Age you would allow a child to light a candle

[louise5754]

DD has had a friend over all day. I have just gone into the dining room and my candles are lit. Yes I shouldn't have left a lighter (I don't smoke it was next to the candles on a display plate) around I understand but my own daughters no never to touch it so I didn't think to move it. Maybe I'm over cautious as it would never cross my mind to allow them. My daughters are 6 and 8. Friend is also 8. She said she always does it at home. I just can't imagine what could have happened.

There’s a huge difference between lighting candles on a birthday cake and unsupervised lighting of household candles.

It was incredibly dangerous.

I would have had a stern talk to both the girls about how dangerous it was.

I’d have told the visiting child’s mother.

And I wouldn’t leave unattended lighters out in future.

My 4 year old lights candles confidently and has been for a while... he knows it's strictly under supervision though and that is the issue here

I’d let my 5.5yr old do candles for a cake or similar but never ever light a candle in the house without asking an adult probably up to teen years and beyond. I need to know what’s lit in the house do I can make sure it’s all put out at bedtime or when we go out!!!

I agree it's not the age, it's that the child did it without an adult present.
The fire risk is obvious and is the main issue here. However I also feel there's an issue about respecting other people's things - lighting someone else's candles in their house is overstepping boundaries and quite cheeky even if there was no fire risk. I'm also surprised your girls didn't stop her or come to tell you what she was doing? My kids are 6 and 10 and would totally have snitched about this.

We have a lot of candles and bought ds14 & 18 some nice ones for their room for Christmas. But this is the first time they’ve had them. I wouldn’t feel comfortable allowing ds14 with them any younger. (Yet he’s been allowed to cook using the oven and hob since 10).

Go with whatever age you feel comfortable.

2, 3, 4 with adult supervision.

Unsupervised depends on the child and the location. In a carpeted room near the curtains? Probably not.

At the dining table with a hard floor, no worries.

I think it's absolutely insane that children are taught to be afraid of matches, or that some people think candles are a fire risk. Candles aren't a fire risk. Being an idiot is a fire risk. Educate your children about how to light a candle and where to put candles safely so when they're teenagers they're not completely clueless and set fire to their uni digs cos they never learned how to deal with them.

My daughter didn't light the candles she knows never to even pick up a lighter. There is no point having a talk with her as I know she won't do it. She won't even stop in one room by herself. She's a very nervous child.

I told her she should have come to tell me. She's at the age where they all tell tales on each other so I'm very disappointed that she saw it happen and shout me.

2, 3, 4 with adult supervision

In what world would anybody let a 2 or 3 year old touch matches or a lighter at all...

The answers on this site baffle me at times, I'm waiting for the "my child has been lighting candles from six months old" post that someone is bound to post😂😂😂