Firework Safety: A few tips to follow

The 4th of July is in just a few days. Many Americans will be buying fireworks to set off in their backyards and may even attend professional fireworks displays all over the country. Not a year goes buy that you do not read about accidents involving injury to a person or damage to property and in some cases both. So, I thought I'd take a break from making the Red, White, and Blue (and Christmas in July) Cupcakes with my daughter to jot down a few firework safety tips for you and you're little ones, before I get started on the Chocolate Covered Strawberries for the picnic tomorrow!

1) Children, of any age, should never be permitted to use or set off fireworks of any kind without adult supervision. 
 *remember children are naturally curious. Even the most responsible child or teenager may get carried away by the excitement and curiosity and experiment with fireworks in ways that may injure themselves, others, or cause damage to property.

2) Always go over "rules" about how to safely and properly set off any firework from Snappers to Grand Pianos before setting off each firework. This includes your house rules for firework safety and READING THE DIRECTIONS. This is your child's safety at hand, so make sure they are well aware of the rules. You may even want them to repeat back to you what the rules are before setting off each firework.

3) Remember early learners do not have the defined gross or fine motor skills that adults and older children do, nor do they have the reaction time so it is not a good idea to let little ones light or hold any type of firework.

4) Choose a Safe Place to set off your fireworks. Make sure you are far enough away from houses, cars, and each other when setting off fireworks so that if one would take off in an unexpected direction in would not hit your friends, family, or any property. This should be the designated place for everyone to set off their fireworks ONE AT A TIME!

5) Have a Designated Safety Area. There should be a place for those who are waiting their turn or just watching the fireworks to be where they know they are safe.

6) Always keep a few large buckets of water on hand. For two reasons: 1) Have one bucket to place the hot end of sparklers to cut down on the risk of anyone getting burned and 2) just in case a firework is faulty or ends up somewhere it shouldn't and catches fire.

7) Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Just in case.

8) Be aware of your child's comfort around fireworks. If a child is not comfortable being around fireworks do not force them. If they do not enjoy the loud sounds you may want to give them ear plugs or earmuffs. Never ridicule or tease a child who feels uneasy around fireworks. Always try to ease their concerns and/or provide another activity for them.

9) Remember fireworks, even the most mild firework is an explosive. So it is okay to be concerned about being around them. It is better to be too safe, rather than not respect the seriousness of a firework and end up getting injured.

10) Never assume a firework is simply a dud if it did not go off after being lit. Always exercise extreme caution with a firework that did not go off being sure to cover it with plenty of water before disposing of it.

For even more Firwork Safety Tips check out this article by Kids Health:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/fireworks.html