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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here.

That so many think I'm in need of therapy/medication, I'm not surprised. This is DCUM.  :roll:  Slam first, then empathy.

For those who think I don't have a grasp on basic statistics....I have a graduate degree in what i'll call here 'applied sciences', and I do statistical analyses daily. I'm well aware of probabilities, thank you. Point is, you can intellectually understand your own probability of experiencing some event but still have fears/anxiety about it. That is what makes it anxiety.
....

Any thinking parent worries about the safety of their children.

My title to this thread is hyperbolic, in retrospect. I'm not paralyzed. I go to work, take care of my kids, exercise, cook, have an active social life (we know our neighbors WAY better than we ever did in DC, which is a very good thing), etc.  We don't hide out in our home. But I frequently worry when I drop them off at school now.

And for the responsible gun owner who wondered why I would worry about a playdate at a gunowner's house - I don't know why my position is so extreme. I like to mitigate risk. That's why I put a helmet on my kid's head when she gets on her bike, [b]don't drive without a seatbelt on, taught the kids how to swim when they were 3[/b], don't allow playdates with people I don't know extremely well, bought a nanny cam, avoid driving when we can walk (during the day), get annual physical exams, make sure my spouse and I exercise 5x/week, and buy organic produce (despite some weak evidence as to purported health benefits). The only people who drive my kids around are my parents, husband, and me. We don't drink around the kids - we have a glass of wine after they are asleep. Point is, we are people who are careful and mitigate risk where we can.

So if you have a gun in your home, no matter how many precautions you have in place, the risk of gun violence is still higher than in my own home, where we have no gun. So my kids just don't belong in your home, plain and simple. This is something I can do, and fully in my control, while countless other things are not in this world.

As for how I am going to send them to college with such anxiety - I'll worry then too. My own mother made me take a self defense course and carry pepper spray before I went to college, and I'm very glad she did. I'll do the same, and if things are similar (re:school shootings) in 15 years, well you better believe [b]I'll encourage them to do higher education in another country[/b].

For those who understand where I'm coming from on this, thank you. I appreciate your suggestions and I did actually join a group yesterday in our area. I also prayed this morning at drop off and that helped too - thanks to whomever suggested that. [/quote]

There's a difference between being cautious, risk-averse people -- doing things like you mention initially such as driving with a seatbelt, teaching kids to swim early, etc. -- and having an anxiety problem and/or just being a little ridiculous -- like not having a glass of wine in front of your children? recommending going to school in another country? being scared every single day you drop them off? I do think that needs help. You are going to strangle your children's enjoyment from life if not your own as well. [/quote]

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