Your opinion... Teachers and Facebook

[meresal]

I have a friend that is a teacher. She takes pictures of her kids and she has posted a few of these on her Facebook/Myspace pages. (Probably 5-10 total) I have always found this inappropriate, and I just noticed that another one of my friends from high school, who is a teacher now as well, is doing this also. They are actually on the same "Team" at their elementary school.

Would it bother you if you found out that your child was making cameo's on his/her teacher's online socializing sites?

(If it matters to anyone, they teach 3rd grade. Friend 1 was teaching 2nd grade for a year, when I first noticed that she was doing this.)

FYI- The pictures are not innapropriate in any way. Just her standing with one or two of the kids.

 

[elrohwen]

Normally I am not at all a FB prude, but I think I draw the line at posting my kids pictures, especially if they're in elementary school. Maybe if the kids were 15 and all had their own FB pages I wouldn't care, but little kids are different. I guess I just feel like only myself and my family should be posting pics of them.

eta: I don't think I'd call the principal or anything, but I'd probably give the teacher a call and let him/her know.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Yes, they''re minors. I''d be pissed.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yep, unless I signed a universal photo release which most urban schools make you sign in which case there''s not much I could do, although I guess since it''s the teacher''s posting them on their personal pages not the school posting them on the school web sites that could still give me grounds for complaint.

 

[Haven]

They should not be posting photos of their students anywhere, least of all Facebook.

 

[Kaleigh]

Not cool. As a parent I''d be very upset if my kids pics were posted on FB, My Space or any other site by their teacher... She should know better.

 

[IloveAsschers13]

I second what bella said- it''s definitely illegal unless she had the parents sign their consent on their children being photographed, but even then I would think there must be some fine print because normally those pictures are used for their own personal reasons (i.e. portfolios, posters in the classroom etc.) not being posted on the internet for prying eyes to see.

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, I''m not normally one for paranoia, but...

OK, I''m a mom. I''m full of paranoia!

My kid''s pic on a networking site that isn''t MY networking site where who knows what wacko can see the pic. And if said wacko knows the teacher, thereby knowing where she works, it''d be pretty easy to find my kid.

Yah, not cool. I''d call the teacher.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 2/24/2010 10:54:27 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Not cool. As a parent I''d be very upset if my kids pics were posted on FB, My Space or any other site by their teacher... She should know better.

Exactly. I''m not a teacher, but I don''t even post pics of my nieces out of respect for my family and the fact that no matter how friggin cute they are, they''re children and they have no place being front and center on my FB page. Similarly if I were a teacher my FB page would be invisible to/strongly blocked from my students. They don''t need to know the details of my personal life.

 

[jas]

Big ol' no no. I'm speaking as a parent and educator. We were given all sorts of rules and regulations in grad school about sharing student work with other educators (outside of the school)...even with students' knowledge.

Why does she have these pictures up?

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Is it weird if I think it''s not quite as bad if it was say, a large class photo, and because there''s so many people in the pic it''s hard to make out any individual kid''s features? I think that might be the gray area for me. On the other hand, a situation like this, where she''s posing with only one or two kids - definitely not appropriate IMO. I would not be a happy parent if it were my kids.

 

[luvmyhalo]

That''s a big fat HECK NO for me! I''m not a big Facebook fan to begin with and if a teacher had my daughter''s picture posted without my knowledge or permission, I''d be maaaad. A phone call would be placed immediately!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:19:25 PM
Author: jas
Big ol'' no no. I''m speaking as a parent and educator. We were given all sorts of rules and regulations in grad school about sharing student work with other educators (outside of the school)...even with students'' knowledge.

Why does she have these pictures up?

I am wondering the same thing Jas... Seems a tad odd to me.

 

[meresal]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:19:25 PM
Author: jas
Big ol' no no. I'm speaking as a parent and educator. We were given all sorts of rules and regulations in grad school about sharing student work with other educators (outside of the school)...even with students' knowledge.

Why does she have these pictures up?

No real reason, I don't think. They don't have a specific folder or anything. Usually just one random picture every couple of weeks or months. None of the kids are wearing any "special" outfit, like for Halloween or similar.

The pics from her old school were mainly the two children of a Dad that she really "hit it off" with. He was single, and she would babysit them after school. I think she felt like they were "family" and so it had something to do with the comfortableness. I am not sure if that Dad cared or not... he might have known.

She actually sent an email a few weeks ago. It was a picture of one of her students laying on the ground, cleaning up some paint that he had spilled.

