Playing with matches

[Wilson]

Did your kids ever play with matches? What did you do about it?

[rusti]

My ds was caught with matches a couple of weeks ago. We explained to him the dangers of catching the woods on fire along with our house and that of our neighbors and pets.

We then made a fire in the fire pit and let him help and told him he could ONLY make fires with an adult around.

When I was little I got caught playing with matches. My mom then lit one, put it out and placed the match on my arm. It hurt like the dickens but I NEVER lit another match again when I was a kid. My mom never did win any awards for The Best Mom in the World.

[FamilyGal]

Oh my yes. My oldest son played with matches one time in the garage. He heard me coming, blew it out and threw it in the backyard! I looked out a short time later to see a pile of leaves on fire! He swore he didn't do it, but finally fessed up. I think it scared the hell out of him. If that hadn't have worked, I would have had to beat him! (j/k)

If you feel talking to him isn't enough, perhaps you could take him by a burned out house and show him what could happen. Or worse yet, a burn unit.

[FamilyGal]

It hurt like the dickens but I NEVER lit another match again when I was a kid. My mom never did win any awards for The Best Mom in the World.

That sounds like when I was caught smoking and they made me smoke a CARTON of cigarettes, non-stop. I thought I was going to die. BUT, it must have worked, I am a non-smoker and always have been. (Believe it or not, that was the first time I had tried a cigarette and already decided I didn't like it. They didn't believe that though.)

[Wilson]

This is my five-year-old, but you both probably knew that already. I never did this as a kid - my next door neighbor did (we were the same age and friends) and caught his bedroom on fire and caused a significant amount of damage.

This isn't the first time, either. I'm at my wit's end and what I've done obviously isn't working. My brother is an arson investigator and I called him this morning. He's referred me to the juvenile specialist - I've got a call into her and will see what she thinks I should do. I'm just at a loss, here. This cannot keep happening.

[natvtxn]

Wilson - I've got keys to my uncles house in RP (remember he died from a fire there...actually no fire, but smoldering). I would go with you there for him to see if you want. It probably started from a match that was dropped. It leaves a huge impression! I have a whole new respect for fire now!!

[eaglesprings]

Yeah, I walked in the kiddos' room one day and saw a pile of matches on the floor, and they were attempting to strike one! They wanted a campfire in their room!

I don't know what to suggest, Wilson. I told my kiddos they could burn the house down and people could die. That didn't sink in, but one of them asked about the fish. I said, "Yeah, we'd lose the fish in a house fire, too." She broke down crying, and has never played with matches again!

Okay, so the fish mean more to her than dear old mom and dad, but that's okay. Anything that works to keep them from playing with matches!

[11Linda11]

I know it sounds horrible, Rusti, but what your mom did worked didn't it?

I caught my young son, about 5 then, playing with matches on the mat in front of our door.
I almost had heart failure. You could see all the burn marks in the mat.
I must have scared my son when he saw my reaction, because he never did it again.
I explained the danger of fire and losing our house. I also made sure all matches
and lighters were hidden after that.

I was lucky that he wasn't obsessed with fire. I know a lot of kids are.

When I was six our house burned down because of an electrical problem. It was about a week after Christmas.
I got a healthy respect for fire after that.

Good luck with this Wilson.

[FamilyGal]

Not to make light of a serious subject, but it seems to me most firemen are obsessed with fire. (Many arsonists turn out to be wayward firemen actually.) My husband's best friend is a firemen and he came over one day to help us cut up a fallen a tree. While here, he and my husband were burning the tree they were cutting up. The friend knew all kinds of way to make "cool explosions" out of our household chemicals. They made one in the stump of the tree and fire came out several feet away through the roots! :eek: I told those idiots if they hurt themselves, I wasn't calling an ambulance since they were both Paramedics and Firemen and should KNOW better. I would be too embarassed.

Perhaps your son is going to be a fireman! :p

[herself]

I recall having coffee with a friend when a neighbor knocked on her door. Her son and mine were lighting paper airplanes on fire and flying them out the 2nd floor window.

That was one of many incidents that summer. We took them to see the fire men and the fire dept 'scare the little shits' movie. Not sure it had any effect.

In time and after several groundings, and taking away favorite toys, etc they out grew it.

[Wilson]

It's interesting to hear you say that... the last time this happened, I was telling somebody about my brother being an Arson Investigator and Fire Marshall and my dad has been a volunteer FF my entire life... you'd think I wouldn't have this problem with my kids? But my older son is uber safety conscious, while the younger one is is of the danger-does-not-exist type. If I can keep the younger alive through his youth, who knows they may end up working together...

[TripleA]

Good luck with this wilson! My kids are 4 and 6 and so far have not attempted anything like this. I don't even know where any matches are in the house since we use the lighter thing. We keep it somewhere they cannot get to. I am not sure what the answer is, but you are obviously on top of it and I am sure you will find something that works soon!

[FamilyGal]

Fire is a fascinating thing. We have a huge fire ring in our backyard and dh and I will still sit there and watch things melt. (USB cords make pretty flames, by the way.) We just have to be careful the kids aren't watching. (I just don't make bombs like him and the FF do.)