Kids and fire...accidents?

[emt1581]

Hopefully we'll have a little one on the way soon. Growing up we always had a heater of some sort in the family room. When I was little it was a kerosene heater which I burned myself on a few times. Then later we had an insert which I never had any accidents/injuries from.

I've seen some sort of barrier mentioned in other threads that you put around a stove/insert to protect little kids. What safeguards do you have in place and what accidents have you had in terms of kids around the fire?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[savageactor7]

4 children that learned to walk around a burning stove...no barriers. You tell 'em it's hot, they feel it and learn to respect it.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Sheesh, you already have one on the way! It's a little late to figure out how to not have an accident in front of the fire! :lol:

On a more serious note, I have an 8 month old. In the old house I'd be freaking out a bit as the stove was out in the open. In the new house, having the stove in the basement conveniently took the worry away.

Matt

 

[btuser]

Sheesh, you already have one on the way! It's a little late to figure out how to not have an accident in front of the fire! :lol:


Matt

That's funny. I know funny and that's funny.

We've got one and a dog. The dog figured it out, and so did the daughter. No burns. I taught her to start the stove when she was 8. Now she's 10 and better than her mother. The only real danger is when kids (friends and family) start running/playing in the house and sooner or later they end up in front of the stove. Its a big open room so they all pack into it and start doing gymnastics and ballet (6 girls). Don't ask me why, but I guess it draws them to it the same way it does us. We have a tri-fold screen we use as a gate in front of the hearth, and when the cousins all show up we pull it out an extra foot. If they touch the gate they're still 2' away from the stove, and the stove is hot, and they're not stupid. I guess a a little one trying walk between the stove and someone trying a backflip could get bumped, lose their balance and try to stop themselves with an outstreached hand.... Yes, we think about it, and they're always being watched.

I'm going to save my anxiety for the first boyfriend who shows up with a motorcycle.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Is that when you conveniently line up all the rifles and shotguns to clean each one about the time the first date comes over?

Matt

 

[northwinds]

Fire hot! Ouch We had those kind of conversations when my kids were young. They quickly learned and agreed to stay several steps away from
the wood stove. It was more of an issue when their friends came over. Had the same type of conversation with the friends but made sure they were
supervised while in the stove room. Accidents can happen with anything dangerous, and hot metal must be respected, along with sharp knives, broken
glass, etc.

When I was a toddler, my parents say that I put both hands on an active burn barrel while playing at the neighbors. Lesson learned without permanent scarring.
Stuff happens.

 

[ROBERT F]

Ive got a 1 1/2 year old and a 2 1/2 year old, both raised with wood stove as primary source of heat. they know that even stepping on the hearth or playing with any of the fire associated stuff is a big no-no. last winter it was not uncommon to find the 2 year old with here princess pillow and blanket laying on the floor or couch in front of the fire. its all about them respecting the stove, and you teaching them to. no burns from the stove on either one of them, wish I could say the same for myself!!

 

[Dune]

Dang, here I am thinking all children should wear safety goggles and hockey helmets (and now apparently leather gloves) at all times.

 

[katwillny]

We have two kids, 1 wood stove, one pellet stove. when my son was about 2 he went over to the wood stove and sensed that it was hot and we started to explain to him how it is hot and it can cause injury. Never again did he go to it. its all about teaching them to stay away from it and to not play around it.
Be safe

 

[Bobbin]

Kids are smart born smart but their stupid parents train all the smarts out them by "idiot-proofing" every aspect of their lives.

"Hot" is a hard-wired thing. Anyone who touches something too hot reacts immediately... and not by "choice"... their body does it for them. With kids, you have to instill in them the necessity of how close is dangerously close! They need to know that running/roughhousing near the stove is not "cool" because you could fall into or against the hot stove. Give the reason, and remind them frequently. One of my friends came over with her toddler several years ago. She was a little freaked out by the stove, but I took her son over to it. We put our hands near it and when it got too warm, I looked him in the eye and said, "It's too hot, stay away". He sat near it and "experimented" with how close was too hot for a little while. Then he decided it was more fun to play on the rug at a range that was comfortable. Smart kid.

 

[rdust]

This has come up many times. When I started burning last fall my son(8 months old) was just learning to crawl/walk and my stove is in a small family room. Even if he understood hot there was no way to guarantee he wouldn't be unsteady on his feet and fall into the stove. I put up a kidco hearth gate and don't worry about him or friends kids horsing around and falling into the stove.

 

[emt1581]

Is that when you conveniently line up all the rifles and shotguns to clean each one about the time the first date comes over?

Matt

When that day comes he will see three things before the date.... my suppressed pistol, my cleaver/bone saw, and my boat. Maybe in reverse order.

-Emt1581

 

[rdust]

Just snapped a picture of my gate set up...

 

[Todd]

Kids may not touch a hot stove, but they might just want to see what happens when they put one of their plastic toys on top. :bug:

 

[emt1581]

Kids may not touch a hot stove, but they might just want to see what happens when they put one of their plastic toys on top. :bug:

That's what I did. Not sure if it was on purpose or by accident but one of the dog's toys got thrown into the glass while playing. Left a nice little rubber circle.

I also remember putting a few Sega game instruction booklets into the fire to watch the blue and green flames...

-Emt1581

 

[emt1581]

rdust- Isn't that gate a PITA when trying to watch TV? Looks like it's in the way.

-Emt1581

 

[cmonSTART]

We have two kids, 3 and 1, and we've had no accidents so far. We teach them not to go near the stove, even in the off season. Stove = discipline.

 

[rdust]

rdust- Isn't that gate a PITA when trying to watch TV? Looks like it's in the way.

-Emt1581

It's close to in the way, the gate is just a hair under the screen when you're sitting in that chair.

 

[begreen]

There are about 10,000 pediatric burn injuries reported per year. The most common child burn injuries are in the bathroom from scalding (65%), and kitchen burns second.

"The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens and ranges, irons, gasoline, and fireworks."
(broken link removed to http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site903/mainpageS903P0.html)

The statistics odds of a child being burned by a stove are significantly much less than injury by a gun.

 

[begreen]

There are about 10,000 pediatric burn injuries reported per year. The most common child burn injuries are in the bathroom from scalding (65%), and kitchen burns second.

"The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens and ranges, irons, gasoline, and fireworks."
(broken link removed to http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site903/mainpageS903P0.html)

The statistics odds of a child being burned by a stove are significantly much less than injury by a hot faucet or a gun.

 

[emt1581]

The statistics odds of a child being burned by a stove are significantly much less than injury by a hot faucet or a gun.

Interesting comparison, but in both cases, no matter the ratio, any injuries resulting are usually due to irresponsibility on the part of the parents.

-Emt1581

 

[begreen]

Yes, that is pretty much always the case. But once one becomes a parent you will find yourself being more forgiving about a person trying to find 5 minutes to be themself. If one has two children (or more) each into their own thing, the problem compounds exponentially. Walk a mile in the shoes of a parent to see.

 

[emt1581]

Yes, that is pretty much always the case. But once one becomes a parent you will find yourself being more forgiving about a person trying to find 5 minutes to be themself. If one has two children (or more) each into their own thing, the problem compounds exponentially. Walk a mile in the shoes of a parent to see.

I don't understand what you mean? Are you saying not to be too hard on parents?

Thanks!

-Emt1581

 

[cmonSTART]

Even the most responsible parents have to deal with injured kids.

 

[oldspark]

Kids may not touch a hot stove, but they might just want to see what happens when they put one of their plastic toys on top. :bug:

Does a little horse with melted hooves and bits of plastic on the wood burner tell you anything?