Banning sparklers?

Jennifer - posted on 09/16/2010

There's a BIG difference between a home made Roman candle and sparklers. No I don't think fireworks or sparklers should be banned but I do think great care has to be taken when using them. Yes that boy will have scars for the rest of his life but tbh it's his parents and himself who are at fault.

Jodi - posted on 09/16/2010

Fair enough Sherri. If they aren't rebelling at the moment, and if their friends don't have the freedom either, I can see it working. Under normal circumstances I can't see that working in the least :) I personally focus on teaching, because I do allow my son his freedom, and so far the bad choices he has made have been very small and he has learned from them, which is the general idea.

Sherri - posted on 09/16/2010

I had the same restrictions as a kid and never got myself into trouble. Went to college with no problem got my degree. Had some fun and did traveling in my early 20's enjoyed freedom then. Then settled down and by the time I was 26 was married and had 2 children, worked full time.

When my kids are 15 I will expect them to maintain there grades, get a part time job and then when they are 16 they will be able to drive (if they can afford the insurance and it will be limited if they need to drive my car) and have slightly more freedom but really that will be consumed by work and school. We also have strict driving laws here kids under the age of 18 can not have any other person in the car under the age of 25 unless it is an immediate family members. so unless they all take separate cars they still won't be driving to the malls or movies with other kids. My kids will most likely be living at home anyways till they graduate college. Typically that is when kids move out on there own as most kids don't graduate high school till 18yrs old and then go right to college so most just live at home till they get there degree.

I am not holding them here against there will they are not deprived and honestly they don't fight for more freedom probably because non of there friends have it either.

Jodi - posted on 09/15/2010

So....what happens when these kids leave home or get their freedom at 18? People I went to school with who had these restrictions when I went to school had to leave home to go to University (we had no University where we lived), and they were the ones who got kicked out of university for their behaviour or ended up pregnant. Finally they get freedom and they don't know how to handle it. Just sayin'.

Nicole - posted on 09/15/2010

Um first of all it was home made so how does this make it sparkler manufacturers faults?
Second they WATCHED him and his friend set it off. What were they thinking? Seriously they should be charged with negligence if they want to get real technical and the parents of the other boy could theoretically sue them for their negligence.
Thirdly why didn't they teach their son that explosives are dangerous and to be respectful of things like sparklers and fire works. Store bought fire works are sold to adults (18 years old) only here in Ontario Canada for a reason.

They should be thankful that the gods above were watching over their son that night. As it is he will have permanent damage from his and his parents stupidity for the rest of his life.

Stifler's - posted on 09/15/2010

Where do you live?!

Sherri - posted on 09/15/2010

When they can drive. Unless they give me reason not too. However, all my kids friends have the same restrictions. All parents here drive there kids to there sports games watch the games and then take kids home, none are just allowed to ride through town on bikes or what not. The mall is way to far away to just drop them off and come back and get them later, same with the movies. We are talking 20mins one way. One 14yr old friend of my sons isn't allowed to have the internet in his home, not even allowed to wait for the school bus unless a parent is with him. Parents are very protective and watchful here. We have only a 0% violent crime rate, only a 1% non violent crime rate and a 0% teen pregnancy rate. Even our schools are hugely protective. Children have to either take the bus or be driven by a parent. Parent's must come into the school, show ID and sign your child out for after school activities such as dances etc.

Stifler's - posted on 09/15/2010

Sherri, at what age WILL they be able to do things without supervision?

Jodi - posted on 09/15/2010

Sorry, Sherri, I misread that he wasn't 15.



But I have a 13 year old (well, he'll be 13 in a few days) and I am happy to drop him off at the mall to go to the movies with his friends, happy to let him ride his bike or scooter to our local shops, and quite happy to let him cross busy roads. He also catches buses to and from school, is allowed to ride to the local basketball courts and football oval to play sport. I have rules and restrictions, and he has never yet broken them (yes, I check up), he has EARNED my trust.



My reason for making my statement was the fact that you didn't say it was because of circumstances, you declared that "Well my kids will never be without adult supervision", and I wondered at what point you would be comfortable with them going out without supervision. You also used the term "allowed" which means you don't *permit* it as opposed to the circumstances preventing it.

Sherri - posted on 09/15/2010

It is unfortunately where we live. No friend is less then 8mi away and he would have to cross over a highway to get there. So he has to be driven and picked up. We are off a busy thoroughway where I wouldn't even walk on so my kids certainly will not. So he can not leave the house without an adult and won't be able to till he can drive. We do run errands and leave him home for an hour or two but that is it and never if there are friends over. Plus he is only 13 1/2 not 15. The bus picks him up in front of the house and drops him off outside our door also. So it is circumstances.

