Summer is here and with it comes celebrations and safety concerns. As Moms we seem to worry about everything, some small and silly, but others are bigger concerns and truly scary. With the 4th of July days away one of these bigger concerns is fireworks. Fireworks, if done carefully and safely, can be a very fun and memorable time for the whole family! So to help you and your little ones enjoy your local firework display here are a few yet important recommendations.
Most Injured Body Parts:: More than half of these injuries were burns.
41% Hands and Fingers
19% Heads Faces and Ears
15% Trunks {waist, back, abdomen}
13% Legs
12% Eyes
1% Arms
{All of these are from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.}
These are great visuals and put it all in perspective, but sometimes we need other ideas and suggestions to help with our little’s. While they suggest not giving sparklers to children under 5 years old EVER, seriously have you been in the situation where your child is the only one without one? So what’s a mom to do?? Well I was told once a great compromise is to stand with or hold child while you hold the sparkler. Great idea if you don’t have a squirmer or miss independent like I do!! So I asked around again and came up with a great idea. RED SOLO CUPS!!! What American BBQ or backyard party doesn’t have these present anymore? Take a knife or scissors or whatever sharp pointy thing you have available and poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup. Now slide the stick of the sparkler in the hole and you have a hand shield for your little ones hand! Now with that said it’s still plastic so you still need to keep an eye on them (or as many as possible if it’s my baby cakes) to prevent burning and melted plastic.
Another option, since for some unknown reason my mother didn’t have a single plastic cup in the house, was the smaller size flower pots. You know the orange-ish ones with the hole in the bottom, they work great too! And since they are Terracotta they won’t melt and are a little (heavier) but non-melting/flammable choice.
Remember, have fun, enjoy the special holiday, teach your little’s about the meaning of this Independence Day celebration and its importance to our freedom and most of all..stay safe!
