Anonymous wrote:I still don’t understand how your child strangled you. How in the world did you allow it to get to that point. I’m serious. I’m trying to picture this. So, I’m wearing a scarf, and my five-year-old starts tugging at it. First of all, I wouldn’t even let him tug at some thing that I’m wearing about my neck. Second of all, if he was tugging to the point that I felt any tension whatsoever I would tell him to stop it. Don’t you think you are contributing to this messed up home environment by allowing your children to act so wildly and dangerously?

Anonymous wrote:How do you know what they were doing while you were passed out? I assume the older child told you -- however is that child reliable?

Anonymous wrote:And to everyone who keeps saying my 8yo's reaction was not normal - YES I GET IT. She's NOT NORMAL. She's seeing a professional therapist. But for heaven's sake she's not a psychopath or sociopath.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. So I told my husband about what happened (after kids went to sleep), and he was more concerned about me. My 8yo actually pleaded with me NOT to tell my husband. I AM concerned about her, I think after she realized the seriousness of what had happened, she was traumatized and very upset with herself that she had royally messed up.

Apparently she didn't see the part where I passed out. Either she didn't think I was really unconscious, or she didn't know what me being unconscious really meant and that it was an actual emergency. I don't want her to blame herself, I want to make sure she knows what to do in these situations.

Same with my 5yo, but he seems to be actively avoiding talking about what happened, so I am having trouble getting through to him. The whole thing was kind of scary - to me, and I'm sure to my kids. I believe my 5yo has some anxiety issues too - we've actually had a few losses in our family not too long ago, and he did recently go through a stage where he was very anxious about dying - for himself and for us, and asking a million questions about what happens after you die. So I'm wondering if the reality of the situation is just too scary for him to really process.

I can't help feeling like my connection to my kids was affected. If they were adults and reacted the way they did, I'd be furious and would feel like I couldn't trust them. But they are kids, and rationally I know that, but still it brings me to tears knowing that they reacted the way that they did. I'm trying to get some perspective here because I know I'm emotional and not thinking rationally. But some of you have said out loud the things I've thought - that they must be broken somehow, that maybe I have failed them in that I haven't been able to teach them to be basic decent human beings. I still haven't been able to bring myself to hug my 5yo after the incident. I think I'm still processing it all myself.

Anonymous wrote:And to everyone who keeps saying my 8yo's reaction was not normal - YES I GET IT. She's NOT NORMAL. She's seeing a professional therapist. But for heaven's sake she's not a psychopath or sociopath.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, wereyou actually passed out, or were you pretending to pass out to test how they’d respond. It would be very unusual for a 5yo to be able to choke you so quickly with a scarf just hanging around your neck.

I didn’t think it could happen either- he was hanging off the couch behind me, pulling my infinity scarf which was wrapped double around my neck. And I was leaning forward and I felt it choking me but didn’t think I’d actually pass out.

Have you been to a doctor yet? You should probably be seen to make sure there aren’t any red flags for your health in here.

Anonymous wrote:Some of these posters are being really mean.

I don’t know, sweetie. I have a 5 and 8 year old and would be really upset, too. I think you’re valid in your feelings and shouldn’t ignore them. Talk to a therapist and your pediatrician to get more info.

I’m not sure what my 8 year old would do in this situation but if the answer was get my phone and play games, I would be terrified and angry and feeling that I messed up. The 5 year old can be hit or miss IMO so wouldn’t jump to conclusions yet.