Traveling is stressful any time. The USA state dept sent a worldwide alert for Americans traveling. That said, I just drove ex-DH to the airport for a flight to Europe & West Africa. Make the best call for your family. I'd stay, but I was raised that when traveling overseas 1/2 the kids flew w/Dad on one flight & 1/2 the kids w/Mom on a different flight. Weird.

You already made up your mind to stay. Why let your MIL make you second guess yourself?

I can see where your DH feels like he has to go - but does he really? If he is honestly scared to travel, why does he want to risk traveling with SD4?

Go... if you stop doing something they have won. I loved in London through the 80's had stores evacuated etc for bomb threats and flew just after 9/11 and after the shoe bomber. (then you had no hand luggage, just a clear plastic bah, passport, credit cards and tissues!!) Its a layover.. you will be fine.

I live in Europe. My life is not affected at all by the terrorist attacks, except for all the fear- and hate-mongering going on, and all the love-ins happening in response. Brussels is severely affected as the city is still (I believe) in lock-down. There is a concern that because one of the planners of the Paris bombing comes from Belgium that Brussels might be a target. I am not aware of other cities in Europe that are considered a target.

The problem with terrorism is just this - terror. You're afraid to go get SD, and afraid to leave BS. Because something might happen. It's true, it might happen. That was true before the Paris bombing as well.

I think we should live as though we are not in fear. Or at least try. I don't know what that means for you in this situation, only you could know that.

When 9/11 happened here, I was really afraid to catch a large airplane somewhere for a little while. But I kept seeing all these people on the news that week who chose not to live in fear and where catching planes right away. I really admire those people and decided that for me, living in fear was not an option. If we live in fear, than the fucking terrorist win and you know what........fuck the terrorist.

They won. They won by instilling fear into you. This is why they are called TERRORists.
I get that you don't want your son to be brought up alone without parents. however do you always drive with your husband or do you always take separate cars? Because there is a higher risk to get into a fatal car accident than die in a plane crash.

By travelling to countries where they take their security seriously means it is safer to be there than be at your local mall. People are hyper-vigilant. They are on the look-out for odd behaviour or packages. Sure, they could attack at any time. But do you not take your son to a movie because someone will open fire inside the theater? Or do you stay to your local area because you 'feel' safe and secure with your familiar surroundings?

Of course Americans are targets. They have been targets for years. But a suicide bomber does not ask for passports or country of origin of all bystanders he plans on taking with him. Nor does the guy shooting up a restaurant.

We need to be strong and not afraid. Nor do we decide that touring Iraq's far corners is an awesome thing to do over summer. Maybe sit this one out but consider how risky is your day to day life. On the Weather Channel I saw a story about a woman who was struck by lightning in her own home when she was carrying a metal cookie tray across the room during a thunderstorm. So we never bake again when it rains?

Don't buy into the fear mongering. Chances are you are still more likely to die in a car crash going to the grocery store. Don't feed into the paranoia.