For those of you who allow your children to handle a sparkler or some other type of firework:?

Question

Then what was the age of your child at the time? Was your child following safety rules or did your child behave fearlessly and have a burn accident? Just curious

Answer 1

My step dad let us play with sparklers when we were still young (kindergarden, 1st grade age) I remember him going over every safety lesson he could think of before he let us hold them, and then he helped us the first time we played with them. I do remember my sister getting in trouble because she threw hers at our next door neighbor, she wasn't allowed to play with them anymore & had to go inside and sit in her room. I think he did a good job at teaching us the way he did.

Answer 2

It all depends on you. You should always supervise them - no matter what. With sparklers I think they were 7 or 8 the first time they used one. Fire works is a BIG no-no - they are way to dangerous.

Answer 3

Sparklers are the only thing my children have been allowed, The First time would probably be 3-4 but with my hand over theirs to ensure no accidents but after they were 5 then it was on their own, they knew not to vigorously wave them around, to keep their arm straight out in front of them and to stand still. I always had a bucket of cold water on hand to drop them into after they went out but also as a standby in case of an accident. No accidents, no near accidents either so I guess I got it right

Answer 4

My son is three and I wouldn't let him near a sparkler or fireworks. When I was thirteen, my Mum bought us fireworks on bonfire night and 'trusted us' to be sensible with them. We went out onto the streets and were lighting them and throwing them in front of us, before running away. I lit one and threw it but my older brother didn't run away in time. The firework exploded in his face and we called an ambulance right away because he wasn't responding. My brother was 16 at the time and was in a coma for three days. He had to have stitches in his face and a skin graft from his thigh. He has scars even to this day, seven years later.

It might be a different story and my Mum is a selfish alcoholic who cannot look after a child to save her life. But fireworks are dangerous, I wouldn't give a sparkler to my son until he is at least 8 and I'd definitely supervise.

Answer 5

so im a brit living  in america- and in england we have the Firework code= that most kids know by heart.

yesterday i'm in a church parking lot and th parents are sitting away from teh kids and kids as young as 4 are lighting these fireworks and poppers and shower fountains with lighters!!!!

now i have a 3 year old and i told him to stay righ t by me and he listened but i had to tell these kids the firework code- not to go back to a lit firework etc...

the parents let them do it- no one was hurt but i told the 4 yr old to move away from the sparks.

- i really dont know what the parents were thinking!

Answer 6

My best friend's three year old wanted to hold the sparkler while my friend lit it, she wouldn't let him, good thing, because it was defective and blew the f up in her hand, left a nasty burn.

Answer 7

What are the safety rules?  I don't know if we followed them.  

:-)  I was right there beside them when they used it, does that count?  My youngest child is four and he used one (sparkler).  It isn't the first time,though, so I would say maybe age 1 or 2 was the youngest.