To throw away all my children's dressing up clothes?

[MrsNextDoor]

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3096677/Why-parent-throw-child-s-fancy-dress-costumes-man-saved-TV-Claudia-s-daughter-fireball.html

Daily Fail link sorry but I've learned from it that after Claudia Winkleman's poor DD was burned at Halloween, the man who helped her has found out that Halloween and dress up costumes...the nylon kind we all buy cheaply in Supermarkets are classed as TOYS and so aren't fire safe.

why did I never check!?

I know our kids don't routinely run round candles in their dress up outfits but one spark....

It's not the first ive heard of, sadly. First serious one though. I didn't know until today that they were classed as toys.

It's something I bear in mind now. Wouldn't chuck them though.

I know it's not quite the same as princesses and spiderman, but can you gradually replace them with charity shop hats and clothes? It might even make for more imaginative play?

I don't have any candles in my house due to ridiculous fire alarms.
Feel free to throw them my way.

I am of course joking (I am not in the UK). But I am sure your local preschool would love them for dressing up box. Unlikely to be sparks in primaries due to health and safety.

I think awareness is half the battle with this kind of thing, so I wouldn't necessarily ditch them all, but ensure they aren't used when there's any chance of a naked flame being involved.

I think awareness is half the battle with this kind of thing, so I wouldn't necessarily ditch them all, but ensure they aren't used when there's any chance of a naked flame being involved.

I think awareness is half the battle with this kind of thing, so I wouldn't necessarily ditch them all, but ensure they aren't used when there's any chance of a naked flame being involved.

I REALLY meant that, apparently.

And I feel immensely sorry for Claudia. I hope in the new series of Strictly she can sit out the Halloween one and just spend that Saturday with her DD.
I don't do the trick or treat thing. I do have several flamnable costumes though. But awareness is the key. The parties we go to are no-smoking, no candles, no tealights, pumpkin deco only (as in sticking on eyes rather than hollowing out).

I just find it amazing. I mean it's obvious really! The things are practially PLASTIC they're so cheap. Why have I never looked for a fire retardent lable or something?

Marketing.

But what happened to bonfire night safety warnings and broadcasts? The importance of natural fibres near flames was drummed into us as children. It's a shame this is the reminder.

They covered it on watchdog. It's pretty scary.

Problem is these are often worn at birthday parties, so with candles, in locations the parents aren't in control of.

I guess I'm lucky that as dc1 I a boy, most of the fancy dress costumes are skin tight of the superhero variety, the princess dresses are more of an issue - esp the sea of Elsa costumes with floaty capes that waft about.

I hope the law is changed on this.

I actually agree with the previous poster who said replace with old charity shop stuff, that's what my old dressing up box was. I wasn't even aware of these commercial costumes until my teenager years. I don't know wether they were around in the 80's or just too expensive for my parents. Either way I never felt like I missed out.

Esoecially at this time of year you can get little bridesmaid dresses from charity shops for the girls to feel like princess, blue trousers and shirt could be a policeman.

I agree that fire safety adverts should be brought back.
Also, our dressing up box is mostly old clothes, sheets and curtains.

Do what you feel comfortable with but remember apart from nightclothes, normal, everyday clothes are not flammability tested, si it could be argued are also vulnerable in the presence of naked flames.

Gift them to your local primary or preschool, no naked flames there.
A truly horrible accident. My blood chilled when she described patting at the flames though, that's not going to work. You have to smother them, if you have nothing else you can use, you use your own body.
Sadly a number of children in an area I used to work in had similar accidents. Poor housing, gas heating and cooking and floaty salwaar kamees with scarves.

Whilst I think it's terribly sad what happened to Claudia's daughter, I also think it's totally foolish to have naked flames in the house and especially at a children's party. We bought lots of led night light style candles, totally safe and although not exactly the same, probably give off the same amount of light, especially if. In a pumpkin.

I think it's a manageable risk.

My son spends most of his days in fancy dress. No naked flames within his reach, at birthday party's the candles on the cake are fine, just stay back while blowing.

While I have every sympathy for Claudia and the accident is horrific I do think chucking out all fancy dress is a overreaction.

I think I will go through my DD's dressing up box and decide she's grown out of the multi layered floaty polyester stuff. She has one of those witches costumes and I think I will replace it with something I will sew myself.

I don't allow her to go to birthday parties with these costumes anyway, she wears "normal" party dresses.

Classing those costumes as toys is ridiculous. It just allows the manufactorers to use cheaper material, putting out children at risk.

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We have candles in the house. I will not throw them out, but my children aren't toddlers anymore. Youngest is 6.
I expect a certain amount of fire safety from clothes.

The accident happened with other people's real candles, and the situation which Claudia describes is not easily controlled - even knowing about the dangers of those dresses - it's dark, lots of children milling about, children running ahead etc, I will not risk it again.

I hate trick or treating anyway

I don't think it's an overreaction in the slightest.
The speed at which that dress went up is terrifying.
That clip has changed my opinion on this. Halloween, birthdays, there will be naked flames, my kids will be safer from now on.