Fireplaces and young children

[Almondbiscotti]

Hi
Just wondered what your thoughts are about fireplaces and children.

Weve ripped the old one out and dont know whether to plaster and make it a decorative spot for flowers/keep clean or to brave putting a wood burning stove with a fireguard of course.

Not keen on fake electric or gas fireplaces.

What have you all done with your fireplaces?

Thanks!

[featherpillow]

I love a burner, so I say go for that.

Cant beat it in the winter - especially when its raining and miserable out.

We've had burners since DC were toddlers and used the large type fireguard.

[Madcats]

We live in an old house so every room has a fireplace. We only light a couple (and that tends to be in the evenings when children would normally be sound asleep). We put a wood burner where the (old kitchen) range would have been and used a fire guard like this screwed into the bricks of the fire place www.amazon.co.uk/Clippasafe-CL101-Extendable-Fireguard/dp/B00T7NSGRK?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Our biggest issue was trying to persuade the cats to move further away, not the children. DD was VERY aware that it can get very hot from a very early age.

[ShelaghTurner]

We have open fireplaces and we stopped using them when dd1 was born. Now they're 8 and 4 we'll probably hold off for one more winter and start using them again next year. Although dd1 is terrified of fire so not sure how that's going to work...

[Olddear]

I have a stove. We have a large fire guard and the children in our family (7 & 5) know they don't touch the fire because it's extremely hot.....we have told them this since they were toddlers and its never been a problem.

[JT05]

We have an open fire and wood burner, we use a large wall attached fire guard when DGCs are around. They love the cosieness of the real fire.

We had the same open fire and guard with DCs when little, they didn't come to any harm.

[Ditsy4]

We have a multi fuel stove from Charnwood. It is our central heating. We made a fire guard to fit( it is in an inglenook) from a couple of large fire guards. We taught the children from young that it was " hot" and not to touch. I can't remember it being a problem with any of them(4)
I love the stove and our eldest missed it so much he put one in his own house when he can afford to.

[VelvetGreen]

Our only heating is an open fire and a log burner, so had to keep them. Once ds was mobile we got one of these for one fireplace and use a large fixed guard to cover the inglenook where the log burner lives. He's now very aware of the dangers but i still keep a guard in front of the log burner.

[Pluto30]

We have an open fireplace.

It's never been a problem. We used a fireguard, but found that they intuitively knew to keep their distance. They can tell it's hot, so don't get too close.

We love the fireplace. We toast marshmallows in winter like no one's business, and it just provides an atmosphere that a heater can't (although we also have central heating).