Am I the only mom - Paranoid about kids and fireworks?

luvmykids wrote: Last night the kids and I went to a bbq, the fireworks were all the dinky fountain types but I was still paranoid about the breeze changing and blowing sparks towards them or something, and when someone handed the twins sparklers I about jumped out of my skin.

Anyone else paranoid about even the rinky dink fireworks around kids?

MommyToAshley replied: I took Ashley to see fireworks, but I didn't let her have sparklers or anything. I am paranoid too and it only takes a second for something to go wrong.

Kaitlin'smom replied: yes we will not allow Kait to have them for a few more years (maning sparklers) and we dont set off many fire works anymore. I alwyas got nervouse when my nephews would light them and run. Course they seems to be more safe with them than the adults did

MyLuvBugs replied: Yes!!! Personally, I think you need to be a certain age to play with them. Those little snap ones and the snakes should be the starter ones for little kids under 5. But Sparklers and other ones scare me with Lorelei. I'm not afraid of the fireworks themselves, but of what she'll do with them. KWIM? She still doesn't completely understand ouchy, hot, no no, etc. Luckily, she's scared to death of loud noises. So watching the fireworks last night was a snuggle fest with covered ears.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: I'm paranoid about sparklers too!!
I don't even like to hold them!
My BIL lets his 3.5 year old play with them and oh no no my kid will never do it! I was never allowed to as a kid and maybe thats why I'm scared of them now, but better safe than sorry!

luvmykids replied:
Thats what I was thinking last night, they just had to trip with it,or another kid poke them accidentaly with another sparkler, or even watching the other ones too closely, one could blow over, etc. I felt bad because it was the first time they were into it and I kept making them move farther away

MyLuvBugs replied: It does only take a second. Last night one of my cousins kids (who is 10 I think) got a burn blister on her toe from a firework spark. It wasn't that big of a burn, but enough to make her hop around for a bit. But it could have been soooooo much worst than just a pea sized blister. KWIM? And no one seemed to care... People weren't even watching the kids int he 4-5 ft deep pool last night. UGH! Dh and I were just beside ourselves.

Jackie012007 replied: I'll be paranoid too when this baby comes and gets older... I had an incident with fireworks when I was a kid, we went to fireworks and when one exploded, the lit fuse fell into my hair! It looked like a flaming tampon and caught a little bit of my hair on fire and my mom swatted it out... since then I refuse to sit underneath where they are being shot off, I sit in the car or when they have them around here, I sit on my porch. I'll probably pass the paranoia off the the little one, I'm sure!

not a big fan of sparklers either

C&K*s Mommie replied: Again, I am the oddball out. We let C hold onto sparklers with no hitches when she was 2.5 or so. Kellie held sparklers for the first time this year, a few weeks back when my nephew was here. We are not irresponsible whatsoever, but we did allow them to play with alot of supervision & only one at a time.

coasterqueen replied: Well I guess I'm not the norm here . While I am cautious, I'm not paranoid about it. Maybe it's because my parents let me when I was little and they were cautious enough that I never once got hurt. We let Kylie hold sparklers last night and I will even let Megan hold one as long as I'm holding her and controling the situation. Gotta let them be kids somewhat, right? Everything is dangerous for them. Don't let them walk around w/a sucker in their mouth, they might trip and choke, etc. While fireworks are more dangerous they can be fine if used correctly and with parental control.

I don't think anyone's way is wrong. Unfortunately I think a lot of people who are overly paranoid (at least in our area) ruined this 4th of July and every future one because they took away our right to display fireworks ourselves. After this year I'm being told sparklers will be against the law in our county. Completely senseless IMO.

Jackie012007 replied: yeah that is how it is in NY... fireworks are illegal except for professional displays. I believe sparklers are illegal too... But that never stops anyone! That was all I heard all day ysterday (in broad daylight, durrrr) was BOOOM........BOOOM

holley79 replied: I use to get paranoid when other people's children were handling sparklers. I will probably be the same with Annika. She will probably only be allowed to play with those little snap things that you throw. LOL

luvmykids replied:
I don't think I would have been so bothered except that with three of them and one of me I didn't feel like I could keep a close enough eye, along with other peoples children who weren't being properly supervised.

I'm not in any way anti-fireworks, sparklers, etc, just didn't feel comfortable last night with someone handing the twins sparklers without asking me and when they were not close enough to me to help them.

We also have a ban this year due to drought conditions but other wise I am all for the fun stuff, just not sure my kids are old enough to participate yet or that I can keep all three safe.

eta: The sparklers I've seen in the past few years are not the ones I remember as a kid, specifically the ones they had last night, they were big umbrellas of sparks and had some kind of coating or something that came off in burning chunks.

MyLuvBugs replied:
I grew up with fireworks too. My parents have always bought them since I was little, and let me set them off (or help set them off). BUT only under strict supervision. But that's the problem these days it seems. Parents don't supervise. JMO, but I don't think the 4th is being ruined b/c people are being "overly paranoid" or want to ruin the experience for kids.

