The school have successfully ruined bonfire night for my DS

[goingupinsmoke]

I'm wondering AIBU, I'm sat her pretty peed off. DH and I arranged to put our dogs with a friend and we bought a small selection of fireworks for the back garden, these were low noise tame ones DS are 8 & 5. It was supposed to be a surprise!!

So the boys come out and are scared to death of the fireworks, and started to tell us the school have been talking all day about the danger, they have shown my DS 8 pictures of people with burnt faces, he described the eyelids all burnt, people with burnt tummys and one picture of someone missing a leg.

Don't get me started on sparklers, Oh no mum we are not allowed them, look my coat has big sleeves, our gloves aren't the correct type.

Sod this over protective nonsense, there is safety then there is scaring kids stupid and wrecking something that should be fun.

Opinions??

YANBU

Fireworks can be awful, dangerous, maiming.

However, if you follow instructions and take the correct precautions they can be pretty safe.

TBH I would be happier with a small garden display where I know all those attending, and have personally checked things have been set up safely, and can supervise all present then attending a big display with God knows who (but they have probably been drinking and have bangers in their pockets)

I believe it goes wrong when people buy fireworks from private sellers.

I have reported and deleted friends off Facebook for advertising the sale of fireworks. I know for a fact they haven't got a licence to sell them

McHappyPants they go wrong frorm reputable outlets too, sorry but they do

YABU

There are some things I'd be upset about school showing my children.

There are a fair few things I think children shouldn't be worrying about.

There are some fears that are irrational and I'd worry if my children had them.

None of these things apply to fireworks. They are bloody dangerous. Things can and do go wrong. It certainly won't cause your children harm to be afraid of fireworks...even if it does spoil your fun a little bit.

We have a firework party in our garden most years. Just had one on Sat night. It was great fun! Everyone was sensible, and a good time was had by all.

I think it's a good way of teaching children about firework saftey, when they see you being careful yourself.

I think your Sons School was a bit OTT.

YANBU

well I seriously doubt most of the private fireworks users on this thread are really teaching their children firework safety since they seem to think theres no risk if they're not bought from dave down the pub and you're not drunk!

YABU

The school is being very responsible and sensible.

Fireworks maim and kill. There is no getting round the fact that they cause horrific injuries every year.

Why on earth do we need them to be sold to private individuals? If we really must have them then they should be used for organised displays only.

Your boys can be proud of themselves for listening to the warnings and being confident enough to tell you what they feel. Good for them.

you teach your kids to cross roads where theres no crossing safely because that is unavoidable

you DO NOT teach your kids to cross a rail track safely if they can't see a proper crossing, you teach them to just not do it! Same applies to fireworks, just don't!

As an aside... is someone in your house permanently to watch your dogs? Not going to a public display 'because the dogs would be home alone' implies you can't go anywhere that doesn't allow them.

8 and 5 seems a tad young for the lectures involving graphic injury

I agree that fireeworks can be dangerous. I'll never forget a kid letting one off (from his hand) beside my baby in pram

No injuries suffered but it made me feel very vulnerable

Lovebunny not at all we are able to teach our children health and safety as grown adults. You call showing children horrid images and worrying them silly good work??
if that's what stops them messing with fireworks. that's the damage fireworks do.

There are lots of places where you have to cross a rail track without a level crossing. When I am in such a place with DD I shall teach her.

There is a risk, like everything we do in life. Even organised displays go wrong

with OP on this one, we have sparklers in the back garden and always will. i dont buy any others simply down to cost.
hundreds of people are killed daily in road traffic accidents but you dont hear of kids coming out of school refusing to get in cars or walk down the street.

Also I would have no issues over the school showing graphic pictures

yeahhhhh and some risks are best managed by using safe practices, and other risks should be managed by eliminating them.

Road safety is unavoidable so you don't teach avoidance, you teach safe practices.
Setting off fireworks in your garden is easily avoidable so that's the best way to manage that risk

stupid comparisons being made, not the same thing at all!

FGS, I can't believe the hysteria on this thread. The OP was treating her children to a small fireworks display in her garden. Thousands of people do it each year without incident.

I grew up having fireworks in the garden, and so did many people, again without incident.

Yes, you need to be careful, and follow saftey instructions, but you can teach your children it's ok to enjoy fireworks if they are lit by an adult, and are treated with respect.

Why does everyone want to frighten children to death about things like this. They will grow up being scared of everything, and that's a shame.

bebanjo.....getting in cars and walking down the street is a necessity though

We had a lovely little firework display at the weekend in mum's garden - bit of a family tradition - they used to do one when we were little - so 20 odd years of fireworks in garden - never an accident.

However

This year I insisted on covering up their garden security light with a teatowel (was going to use my furry coat) despite very firm protests from my dm and ds (9)

10 minutes later luckily dm noticed and removed said teatowel - now in flames - and stamped it out without further incident - very !!

YABU

It would be a lot more traumatising if they got hurt with a firework rather than just looking at a photo...

It's like Syria around here with all the explosions and groups of chavs letting fireworks off around the flats and in the park. Should be illegal to let a firework off in public space without a license.

I had to skirt round the park on the way home and some dick head let their firework off sideways and it came onto the pavement. Luckily nowhere near me bit still, should have it stuck in their eye the little scroat.

dd made me take a bucket of water to the fecking park with us, to put the used sparklers in!

Yanbu. Follow the fireworks code and sensible children supervised by sensible adults should be fine. I made my dcs read the fireworks code to me this evening before lighting sparklers. Eldest dcs are 7 and 5. I'm sure tonight will be a happy family memory for them.

I'm petrified of fireworks, including sparklers. I'd be happy to see them banned for private sale. I have no issues with schools using any means necessary to educate children about the dangers of fire in general.

EugenesAxe sorry are you asking if we can't leave the dogs alone ever? - We do leave the dogs alone in the house not much as we don't need to we have flexible jobs and they come to work with me - but what I'm saying is I wouldn't leave them alone in the house during the next week or so - i.e when we trot off to a display the high chances are there will be other displays and fireworks going off in the distance that would scare them silly, and with nobody in the house to calm them it would be stressful.