EU Party Poopers!

Children blowing up balloons? "...not anymore and they will be safer for it."
What a load of cobblers.

Now I work in Health & Safety, for my sins, but having just read the latest EU regulation to hit our shores in the Telegraph online, I can fully see why my dear old Dad thinks the profession is barmy and it's all just a political ploy to make money out of us. (Yes, he's anti-EU before you ask).

I'm not anti-EU, per se, nor am I convinced health and safety is a ploy to make money out of the common folk. But when some white-collared dickhead in Brussels decided children under 8 are no longer permitted to blow up a balloon at a birthday party for fear of death-by-rubber, I fear the world, not just the EU is going crackers.

Alas, it's not just the common party balloon to take the hit. Teddy bears intended for hugging by the under three's will now have to be machine washable to prevent the risk of bacterial or disease transmission from the nasty nightly dribble from your precious little bairn.

Talk about micro-managing our next generation.

Forget blowing a party popper at Christmas or New Year if you're under 14 and unsupervised. The Big Brother EU are watching you, and you might get your arse whipped if you don't follow the guidance. Forget 'nanny state', it's more like 'fanny state'. So how will you know if it's 'safe' for your child to play with? The packaging of course will be clearly labelled with suitable and sufficient warnings. I wonder if colouring books will come carrying the warning of 'risk of paper cut'???

Don't get me wrong, I'm pro-safety and I'm sorry to learn of the number of children who choked to death on a latex balloon in the world last year. But parents must be allowed to take responsibility for the choices they make in parenting, and provided we're informed and aware of the risks, do we really need to have warnings branded all over?

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.