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Point of clarification: night terrors and nightmares are two different things.

In a night terror, the child screams bloody murder and seems inconsolable, but never wakes up and has absolutely no memory of the event. It's awful for the parents, but totally harmless and not at all scary to the child.

Nightmares, on the other hand, often wake the child (or adult, for that matter...) and are thoroughly memorable and frightening. If you remember it, it almost certainly wasn't a night terror, but was instead a nightmare.

However, I was really asking about memories of those paralyzing waking fears, like clones, burglars, and death. Any of those?

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. In this event, I would have preferred to have night terrors, I think!

No paralyzing waking fears that I can remember.

Incog

Yes, I'd definitely rather have night terrors than nightmares, given a choice. Nightmares are so disturbing! I rarely have them, thankfully, but my DH suffers fairly regularly. His nightmares are so upsetting, even to me! Just nasty tricks for a mind to play on itself!

On the other hand, I can tell you that having been a parent of a child with night terrors, they are SO SCARY for the adults watching them! Just remembering DS6's screams makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up even now! And I think it's that same helpless feeling you had last night. Very primal. <shudder>

I'm glad you had no awful waking memories, at least, even if you've had to suffer through nightmares. Small favors, right?

Wow Kriston - we had the exact same death issue with DS7 when he was a preschooler. It was a period of time where he absolutely obsessed about it and it eventually just played itself out.

And I am infinitely glad we've never had any night terrors in this house (knock on wood). DS lately has had occassional nighmere's about whatever book he was reading right before bed. But he still loves creepy books.

Interesting. How old were you, kcab, do you recall? And how long did the fear last for you? Years? Or was it a shorter term thing?

So what do you think?

The UCLA Center for Society and Genetics cordially invites you to its Sixth Annual Symposium, �Babies by Design: Redefining Humans?�

What if we could select our children to ensure that they will avoid devastating genetic diseases? What if we could select our children�s sex? What if we could select superior musical or athletic ability?

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Do we have the right or the obligation to choose the best children? Or does this redefine what it is to be human?

�Babies by Design: Redefining Humans?�
Sunday, Jan. 27
9:30 a.m.�1 p.m.
Grand Horizon Room, Covel Commons
See northwest campus map:
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Speakers to include:

�Introduction to the Science � Designing Babies�
Edward R.B. McCabe, co-director, Center for Society and Genetics

�A Parent�s Perspective�
Lisa Nash, mother of a daughter, Molly, with a devastating genetic
disorder, proposed using genetic screening to have a second baby
whose cord blood could be used to treat Molly�s disease. The Nashes
succeeded in using this technique, thereby choosing traits in one
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"Legal Aspects of Emerging Reproductive Technologies"
Judith F. Daar, visiting professor, UCLA School of Law

�Respecting Diversity�
Paul Miller, director, University of Washington Disability Studies
Program
Henry M. Jackson, professor of law, former commissioner, U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission

Panel Discussion � �Redefining Humans?�
The panel moderated by Edward R.B. McCabe will feature the event
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Admission is free. Campus parking will be $8 and is available nearby.

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We look forward to seeing you on campus.

Best regards,

Edward R.B. McCabe, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Director
UCLA Center for Society and Genetics

M. Norton Wise, Ph.D.
Co-Director
UCLA Center for Society and Genetics

Well, I probably won't take DD7 to it, but interesting!

"Lisa Nash, mother of a daughter, Molly, with a devastating genetic
disorder, proposed using genetic screening to have a second baby
whose cord blood could be used to treat Molly�s disease. The Nashes
succeeded in using this technique, thereby choosing traits in one
child that could save the life of another."

Controversial........I won't go there, but is it really considered cloning?

Wow, we ladies take a topic and really just beat the stuffing out of it don't we??

It's actually one of the reasons I enjoy you all so much!

I

Hi All! Love hearing Incogneato Front and Center!

Wow, I missed a great conversation, with some great responses, I especially loved Lorel's insight that she could be worried about your "trueness"

If this is true than I reccomend that you two come up with a "code joke" that you can give each other to test your identities - that's what they do in SciFi Novels I like to read anyway!

The fact that she is playing happily doesn't rule out that she will come back to her 'favorite worry' sometime later. My son was preoccupied with death at age 3 also. Then in 1st grade he saw a presentation on Global Warming. He's 11 now, and still terrified at times, although cheerful and having fun lots of other times. It seems like these kids have enough working memory to be having a great time, and running a worry program "in the backround."

He just admitted to me tonight, while I should have been posting and him sleeping (humor alert) that he's fearful that he's causing himself harm by biting his nails without washing his hands. He handled lead in Science once, and was very reasured that lead poisioning take repeated exposure. He was also told - by some well meaning adult = that he could get ring worm from biting his nails. LOL it didn't encourage him to stop biting his nails, or start washing his hands, just to do it and worry. We'll see if this becomes a favorite worry, or dropps off the list.

In 6th grade I looked directly at the bulb on the projector and was terrified for the next 4 years that I would start to go blind. We had been warned not to do it. I don't know why I didn't talk it over with anyone. Our kids have wonderful memories, and strong emotions, and lots of access to half-understood information. I think it's a wonder they don't have more fears.

Anyway, the popular book on clones is by Farmer, something Scorpion. I didn't enjoy it and put it down half way. You may like to read a much better trilogy, C.J. Cherryth's "Cyteen."

This definitly isn't for DD, but I often 'retell' stories that I particularly enjoyed to my son in quite moments. Like the plot to 'the Matrix.' If I was around your DD I would say that one of my favorite stories was about a world where there were lots and lots of clones who were treated as 2nd class citizens, and that imagining other universes gives us a way to critisize our own society without people's walls going up immediatly.

She may find it reassuring that in the adult world there are a large number of people who are taking her concerns, whatever they are at root, seriously and making wonderful art. Yes, you can confirm that there are key issues in the world that contain lots of different threads and help us see who we are, and that it isn't suprising that she finds that area scary and interesting. Not sure if it would be useful to her, but I would love to hear her take on a SciFi world that had human clones.

Smiles,
Grinity

"She may find it reassuring that in the adult world there are a large number of people who are taking her concerns, whatever they are at root, seriously and making wonderful art. Yes, you can confirm that there are key issues in the world that contain lots of different threads and help us see who we are, and that it isn't suprising that she finds that area scary and interesting. Not sure if it would be useful to her, but I would love to hear her take on a SciFi world that had human clones."

Excellent point, I think I will do that. I especially like you Matrix reference, Trinity, I mean....Grinity!
I'm getting that she can benefit from knowing there are others(adults included) that think like her.
Who wouldn't find that reassuring?

this helps

I