She wrote: "Is it bad that I am making my student clean up the ink that he spilled on our classroom floor?"
I replied: "No, but taking a picture of him while doing it, and sharing it with your friends, probably falls under a different catregory."

She did not reply.

My issue, is that there is no telling who she is friends with. If someone wanting to get back at her for something, like Tgal said, they could easily find out where she works and when she is there by her posts, and then there the kids are on the playground.
I know it sounds a bit CSI, but people are creepy and will do strange things to get your attention. Going after one of her favorite students might fall under that category.

 

[iheartscience]

I don''t think she should do it.

At the same time, is one of her Facebook friends really going to hunt down a kid in her class and kidnap them? Sometimes I think the internet paranoia goes a bit far. All of the parents I''m friends with on Facebook have seriously hundreds of pictures of their own kids up. That''s probably more dangerous than a pic here or there with someone not even related to them.

 

[Kaleigh]

She may be harmless in doing so, but doing it without the parents permission is where I draw the line. I also have to wonder why she'd post pics of the kids. Not something that is normal to me.

I'd think she'd be busy posting pics if her with her friends and what not...

Posting a minors pic on the internet where we know a lot of creeps lurk.

She's not thinking clearly by doing so, and should be reported.

In this day and age, you have to be proactive.

Plus you know she is doing this, you knew it was wrong.... Thus this thread...

You have to do something...

I don't know if you can do it without them knowing who filed the complaint??

I know all the school board stuff has it's own protocol..

But yeah it's wrong. Hopefully those kids pics will be taken down asap.


She could be sued big time by the parents, and that could be the least of her problems.

Methinks if word gets out her job is on a very thin line...

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:49:03 PM
Author: thing2of2
I don''t think she should do it.

At the same time, is one of her Facebook friends really going to hunt down a kid in her class and kidnap them? Sometimes I think the internet paranoia goes a bit far. All of the parents I''m friends with on Facebook have seriously hundreds of pictures of their own kids up. That''s probably more dangerous than a pic here or there with someone not even related to them.

You never know. Like how some people don''t have a clue that a friend of the family is molesting their child.

And if a parent has kids up on their FB page, they are controlling who sees it. They have no control over who is seeing it on a teacher''s site.

 

[KatyWI]

I dunno, I don''t think it''s right, but that doesn''t wig me out as much as my teacher friends who are friends with their students on facebook.

Who lets their students in on their personal life?!?! SO out of line IMHO.

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:56:55 PM
Author: KatyWI
I dunno, I don''t think it''s right, but that doesn''t wig me out as much as my teacher friends who are friends with their students on facebook.

Who lets their students in on their personal life?!?! SO out of line IMHO.

Yes, I totally agree.

mere--All it would take is one angry parent to make a phone call to the BOE, start a ruckus, and then she''s out of a job. People have lost teaching jobs for less.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:55:35 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/24/2010 11:49:03 PM

Author: thing2of2

I don't think she should do it.

At the same time, is one of her Facebook friends really going to hunt down a kid in her class and kidnap them? Sometimes I think the internet paranoia goes a bit far. All of the parents I'm friends with on Facebook have seriously hundreds of pictures of their own kids up. That's probably more dangerous than a pic here or there with someone not even related to them.

You never know. Like how some people don't have a clue that a friend of the family is molesting their child.

And if a parent has kids up on their FB page, they are controlling who sees it. They have no control over who is seeing it on a teacher's site.

I definitely see your point and again, I definitely don't think she should put the pictures up. I just get sick of paranoia. I'm sure I'll feel differently when I get hunted down and murdered because I have a Facebook page.

But have any kids really ever been hunted down through someone else's Facebook photos and kidnapped and murdered? I don't know, but I doubt it.

We can't ever truly know anyone, right? Molesters have FB friends too, I bet. A lot of people set their profile and pics to "Friends of friends." So perverts could be trolling pics of their kids at any time. Or a Facebook friend's husband could be a pervert and have total access to her account and be able to lurk kids he actually knows and has access to, if we want to take the paranoia even further.

I know a bunch of PS moms are friends on FB to share pics of kids, etc. I bet not all of them have met IRL, right? They could all be perverts!

I don't know...I have a feeling this culture of paranoia is creating a bunch of coddled kids who are scared to do anything alone. I mean my twin sister and I used to play in the woods for HOURS by ourselves when we were kids. And young, too...6 and 7. But I bet my siblings wouldn't even let their kids play in their yard by themselves!

Is the world really getting more dangerous or is the nonstop access to horror stories just making us more paranoid?

 

[meresal]

Date: 2/25/2010 12:08:14 AM
Author: thing2of2

Is the world really getting more dangerous or is the nonstop access to horror stories just making us more paranoid?

