is a convection stove safer for young kids than a radiant?

[Slow1]

Kids are smarter than you think. They usually know enough to stay away from that big giant ball of fire! My kids were 5 and 7 when I installed mine. Gave them one serious "sit-down" talk and told them about the stove. They know to take the craziness elsewhere. Even when there is company, the kids stay away....

Perhaps but I worry about some of the little ones - my 10 month old may know better but she sure doesn't have very good control over herself. Her braking system is still on order as is the "self control module"... I hear those are on back-order so it may be a bit of a wait. Then as I alluded to in my earlier posting on this topic - there are the kids of others who never bothered to verify any of these components even on their older children and instead are opting for the "free range, blame everyone else for their issues" experience.

My then 3 yo figured out our first stove very well without the fence for the whole season - didn't go near it when lit simply because we had the rule that no part of their bodies were to cross the line of the hearth pad. The rule was explained as a "safety rule" which puts it in the category that all of our kids know is a "no fooling around you can ask why but you don't dare break it" grouping. Not many of those around here, but kids know what they are and know strict punishment comes from even looking like they are breaking one of those. Yeah - it's tough but we had all our kids rather close together and had to do something to keep them alive and safe while still letting them explore and experience small pains/failures on their own.

 

[rdust]

Perhaps but I worry about some of the little ones - my 10 month old may know better but she sure doesn't have very good control over herself. Her braking system is still on order as is the "self control module"...

I'm with you, my son is 13 months now so he was just getting mobile when we started burning. I wasn't going to take the risk of him losing balance and using the stove to break his fall. My stove is also in my family room, if it was a basement install where we didn't spend all our time I may be will to go without the gate. Once he's a little older and more steady the gate may come down but at that point I'll probably keep it up for the safety of guests.

 

[keydiver]

we have been burning since our kid were born. Knowing where your kids are and being attentive is the key to babies, kids and woodstoves. Within 2 years they learned the stove was hot. You still need to pay attention.

The place we are in now is a free standing wood stove and now that the kids are older we still keep the metal screen near the front and the back. This serves 2 purposes. 1 being to prevent accidental contact when they are playing and not paying attention. 2 is to hang wet jackets and snow pants on to dry, along with the occasional wetsuit from scuba classes sin the pool.

Kids learn fast.

Ed