Fireworks

[solongtogo]

We'd like to go watch fireworks this year, but I worry about the affect of the booms on my 3mo hearing...what can be done to muffle the noise for him? Am I stupid for even thinking and worrying about this?

[PinkMartini]

We took our DS to the 4th of July display last year when he was 8 1/2 months old at the time. We watched from the furthest distance away and the noise wasn't loud at all.

We'll be taking both babies to the fireworks this year (DS 20 months - DD 8 months) and again we'll be sitting the furthest away that we can. If we can't find a good spot we have ear muffs for the both of them we can use!

[myshel]

Honestly, my DD (who was 2 months old at the time went to a fireworks display) slept through the whole thing in her grandpa's arms. We weren't super close, but close enough to hear the everything. When there were loud booms, my dad sort of covered DD's ears with his hands. She'd shudder a little bit, but then go back to sleep.

We had pretty much the same experience with DS, who slept through every pyrotechnics show at Disney World at 11 months and the fireworks display in our city at the same age. We'd hold him and cover his ears as necessary. He never woke up.

I'd be prepared to hold DS and cover his ears with your hand. I'd also bring a blanket (receiving style) to use as an extra layer of protection. Who knows, maybe your DS will sleep through it? :)

[Ellyn]

We have fireworks right next to our house every year in the fall, and when both of my kids were about 3 mo. old they slept through the noise...I bet he'll surprise you. I would bring something to muffle the sound...just because he doesn't wake up doesn't mean you shouldn't muffle the sound.

[TracyDP]

Those of you taking really young ones to fireworks, are you just tossing bedtime out for the night or are you putting them down for a couple of hours then waking them up to go to the show? Ours here starts at 10pm, 2 full hours after DD's bedtime. She would be a total screaming meemy if I kept her up that long, and I don't know how she would handle being woken up for something like that.

I am more concerned about the ones being set off around our neighborhood. We live in a place where personal fireworks are legal and the area we live in is so incredibly noisy every 4th that I am not sure DD is going to be able to sleep. And let me tell you, she gets CRANKY if she is tired and keeps getting woken up. A lot of people around here get the illegal super loud explosive ones from Washington and they go off randomly until well after midnight. This could be really ugly. Unfortunately, anyone who could take her overnight in a quieter place is busy due to the holiday.

On the other hand, like the PP mentioned, she could surprize us and sleep better than I give her credit for. I will have her fan on, and music playing. She is a really deep sleeper once she is out for an hour or so (we had LOUD thunder last night that woke me up, but she didn't even stir). So, I'm hoping I can get her to bed around 8pm before the real noise starts so that by 9:30 or 10 when it gets dark and things really get going she will be soundly asleep. Luckily I got a really good night sleep last night so if she does have trouble sleeping, I can stay up with her and not be a zombie. DH can go to bed early (he sleeps through anything) and then watch her in the morning so I can sleep in if she has trouble.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Those of you taking really young ones to fireworks, are you just tossing bedtime out for the night or are you putting them down for a couple of hours then waking them up to go to the show?

DD is only 11 weeks, but we have a pretty good nighttime routine down, and she's usually in bed by 8:30. We are watching the fireworks from a friend's house, so we'll be there long before they start. I plan to put her down at the friend's house at her normal bedtime (or just have her sleep on me under a blanket) and quietly and carefully transport her home when we decide to leave. When she falls asleep for the night, she's out. It's an all-out different kind of sleep than during the day.

[TracyDP]

DD is only 11 weeks, but we have a pretty good nighttime routine down, and she's usually in bed by 8:30. We are watching the fireworks from a friend's house, so we'll be there long before they start. I plan to put her down at the friend's house at her normal bedtime (or just have her sleep on me under a blanket) and quietly and carefully transport her home when we decide to leave. When she falls asleep for the night, she's out. It's an all-out different kind of sleep than during the day.

If DD was that young I'd have no trouble taking her since she was like your DD, once out she stayed out. I was thinking more of babies/toddlers around 1 yr and up when it's a little more troublesome to mess too much with bedtime.

[Ericka_Jarett]

We took Easton last year and he was only 10 months. He loved seeing them explode and for the booms I was covering his ears. He did fine. We were there for several hours since there was a concert as well. We sat in our camp chairs in the rain, it was wet but fun just the same.

[TracyDP]

We took Easton last year and he was only 10 months. He loved seeing them explode and for the booms I was covering his ears. He did fine. We were there for several hours since there was a concert as well. We sat in our camp chairs in the rain, it was wet but fun just the same.

Did you give him a "bedtime nap" before you went? I'm just worried that by 11:30pm Ellie is going to be so strung out it will be hard to get her to sleep, especially since we have everybody out here doing off their own fireworks in our neighborhood until well after midnight.

I'm thinking I might put her down around 8pm as usual, let her sleep until 9:30 or so then get her up and take her to the fireworks. I do think she would enjoy them. A good viewing area that is close, but not so close it's REALLY loud, is only about 10 minutes away. Then, let the chips fall where they may. If she sleeps she sleeps, if not then we'll deal with that. Problem is that I'm pretty sure that if she is sound asleep in spite of the local cabooms of M-80's at 9:30, I"m not going to want to wake her up. :rolleyes: We'll see how she is tomorrow night. We are doing the local parade in the morning/early afternoon so she might be so tuckered out that she'll sleep through anything.

[NotDesperate]

I can't bring my baby. Last year she was so scared, she shaked and pressed herself into DH the whole time. Of course, my baby is a toy poodle :p

[tray622]

Those of you taking really young ones to fireworks, are you just tossing bedtime out for the night or are you putting them down for a couple of hours then waking them up to go to the show? Ours here starts at 10pm, 2 full hours after DD's bedtime. She would be a total screaming meemy if I kept her up that long, and I don't know how she would handle being woken up for something like that.



When my kids were younger we did exactly that. We put them down normally at 6:30 and woke them up. They both have loved fireworks or "pop-pops" (my oldest named them that at 1), so the minute of tired grumpiness did no last long. I would want to see their reaction too much not to wake them :) We also can do our own here so it was a lot of fun.

[Ericka_Jarett]

We headed to the local park last year around 7 or so, they had a concert beforehand that we sat and watched in the rain, then the fireworks went off in the field behind the concert. He fell asleep in the car on the way home. When we got home there were many neighbors shooting them off and he slept right through them.