow. I'm worried about a child playing with it then putting their hands in their mouth and getting poisoned.

Please can someone help me on this?

Thanks

I think you need to stop for a minute and take a deep breath.

I don't want to be rude or patronising but it sounds to me very much like your OCD is giving you some trouble at the moment.

From what I understand of your post your dd playing with the dog near a tree in the park, personally I would have picked the dog up dusted it down if it was dirty (probably more because we have to hand it back to the school!) and carried on.

You have googled the tree found something sinister and convinced yourself that is it.

It is highly unlikely that if a tree was so poisnous that fallen blossom even touching a childs toy would cause problems, it would a) be unlikely to be in a childs playground and b) have caused problems before now (particularly on the ground in the playground.

Please step away from google.. and if your still ciontinuing to feel this level of stress make an appointment to see your GP.

I hope I have no insulted you I'm just giving you my perspective.

Thanks Doris

No, you haven't insulted me at all. I find it hard because of my condition to know if something is a genuine risk or not.

Believe it or not my OCD is actually quite mild at the moment in comparison to how it's been in the past... :)

I suppose the scenario I have in my head is poisonous stuff lingering on the toy, child touches it, child puts hands in mouth etc.

I don't have any problem with people being blunt with me about it - I never know when I'm taking sensible precautions and when I'm just being a nutjob...

btw the tree isn't in the play area itself - it has branches that overhang it. Don't know if that makes any difference

Really please you didn't take it personally. I think as I said already if the tree was such a danger there would have been problems already.

I hope you are "enjoying" have the class dog! I have to paste a smile on every time one of mine comes running out with it !!! Really it's just homework for parents.!!

It is very very very unlikely that anything that has taken place is in any way harmful to anybody. I do sympathise with you however, as I have had worries like this in the past. I don't worry so much now, though.

However, if you are stressed about bits/tree pieces being on this teddy, I suggest that you get the vaccum on low suction and quickly just use the tube bit to vacuum over the toy. Then any bits would be gone.