New Year's Eve means celebration, and with children, it can only become colorful. To ensure that it only goes up in hats and glasses, and not emergency room visits, here are a few good tips on how to keep the evening fun and safe.
Prepare your child for what is going to happen
Before the last day of the year really kicks off, it is a good idea to have talked to your child about what is going to happen. Set clear rules for how to behave near the fireworks. Show them how far they should stand from the rockets and possibly make a line or something similar, so they have something to stay behind. There should also be agreements about who can handle which type of fireworks. It is recommended that children can only help with the firing when they are between 10-15 years old, and always together with an adult. Until they are old enough, the person in charge of firing should be an adult. Remember to place all fireworks in a stable firing tube and ensure that the 'audience' keeps a distance before the fireworks are lit.
The earlier the discussion about what New Year's really is and what the expectations for the evening are, the easier it is to avoid accidents. Remember to listen and explain why the rules are as they are, so the child also learns to understand their importance.
Child-friendly New Year's bangs
Even though they cannot help with the big fireworks, it doesn't mean that the little ones should be completely without. Buy child-friendly 'fireworks' in the form of party poppers, party poppers, New Year's crackers, and sparklers – small things that go bang that they can play with themselves.
But as with the large rockets, there are also some things to be aware of with the small New Year's delights:
- Party poppers should always be pointed away from others when they are fired. They should never be pointed at the face of either others or oneself, and for the very small ones, it is a good idea to wear safety glasses when they are fired.
- Sparklers are not only beautiful, they can also be flammable if they are not properly extinguished. Always remember to place them in the sink and cool them thoroughly before throwing them away. Sparklers work like matches, and if they are not completely cold when they are thrown away, they can burn a hole in the garbage bag or, in the worst case, start a fire.
- Party poppers are mostly harmless, but one should also be considerate of each other. They should not be thrown at others, only on the ground.
Outside
As a general rule, it is a good idea for children to always be accompanied by an adult when they are outside. Besides wrapping yourself and your children in warm clothing, it is important to protect the eyes, both child and adult. Put on the safety glasses! The important, but neutral, glasses can be decorated with stickers or nail polish, so it is easy to tell them apart, and as a fun activity in the afternoon while the adults prepare the food.
If the children are outside when the clock strikes midnight, it is a good idea to have hearing protection, so your child can enjoy the beautifully lit night sky while also protecting their sensitive ears. Peltor Kids hearing protection reduces the sound by 27 dB and can be used for children between 3 months – 12 years.
Good advice for a safe evening
- Always remember to wear safety glasses when you are outside
- Fireworks should be stored out of reach of children
- Keep a distance from rockets that are being fired, and never let children approach lit fireworks
- Always let an adult handle the firing of the rockets
- Only prepare one piece of fireworks at a time
- Only fire approved fireworks
Note that these tips are only guidelines. Always make sure to assess the situation and use common sense. For more good advice and guidelines, we recommend:
https://samvirke.dk/artikler/sadan-er-reglerne-for-affyring-af-fyrvaerkeri
/ Mammashop