However, not all parents watch their kids when they are playing with what is ultimately an explosive device, and that's when kids get hurt. That (In My Opinion) is what ruins the 4th of July, and forces people to set laws against fireworks. Parents not watching their kids, and allowing them to play with fireworks like they are toys, usually ends up as a bad combination. But who do the parents blame....the fireworks. JMHO!!

honestly, I am paranoid that something (anything) might happen to Lorelei. Choking, kidnapping, pain of anykind really.....she's my baby, so I worry. But I do let her be a kid. She will be allowed to play with fireworks, but when she's older and its more age appropriate. KWIM? and definately ONLY under adult supervision.

redchief replied: I posted my "paranoia" over fireworks in the "why were they banned" thread, so I'm not going to retype the same argument against them. I don't think it's paranoid at all to be afraid of fireworks. They're downright dangerous explosives. Even sparklers can cause serious burns and injuries to eyes.

I'm a professional firefighter and I've seen what kind of personal and property damage fireworks can cause. That's why they're banned in NJ and I'm glad of it.

3_call_me_mama replied: We're not paranoid about them we're cautious and responsible with them. We always used tehm as children with good adult supervision and allow our kids to do the same. (Monica- I totaly hear ya about one of you and 3 of them.. that woudl be a NO GO in my book too)
We went to a fireworks display at a friends camp this year and teh kids did sparklers and a friend lit snakes and we did some of those littel pop things. DH is NOT a fan of fire of any sort (Well hhe won't touch it but he'll watch it) SO he won't light anything. We let Cameron do his sparklers (a friend stood with him) and tehn they get deposited into a metal bucket of sand and I held onto Kathleen when she did hers. The expressions and AWE were priceless and the pictures were great. (DH will run the camera. LOL) IT was actually quite neat to see Cameron do the same things with them that I did as a kid.. writing your name with them, drawing shapes etc. I would never give anyone elses child a firework as that is not my decision, nor would I comment on their choice to not allow their children to do them. AND although I allow my kids to do them it PEEVES me to see kids randomly runnign around with them with no one watching/close by. Or the parents are drunk and then letting the kid do fireworks.. (UM REAL SMART!) but i jsut take my kids to a different area so they aren't exposed to it. (Luckily very few of our friends drink so this isnt' a problem)
NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE JUST MY THOUGHT:
The only thing I would recommend is IF you aren't going to allow them is to let your children know up front. Basically tell them before you go that there may be some kids that are allowed to do things that you don't allow and they may see that at the fireworks and you are not changing your mind about it. Cause IMO it really isn't fair to the kids to get there and see all the other kids playing with them and not be allowed to without knowing before hand. It could cause a HUGH fit for you teh parent, and ruin the whole evening. AND getting upset with/at others that do allow their kids to use them doesn't help. Simply don't go to these events if you for see it being a hugh problem. Just my two cents.

C&K*s Mommie replied: good points, Carrie.

redchief replied:
In NJ we just told our kids that they're illegal. Of course I'm duty-bound to report fireworks infractions so they've also seen me notify the police of the illegal use.

Bee_Kay replied: With Ashley and Tyler being 13 and 15, we allow them to use them in our backyard (with supervision).

They have always been responsible around them.

Unfortunately, last night Tyler was lighting one and he got a little burn on his thumb
He is ok... a little cool water, aloe and gauze and he is ok

He felt terrible because he knows how dangerous they can be if you are not careful all the time.

Brias3 replied: I am also very paranoid. My DH had purchased a bunch of fireworks and sparklers last night and we lit off a few across the street from us where there is a large field. He was much more lax than me about letting the kids have sparklers and what not but I was going nuts. I felt like I was yelling, "stand back!", "don't go closer!" every five seconds. I refused to let Mason have sparklers, which put him in tears of course. Some neighbor kids next door, who are about 9 and 11, came over with their dad toting a few fireworks once we had moved back to the bonfire in our backyard. They started lighting them off in the yard and the dad was even letting the kids light them! I just about freaked out. In addition to my kids, we also had friends over who had a 1-year old. I finally told them I'd prefer they light them across the street.

ITA with those nervous about fireworks. Better safe than sorry IMO.

My3LilMonkeys replied: I am kind of middle of the road. Brooke doesn't want to play with sparklers yet - she prefers to watch from afar. If she did want to I would probably allow her to with my help and supervision.

As for watching fireworks, our neighbors 5 houses up set off some (illegal) ones last night. We watched from our porch - since they aren't professionals there was no way I was getting any closer.

luvmykids replied:
That sounds exactly like me, Bria! It's not so much that they can't be around them/do the sparklers, etc, just that I'm paranoid while it's happening and feel even more so since I'm the only parent saying "Watch out" "Don't go closer" "Look where you're going" etc. I wasn't even mad that someone else gave the twins the sparklers, just that since I didn't know ahead of time that they were going to have them I couldn't prep them, etc. and was not standing right there when they were handed to them.

amynicole21 replied: I don't like them either. Those sparks hurt when they land on you! I wouldn't let DH get any this year... in FL you can get almost anything you want if you sign a disclaimer stating you are using it in farming to scare away birds Our neighbors were setting off HUGE displays that rivaled the professional ones. Freaked me out... especially when burning embers were landing on my roof