Jodi - posted on 09/15/2010

@ Emma, again, the article is CLEARLY talking about a situation where the adults WERE supervising

@ Sherri, I'm sorry, but when you are not allowing your 15 year old to go ANYWHERE on their own, in my opinion you are setting yourself up for failure. What's going to happen when he turns 18? Are you still going to supervise him then? If not, how is he going to learn to make good choice if you don't EVER give him the opportunity to think for himself (and yes, unsupervised time forces them into situations where they need to think for themselves and make their own choices and learn consequences). I know that is irrelevant to the debate, but I find it really sad that you can't let go a little for a 15 year old, not even allowing him off your street.

Kate CP - posted on 09/15/2010

When you're sitting there watching your child modify explosives and then allow them to LIGHT IT ON FIRE, yes that is a PARENTING FAIL.

Alison - posted on 09/15/2010

Incorrect use of anything can be dangerous. Why should children of responsible parents have all their fun taken away because these parents let their child make a homemade bomb? It's so typical of the blame culture we live in these days.

Sherri - posted on 09/15/2010

Well my kids will never be without adult supervision. They aren't even allowed off my St. now without an adult and they are not allowed to friends houses unless I have spoken to a parent and then they are driven to and from.

Stifler's - posted on 09/15/2010

When I was 15 I never had adult supervision. I was 15 for god's sake.

Sherri - posted on 09/15/2010

I have an almost 14yr old and I can tell you right now. He has adult supervision always and he will not be doing anything so foolish. Also be on a couple of threads and you will see I have most certainly knocked the parents for not having better adult supervision for there children that are now pregnant.

Jodi - posted on 09/15/2010

Um, Emma, it CLEARLY states that the parents WERE watching him......harsh? How so? If I watched my 15 year old have unprotected sex, I WOULD be an irresponsible parent too....

Stifler's - posted on 09/15/2010

And you're all being a bit harsh. Wait until your 15 year old does things like this behind your back you get condemned by everyone for it for being "irresponsible and a failure". I don't see anyone attacking the parents of pregnant teenagers for not watching them every second of the day.

Stifler's - posted on 09/15/2010

Like I said... I did that sort of thing as a teenager. A lot of people do where I come from and no one has had their jaw ripped off. Sorry if I'm not a cotton wool parent.

Jodi - posted on 09/15/2010

@Emma

" I don't think I'd let my son do this"



The word that bothers me here is THINK. You don't THINK you'd let your son do this???? I KNOW I wouldn't let my son do it, that would be irresponsible of me as a parent!!! I absolutely judge them all. The parents are morons for letting him do it and the kid was a moron for doing it - at 15 he should have known better. Sorry, but THAT is just obvious.



As someone else said, sparklers are perfectly safe when used properly, I don't agree they should be banned. However, in this country, fireworks are banned because people used them irresponsibly, so they'll probably add sparklers to that ban too. The fun police are just getting too damn tight these days.

Sherri - posted on 09/15/2010

Those parents are a bunch of morons no the sparklers shouldn't be banned but those parents should.

Candi - posted on 09/15/2010

Holy Cow!If we banned everything tht was misused or abused, the world would be an empty place. I hate that a 15 yr old went through this, but you have to think about your actions! Who would let their kid make a bomb and light it?? Sparklers are meant to be lit, held away from face, and watch them sparkle! Nowhere on the pack does it say scrape off the ends and turn it into a make shift bomb!! These parents should be chrged with child endangerment or neglect and pay a fine for using these sparklers in a terrible way....Wake up people!!

Kate CP - posted on 09/14/2010

Okay, "home made fire crackers" and "responsible parenting" should never be in the same sentence. These people are frickin' morons. The ONLY firecrackers my family does is sparklers and we DON'T modify them so they don't BLOW UP. Yes boys are adventurous...which is why, as parents, it's our job to ensure they don't blow themselves up. This is a classic PARENTING FAIL.

Brie - posted on 09/14/2010

wow... they are not responsible parents because this happened... if they were responsible then there son wouldn't be in the state he is in. they knew about it going on and they watched while their son and his friend misused fireworks. fireworks shouldn't be banned because of this and the fact they are trying to get them banned is hilarious.. this would have never happened if the parents hadn't let it!!!!

Shannon - posted on 09/14/2010

When we do fire works, it's only my husband lighting them. I don't like to & the kids don't either.

Stifler's - posted on 09/14/2010

Poor kid. We have done stuff like this, so I can't preach about how dangerous it is etc. Before we had kids. I don't think I'd let my son do this but sparklers should definitely not be banned just because of a few people misusing them.

Toni - posted on 09/14/2010

“We’re responsible parents and look what can happen in a few seconds. You don’t think of sparklers being a danger.”

I think that is my favourite line in the whole article. REALLY they think they are responsible parents, they allowed their son to make a bomb effectively. The sparklers are not to blame, THE PARENTS ARE. The sparklers are not designed to be used in the way in which they used them and when used correctly they are not dangerous.

I have had enough of idiots trying to stop me having fun because they cannot use things correctly. I love playing with sparklers especially the coloured ones, I write my name like a big girl gqtm.

Nikki - posted on 09/14/2010

Really......? how stupid do you have to be to let your child make a home made bomb, can no one take responsibility for their own actions these days, sad!