Preparing for 4th of July!

0

flagTrivia :: Do you know why we celebrate the 4th of July?

This Independence Day, teach your children why we celebrate. It’s our countries birthday! The exact date is:

July 4, 1776. On that day, our country’s founders declared independence from Great Britain. Here, you can find some great resources to teach your children about this great holiday.

When I think of Independence Day, I first think of the sacrifices made for our independence, fireworks, cookouts, PARADES, and time with family. One of my favorite summer activities is PARADES, with a close 2nd being fireworks! Parades and fireworks can be loads of fun but may require extra preparation for little ones.

Many local parades include music, animals, dancers and vehicles! My family has attended the Centerville parade for the past few years. Its huge!  People will start claiming spots to watch the parade as early as a week in advance! We lay our chairs out a few days in advance. Grandparents have joined us for the parade recently. We are fortunate in that we live close enough that it’s an easy walk. The parade is one of the largest in the Miami Valley, so it lasts about an hour and half!

Here are a few of the necessities to take to the parade:

  • bottled water
  • chairs
  • wipes for sticky hands after eating candy
  • extra diapers
  • sunscreen

The second activity to plan for is Fireworks! It’s wise to decide if your little ones would enjoy them or if it’s better to leave them at home. Fireworks are beautiful but they are very loud and somewhat unpredictable. We haven’t tried fireworks with our little ones but we may this year. My older son who is now 3.5 years old has been terrified of loud noises in the past and has been quick to cover his ears but this seems to be subsiding and he may really enjoy fireworks this year. As we research, one strategy for preparing your child for fireworks is to show them pictures and/or videos of fireworks and ensure they understand that it will likely be very loud.

Whether you are attending a festival, parade, or fireworks – never underestimate the big crowds. It’s wise to plan how to appropriately navigate (a.k.a. survive!). We have used a wagon and tried a stroller. The wagon was nice because we could easily pile in some extra stuff like water, sunscreen, blankets, etc. Because it’s typically very crowded, the wagon was a little difficult to manage. You will have to consider the ages of your children and what makes the most sense for your family!

Here are some local parades/festivals:

And, THIS seems to be a great resource for nearly every city in Ohio!
Any events  you can share with our Miami Valley readers?

Previous article3 Motherhood Myths SQUASHED
Next articleSingle Mom Seeks Sugar Daddy
Lisa H
Hi, I’m Lisa and I’m a 30-something year old Mom to 2 adorable and active boys. Kamdyn is 6 months old and Kasyn is 3 years old. I have spent my professional career working with students with an autism spectrum disorder as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I currently work part-time with my husband through www.keyaba.com As a Mama and Wife, I grocery shop with coupons and try living a frugal life (although I’m not perfect). I also like to scrapbook and capture every moment possible. I love to travel. I’m getting better at meal-planning and cooking regularly. My boys and I are on-the-go and always taking advantage of various opportunities and activities around Dayton. My favorite things about motherhood are watching my children learn and discover and rough-housing with my boys.