(My daughter rockin’ her sparkler!)
We’re not really the blow-things-up-for-the-heck-of-it type family.
Well, I suppose I should speak for myself… and my dad.
While the rest of the guys in my family are beyond thrilled whenever they get the opportunity to legally detonate explosives from the comfort of their own backyard, my dear ol’ dad refuses to revel in the merriment that is 4th of July fireworks fun.
Blame it on the fact that one of his best friends lost part of his hand thanks to a bottle rocket. Or, just chock it up to parental paranoia. Regardless of the reason, my dad has never been one to hand a kid a bag of fireworks and a lighter, and sit back to watch the show.
Fortunately (for my dad, his aging heart and fickle blood pressure), my 6-year-old is not really into the whole Fourth of July fireworks frenzy. In fact, she is about as far from a pyromaniac as you can get. Give her a sparkler and she’ll hold it for a couple of seconds, but she is much happier with a box of Poppers, which she cheerfully lines up on the sidewalk, and then runs over with her bicycle to unleash a rather convincing machine gun-like sound effect.
So, yeah, my dad is a worry wart, but better safe than sorry, right?
Apparently, when it comes to fireworks safety, a few of the nation’s top optometrists have got my dad’s back, and your kids’ eyes.
The eye experts recently came out with their annual warning to parents about Fourth of July fireworks being a major cause of serious injuries, from eye abrasions to lacerations, and contusions.
Think you’ve heard it all when it comes to fireworks safety?
Well, consider this fact that I just learned a few days ago: According to the American Optometric Association, sparklers are the number one cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room.
The seemingly innocent fireworks heat up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and should never be given to children without adult supervision. In addition, those leading optometrists also warn parents that sparklers should not be handled without wearing protective eyewear.
Maybe I shouldn’t have posted that photo after all.
Do you allow your kids to play with sparklers?
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