🎈 Pop Hazards & Party Panic: Why Childhood Birthdays Terrified Me

ADN’s Fear Files: Entry #2

Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t hate parties. I hated the pop hazards.

You know the ones. Bright, floaty, unpredictable. They lurk by the front door, hang ominously above buffet tables, and worst of all… they’re loaded with tension. Literal tension. Just one sudden move — one sharp object, one hyper sibling, one “fun” party game — and it’s game over.

BANG.

As a kid, my fear of balloons was more than just a dislike. It was a full-blown (pun accidental but accurate) phobia. And because of that, birthday parties weren’t exciting for me — they were terrifying.

I couldn’t go to most of them. Or I’d get there, see the pop hazard infestation, and panic. Sometimes I’d sit in the car, frozen. Other times I’d fake feeling sick to go home early. I missed out on cake, dancing, party bags — all the things that are supposed to be magical when you’re little. Not because I didn’t want to be there… but because the fear was louder than the fun.

And here’s the thing — people didn’t really get it. “You’re scared of balloons?” “It’s just air and rubber!” “They won’t pop!”
(They always popped.)

I still get a bit nervous saying the word, to be honest. That’s why I call them pop hazards now — a name that’s slightly ridiculous, slightly dramatic, and honestly… weirdly empowering.

But one person who did get it? My mum. She cancelled the balloons at her own wedding — just for me. No big announcement. No drama. Just quiet love. She made that space safe without making me feel ashamed. And even now, that memory stays with me — not just as proof that I was believed, but as a reminder that love can look like removing a trigger from the room.

It’s funny looking back now — not funny ha-ha, but funny oh, of course little me had a full sensory shutdown at Sally’s 7th birthday disco. The world wasn’t built with kids like me in mind. But I survived it. I learned to adapt, and I gave myself permission to avoid things that made me feel unsafe.

And if that means skipping the party to hang out at home with cake and cartoons? Honestly, that’s a win.

🩷

Daisy’s Corner 🎤

“Pop hazards?? Babes, I’ve been avoiding those since Y2K. You think I trust anything that floats and explodes? No thanks. If I wanted a surprise, I’d open Amber’s group chat at 3am.”

“Also, cancel the balloon arch — I’m bringing streamers and sarcasm. It’s called taste.”