How many of you plan to pack up the kids and head out to your city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show tonight?
If you have a young child like mine, you might be considering an alternative plan.
When my daughter was a toddler we did the whole Independence Day celebration u-rah-rah complete with a picnic at the local park, sparklers and patriotic attire. If you live in a small community, then you know prime fireworks seats go fast. Fast, as in, if you don’t have your spot secured with police tape (or barbed wire), blankets and coolers, at least eight hours before blast-off you might as well stay home.
Knowing that residents in our community are fanatical about fireworks seats, I made sure to get down to our local park well before the light show was set to go off, just so my daughter could obtain an unobstructed view of the glorious explosions that honor our nation’s birthday.
I was thrilled to have scored such a super spot. Our friends were too. The spot bordered the bay where the fireworks would be blasted off. We enjoyed a great meal and even better company. The kids played in the grass and we even had front-row seats to the annual pre-dusk parade of decorated boats. The holiday was shaping up to be one of the best ever. The weather was beyond excellent—not a cloud in the sky, moderate temperatures and a slight breeze. Even the bugs cooperated by taking the evening off.
Soon, the sky turned black the aerial fountains started to illuminate the night, and that’s when my happy holiday came to a screeching halt.
Our prime seats were nothing less than a nightmare for my young daughter, who screamed like a siren from the instant the first boom bellowed all the way to the car (which, by the way, was parked some 10 blocks away from the park), and then all the way home.
Looking back, it was her first time witnessing a large fireworks show (minus earplugs) from close range. Couple that with the fact that the show started well after her bedtime, and I can see why she melted down after the first explosion.
Still, I will never forget that Fourth of July… pushing a shrieking tot out of the park while craning my neck to catch glimpses of the fireworks I thought I would be enjoying from the comfort of my padded lounge chair. Instead of unobstructed views of fireworks exploding in mid-air and reflections of their showering sparks on the water below, all I got to see were a few stray flares through branches of trees that lined the streets leading back to our car.
“How did this happen?” I wondered to myself while trying to comfort my screeching toddler. “Don’t all kids love fireworks?”
I grew up in Hawaii in the 70s, when you could light fireworks whenever and wherever you pleased. I was raised in a city of pyromaniacs and didn’t know a single soul who feared fountains, firecrackers, or Roman candles.
My daughter’s Independence Day meltdown taught me to be a better-prepared parent.
If you are planning to take your tots to a community-sponsored fireworks display tonight, may I suggest that they take an extra-long nap first. An exhausted kid is more likely to combust when the fireworks start to fly than one that is well rested. Also, consider acclimating your child to the big bang by showing her fireworks videoes on the Internet (YouTube has plenty). In addition, bring along some earplugs or noise canceling headphones.
Otherwise, opt for a less stressful scene at home. Grab some sparklers and stand out on the porch or in the driveway and celebrate the fourth minus the meltdowns.
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