I completely understand your point and I think quite a bit has to do with increased paranioa... However, with that said, I also feel like all these shows and movies give out ideas that never would have been thought about years ago.

You know?

 

[luvmyhalo]

It could be paranoia, but it could be a totally valid concern. But it's not up to anyone to determine this but each child's parent.

The issue is a teacher posting pictures of her students without their parents knowledge or permission.

I would bet that her school prohibits this. Haven's right, a teacher could EASILY get fired over something like this.

I would bring that to her attention and hopefully she will realize that what she's done, is in fact, a big deal.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 2/25/2010 12:08:14 AM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 2/24/2010 11:55:35 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/24/2010 11:49:03 PM

Author: thing2of2

I don't think she should do it.

At the same time, is one of her Facebook friends really going to hunt down a kid in her class and kidnap them? Sometimes I think the internet paranoia goes a bit far. All of the parents I'm friends with on Facebook have seriously hundreds of pictures of their own kids up. That's probably more dangerous than a pic here or there with someone not even related to them.

You never know. Like how some people don't have a clue that a friend of the family is molesting their child.

And if a parent has kids up on their FB page, they are controlling who sees it. They have no control over who is seeing it on a teacher's site.

I definitely see your point and again, I definitely don't think she should put the pictures up. I just get sick of paranoia. I'm sure I'll feel differently when I get hunted down and murdered because I have a Facebook page.

But have any kids really ever been hunted down through someone else's Facebook photos and kidnapped and murdered? I don't know, but I doubt it.

We can't ever truly know anyone, right? Molesters have FB friends too, I bet. A lot of people set their profile and pics to 'Friends of friends.' So perverts could be trolling pics of their kids at any time. Or a Facebook friend's husband could be a pervert and have total access to her account and be able to lurk kids he actually knows and has access to, if we want to take the paranoia even further.

I know a bunch of PS moms are friends on FB to share pics of kids, etc. I bet not all of them have met IRL, right? They could all be perverts!

I don't know...I have a feeling this culture of paranoia is creating a bunch of coddled kids who are scared to do anything alone. I mean my twin sister and I used to play in the wood for HOURS by ourselves when we were kids. And young, too...6 and 7. But I bet my siblings wouldn't even let their kids play in their yard by themselves!

Is the world really getting more dangerous or is the nonstop access to horror stories just making us more paranoid?

Hey Tof 2. I almost always agree with you. Here comes the BUT. She has NO business posting her students pics on FB, My space unless she got written permission from the parents...

Are we paranoid?? Oh hell yeah?? I have to say , historically these are some crazy times!!!

People can post what ever.... No internet police.

Our kids pics can be put out there.


AND BY THEIR TEACHER?????

That's just crazy and sooooo wrong on so many levels.

A teacher is there to teach and to guide. They should be looked up to, to be responsible.

Not to throw them under the bus by saying look these are my cute kiddos.... I teach at such and such elementary school.

Like where is her head???

WE know JC's story. 24 years have passed. She was just walking home from school!!!

And people who lived next door knew something was wrong......

SO call me paranoid.... I'd rather be proactive...

Yannno??

As a survivor of abuse.... I will say listen to the kids.

BUT give them a fighting chance by giving them responsible adults to teach them .

And the power to not be their friends on FB.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/25/2010 12:08:14 AM
Author: thing2of2


I definitely see your point and again, I definitely don''t think she should put the pictures up. I just get sick of paranoia. I''m sure I''ll feel differently when I get hunted down and murdered because I have a Facebook page.

But have any kids really ever been hunted down through someone else''s Facebook photos and kidnapped and murdered? I don''t know, but I doubt it.

We can''t ever truly know anyone, right? Molesters have FB friends too, I bet. A lot of people set their profile and pics to ''Friends of friends.'' So perverts could be trolling pics of their kids at any time. Or a Facebook friend''s husband could be a pervert and have total access to her account and be able to lurk kids he actually knows and has access to, if we want to take the paranoia even further.

I know a bunch of PS moms are friends on FB to share pics of kids, etc. I bet not all of them have met IRL, right? They could all be perverts!

I don''t know...I have a feeling this culture of paranoia is creating a bunch of coddled kids who are scared to do anything alone. I mean my twin sister and I used to play in the woods for HOURS by ourselves when we were kids. And young, too...6 and 7. But I bet my siblings wouldn''t even let their kids play in their yard by themselves!

Is the world really getting more dangerous or is the nonstop access to horror stories just making us more paranoid?

I honestly don''t know T2of2. Just come talk to me after you have one of your own.

