Common Mistakes That Parents Make with Regard to Fireworks

Common Mistakes That Parents Make with Regard to Fireworks

There’s no big secret behind children’s fascination with fireworks. After all, fireworks are loud, colorful and associated with festive occasions. However, while fireworks may be a lot of fun, they are most assuredly not toys, and viewing them as such is liable to result in serious injury – or worse. That being the case, every parent should make a point of practicing proper firework safety, especially at gatherings where children are present. In the interest of keeping your kids safe from firework-related injuries, take care to avoid the following mistakes.

Buying Fireworks That Aren’t Safe

Being a discerning consumer is particularly important when shopping for fireworks. In your search for the right fireworks, make sure to take both the manufacturer and the strength of the product into account. For example, any fireworks you purchase should come from a company with a proven track record for creating safe and reliable products. So, before committing to a specific brand, take the time to do a bit of research. 

Additionally, on the strength front, you should avoid fireworks created for large-scale professional displays, as these products pack a considerable amount of firepower and aren’t intended for use by non-professionals. If you’re at all unclear on whether a firework is professional-grade, don’t hesitate to reach out to the manufacturer. Furthermore, keep in mind that professional-grade fireworks are often packaged in brown paper. 

Allowing Young Children to Handle Fireworks

Under no circumstances should young children be allowed to handle fireworks. While the desire to see your kids happy is perfectly understandable, it does not justify placing their safety in jeopardy. So, regardless of how much your little ones plead or pout, it is imperative that you stand firm in your convictions and never allow them to handle fireworks. Even sparklers, which many people erroneously regard as harmless, are responsible for a large number of serious injuries each year. 

Additionally, should you decide to let older children handle fireworks, make a point of closely supervising them. A single moment of inattentiveness can prove extremely consequential as far as children and fireworks are concerned.  

Allowing Kids to Get Too Close to Fireworks

Firework displays should always be observed from a safe distance. However, since many small children want to be as close to the action as possible, it is incumbent upon parents to ensure that their little ones maintain a fair distance from any fireworks. In the interest of setting a good example (and ensuring your own safety), get as far away as you can from a firework after lighting it. Furthermore, to reduce your odds of a direct collision with a lit firework, don protective eyewear and avoid placing any part of your body directly over fireworks when lighting them.

In addition to keeping kids away from lit fireworks, you should prohibit them from approaching fireworks that have gone off. Even if a firework appears to be out of juice, it may not be fully ignited. As such, you’ll need to properly extinguish all used fireworks before proceeding to approach or dispose of them. Failure to do so can result in direct collisions with still-active fireworks, serious burns and garbage fires. This is among the reasons it’s important to keep a hose, bucket of water or fire extinguisher on hand whenever fireworks are being shot off.  

Leaving Fireworks in Places That Are Accessible to Children

If you’re keeping fireworks in your home for an upcoming event, it behooves you to make them inaccessible to children. If your little ones are able to gain access to fireworks, they stand to cause quite a bit of damage to themselves and others – not to mention your home. With this in mind, make sure to store fireworks in a nonflammable container with a tightly-shut lid. For maximum safety, consider taping the lid shut. Next, store the safely-contained fireworks in a dry, safe place that your kids are unable to access.

Kids are naturally drawn to fireworks – and frankly, there’s little wonder as to why. And while it’s perfectly fine for little ones to enjoy firework displays, parental failure to adhere to the proper precautions is liable to prove disastrous. Every summer, children are forced to endure the consequences of poor judgment calls on the part of parents with regard to fireworks. To help ensure that your kids are able to enjoy fireworks without fear of injury, heed the advice outlined above.