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I have so many wonderful memories of July 4th and New Year's Eve. My family celebrated these holidays with fireworks. How exciting it was holding sparklers and lighting fireworks! My parents watched us like hawks and thoroughly indoctrinated us in safety measures. If we acted up, even a little bit, we were banned - literally banned - from participating. We had to earn the right to light fireworks.

If you are directly supervising your child, and your child is acting appropriately, then fireworks are a wonderful, festive venture for the whole family. The emphasis is on "supervising." Parents who are invested in their child's safety will watch closely, demonstrate and educate. If a child is impatient and can't sit still to listen to safety lectures, then they should not be allowed to touch fireworks. On the other hand, children who respect the danger of fireworks and are cooperative are good candidates.

Throwing in a horror story or two doesn't hurt. I still remember hearing of missing fingers and disfigured faces - it drove home the fact that fireworks are dangerous and can seriously injure people. My father was very proud of the fact that neither he nor anyone in our entire extended family had ever been harmed during the Fourth of July or New Year's Eve. He informed us that he did not plan on ruining that record . . . and neither should we!

Fireworks are more than just entertainment. During the holidays, they provide a wonderful opportunity to talk about Independence Day. A history lesson learned while celebrating the actual event tends to stick to the brain. We rejoice during July 4th for a reason! Ditto for the New Year's festivities. My mother was fond of saying that "Ringing in the New Year" had a double meaning - and that the "ringing in our ears" attested to that!

I loved fireworks and missed them during my single years. However, when I started a family of my own it seemed very natural to continue the tradition. My daughter has been raised with fireworks on special occasions. She loves smoke bombs and sparklers the most. Now that she has started junior high, I feel comfortable letting her light Roman Candles and the big bombs. Her delight is mixed with a healthy dose of fear - and I appreciate that!

Yes, just as with any other challenge in life, children can be allowed to shoot off fireworks . . . as long as they have proper parental involvement and a respect for the rules.

Learn more about this author, Melanie Saxton.
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