 

[iheartscience]

Yeah, yeah, I don''t have kids so I''ll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It''s like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like "Why risk it?", but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole "War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I''ll stop rambling now-it''s past my bedtime!

Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn''t post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don''t believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/25/2010 12:59:13 AM
Author: thing2of2
Yeah, yeah, I don''t have kids so I''ll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It''s like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like ''Why risk it?'', but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole ''War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I''ll stop rambling now-it''s past my bedtime!

Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn''t post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don''t believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

T202, your post demonstrates more my point than my post did. Someone who doesn''t have kids can be logical and rational about it. Someone who does, well, kids squeeze the heart and seize the mind. What can I say. It''s not rational, and you don''t know what it feels like to love and want to protect something that much.

So nope, you won''t know until you have your own, if you choose to do so. That''s not a "card," it''s the truth.

 

[softly softly]

Date: 2/25/2010 1:11:06 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/25/2010 12:59:13 AM

Author: thing2of2

Yeah, yeah, I don''t have kids so I''ll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It''s like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like ''Why risk it?'', but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole ''War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I''ll stop rambling now-it''s past my bedtime!


Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn''t post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don''t believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

T202, your post demonstrates more my point than my post did. Someone who doesn''t have kids can be logical and rational about it. Someone who does, well, kids squeeze the heart and seize the mind. What can I say. It''s not rational, and you don''t know what it feels like to love and want to protect something that much.


So nope, you won''t know until you have your own, if you choose to do so. That''s not a ''card,'' it''s the truth.

Speaking as someone who does have kids I can see both points of view. I agree with Thing 2 that our fears for our kids safety borders on paranoia these days when in reality they are far more likely to be harmed by someone they know and trust. However, like Tgal I also know that as a parent it''s virtually impossible to be at all rational about any potential threat to your child.

I will say though that it is not unheard of for kids to be stalked on Facebook. I was recently reading about a mother who let her 12 year old daughter set up an account only to discover that one of her ''friends'' seemed strange. She logged on as her daughter and arranged to meet him. Sure enough it was a middle-aged man who had been posing as a teenage boy in order to lure her daughter away from home. It might not happen often, but it does happen.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 2/25/2010 1:11:06 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/25/2010 12:59:13 AM

Author: thing2of2

Yeah, yeah, I don''t have kids so I''ll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It''s like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like ''Why risk it?'', but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole ''War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I''ll stop rambling now-it''s past my bedtime!

Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn''t post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don''t believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

T202, your post demonstrates more my point than my post did. Someone who doesn''t have kids can be logical and rational about it. Someone who does, well, kids squeeze the heart and seize the mind. What can I say. It''s not rational, and you don''t know what it feels like to love and want to protect something that much.

So nope, you won''t know until you have your own, if you choose to do so. That''s not a ''card,'' it''s the truth.

But it is a card when the opinions of anyone without kids is dismissed. Someone always pulls it in a thread even remotely related to children.

I probably know more about irrational fear that''s based in love than anyone on Pricescope. I''ve had a panic and anxiety disorder since I was 4 years old. And guess what-it was all based on the thought of something bad happening to someone I love more than anything in the world-my twin sister. She got lost in the mall when we were 4 and that''s what triggered it. After that, I would panic if she was out of my sight for more than about 5 seconds. I''m not exaggerating. I have spent more time than I like to think in a state of panic, imagining horrible things, and I''ve spent even more time worrying about the horrible what ifs in this life.

I could barely get through the first few months of our freshman year at college because I was so worried something would happen to her. We ended up at the same school and I had a horrible time because we didn''t live together and I couldn''t watch her. I would sprint as fast as I could to meet her after our night classes got out. Once I drove about 90 miles an hour to get back to our college to meet her so she wouldn''t have to walk home alone.

I worked through it and am much, much better. I can still get tinges of panic if I don''t talk to her one day, but they''re rare. So yeah-I know quite a bit about what it feels like to love someone and want to protect them that much.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/25/2010 1:26:43 AM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 2/25/2010 1:11:06 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/25/2010 12:59:13 AM

Author: thing2of2

Yeah, yeah, I don't have kids so I'll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It's like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like 'Why risk it?', but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole 'War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I'll stop rambling now-it's past my bedtime!

Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn't post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don't believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

T202, your post demonstrates more my point than my post did. Someone who doesn't have kids can be logical and rational about it. Someone who does, well, kids squeeze the heart and seize the mind. What can I say. It's not rational, and you don't know what it feels like to love and want to protect something that much.

So nope, you won't know until you have your own, if you choose to do so. That's not a 'card,' it's the truth.

