I learned how to use the fire extinguisher (long)

Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive November 2005: I learned how to use the fire extinguisher (long)

Yesterday afternoon my 9yo asked if she could make a bag of microwave popcorn and I told her yes. I let her use the microwave from time to time so she knows how to use it and I didn't worry about anything bad happening. I was upstairs in the family room and she came walking in with the bag of popcorn and when she opened it she discovered that only a few kernels had popped. Turns out that she only put the bag in for one minute. My dd said she was going to put it back in the microwave. I calmly told her that once you open the bag you can't put it back in. Well this started a meltdown for some reason (she almost never has meltdowns so it was unusual). She then states that she will put a barrette on it to keep it closed. I told her no. She said she was going to glue it shut to keep it closed, I told her no again. Well, the meltdown escalates to the point that I told her to go throw the bag in the trash and she stomped down the stairs to throw it in the trash, or so I thought. About a minute later I heard her scream "MOMMY, A FIRE!". I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen to see my child standing on a little wooden stool in front of our built-in microwave, crying and blowing on the blazing bag of popcorn in the microwave. I grabbed her and got her away from the fire and then I ran to the garage and grabbed the fire extiguisher (I forgot about the one in the pantry) and put the fire out. Thankfully, no one was hurt! I never realized that I didn't really know how to operate a fire extinguisher (I've never had to before) and it took me about 10-20 seconds to figure out I needed to pull the pin and where to trigger the thing. The kitchen was quite a mess with the powder extiguisher stuff and the microwave isn't in the best shape and may need to be replaced. I made dd help me clean it all up, but I didn't punish her. She was hysterical afterwards and she was teary-eyed all night, but I had a good talk with her and she swears that she will always follow my directions from now on (yeah right!). Dh thinks we should ground her, but I simply don't see the point. I have already told her that if the microwave needs to be replaced she will have to pay for it out of her savings account though. I think that is enough excitement to last me a while.

By Kaye on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 08:46 am:

You say she almost never has meltdowns, well hold on for the ride, this hormonal stuff just gets better and better!

As for grounding or not grounding. I see both sides. In someways she has learned a lesson. But there are a couple of lessons to be learned here. One is you have to treat things correctly. She chose to use a microwave and it's popcorn against the rules and broke it, period. But she also directly disobeyed mom. That is a toughie not to punish seperately.

Sorry that you had an eventful night.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 09:03 am:

OMGosh! I wouldn't ground her, seems the scare of the fire, the fact that you made her help clean up, and the fact that she will have to pay for replacing the microwave if necessary, is *punishment* enough, IMO.......

Her disobedience created a situation that *could* have been disastrous, and thankfully, it wasn't. I feel pretty sure this is etched in her mind. The fear of fire is a powerful thing, and she was directly involved in it, so I don't think she's likely to forget this lesson for a while.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 09:42 am:

I agree with Karen. My parents taped up newspapers around the stove, before we made potato pancakes once. Seemed they thought that the newspapers would catch the spatters and keep the mess off the wall. Well, you know where this going. The newspaper got hit with the grease spatters and started on fire. They ripped that stuff down so fast it would make your head spin. As I got older, I really wonder what they were thinking! LOL! I learned never to do that! LOL! (don't think I would have done it in the first place, though.)

That happened when I lived in Port Washington, WI, so somewhere in the middle of age 3 to age 13.

By Tunnia on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 02:26 pm:

Karen, you are right, she will never forget this and she will have learned a lesson. I know this because I was 12yo when I disobeyed my parents and caught the kitchen on fire while trying to make french fries. Neither of my parents were home at the time and thankfully I wasn't hurt, but the kitchen was badly damaged. Now, 22 years later, I remember every aspect of that fire as if it were a movie I have seen over and over and on the rare occasions that I fry something I am ultra careful. Most likely the memory of my experience is why I don't think she needs to be grounded. Also, she is usually the best behaved child and I never have any problems with her. Her disobedient behavior yesterday was quite unusual.

Kaye, I have a feeling you are right. She has started to get a little mouthy lately too. I have a feeling that we are just at the tip of the preteen/teenage iceberg.