But it is a card when the opinions of anyone without kids is dismissed. Someone always pulls it in a thread even remotely related to children.

I probably know more about irrational fear that's based in love than anyone on Pricescope. I've had a panic and anxiety disorder since I was 4 years old. And guess what-it was all based on the thought of something bad happening to someone I love more than anything in the world-my twin sister. She got lost in the mall when we were 4 and that's what triggered it. After that, I would panic if she was out of my sight for more than about 5 seconds. I'm not exaggerating. I have spent more time than I like to think in a state of panic, imagining horrible things, and I've spent even more time worrying about the horrible what ifs in this life.

I could barely get through the first few months of our freshman year at college because I was so worried something would happen to her. We ended up at the same school and I had a horrible time because we didn't live together and I couldn't watch her. I would sprint as fast as I could to meet her after our night classes got out. Once I drove about 90 miles an hour to get back to our college to meet her so she wouldn't have to walk home alone.

I worked through it and am much, much better. I can still get tinges of panic if I don't talk to her one day, but they're rare. So yeah-I know quite a bit about what it feels like to love someone and want to protect them that much.

Thing, would it be fair to say that since I don't have a twin sister, I could not know what kind of love that is like? And therefore could I say since you don't have a child, it is possible you don't know what a mother's love is like?

I wasn't saying it to be dismissive. I was saying it to say because I DO have a child, I cannot dismiss the fear that is in my heart of anything happening to her. It might be paranoia. It might be irrational. It might be STUPID and over the top to others. What I said in my original post as an answer to your question (is the world really more dangerous or are we more paranoid), is that I honestly don't know. All I know is that as a MOTHER, I feel what I feel, and that you won't know for sure until you become a mother.

If I came across as dismissive, I apologize.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/25/2010 1:26:43 AM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 2/25/2010 1:11:06 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/25/2010 12:59:13 AM

Author: thing2of2

Yeah, yeah, I don''t have kids so I''ll never understand. Somehow I was expecting that card!

A kid is WAY more likely to be harmed by someone who knows them, yet people act as if there are perverts all over the Internet waiting to stalk their child through a picture on Facebook. It''s like people being more afraid of plane crashes than car wrecks even though a car wreck is much more likely. I guess controlling pictures over the Internet gives parents a sense of security...like car drivers feel more in control than an airplane passenger. Obviously people feel like ''Why risk it?'', but it gets taken SO far these days. In other situations, too. The whole ''War on Terror really capitalizes on those feelings. Alright, I''ll stop rambling now-it''s past my bedtime!

Kaleigh- I agree she shouldn''t post them and said so several times. Definitely poor judgement on her part! I just don''t believe perverts really take the time to hunt kids down through FB.

T202, your post demonstrates more my point than my post did. Someone who doesn''t have kids can be logical and rational about it. Someone who does, well, kids squeeze the heart and seize the mind. What can I say. It''s not rational, and you don''t know what it feels like to love and want to protect something that much.

So nope, you won''t know until you have your own, if you choose to do so. That''s not a ''card,'' it''s the truth.

But it is a card when the opinions of anyone without kids is dismissed. Someone always pulls it in a thread even remotely related to children.

I probably know more about irrational fear that''s based in love than anyone on Pricescope. I''ve had a panic and anxiety disorder since I was 4 years old. And guess what-it was all based on the thought of something bad happening to someone I love more than anything in the world-my twin sister. She got lost in the mall when we were 4 and that''s what triggered it. After that, I would panic if she was out of my sight for more than about 5 seconds. I''m not exaggerating. I have spent more time than I like to think in a state of panic, imagining horrible things, and I''ve spent even more time worrying about the horrible what ifs in this life.

I could barely get through the first few months of our freshman year at college because I was so worried something would happen to her. We ended up at the same school and I had a horrible time because we didn''t live together and I couldn''t watch her. I would sprint as fast as I could to meet her after our night classes got out. Once I drove about 90 miles an hour to get back to our college to meet her so she wouldn''t have to walk home alone.

I worked through it and am much, much better. I can still get tinges of panic if I don''t talk to her one day, but they''re rare. So yeah-I know quite a bit about what it feels like to love someone and want to protect them that much.

Oh, and sorry to hear about your panic attacks and glad to hear you worked through them. But I think you are in a rough ride if you have a child of your own. if you drove 90 miles an hour back to college to walk your adult sister home at night, do you really think you are going to let your young kid play in a park without you watching? They are more helpless than adults and scary people prey on them in the daytime in the playground, like rapists often use the veil of night to prey on women.