My DD was almost burned by a novelty lighter at the Dollar Store today!

[paintnolish]

You can tell your kids not to touch things but they still do! Mine are pretty good about not touching obvious breakables or things they know to be dangerous. They wouldn't touch a regular lighter, but they might touch one that looks likes a toy. I would have given them the ol' mom line of "See? That's why you look with your eyes and not with your hands!".

 

[Heidict]

Come on! It is all well and good to tell your child no-touchie, but I'm sure no one has a perfect child, who would never forget that rule. Fact is the store should not have things that look like toys, that are actually dangerous, up by the checkouts. Well within the reach of little-ones. That is like saying the store could put guns out and not be responsible if a child shot themselves. Accidents do happen, and children do handle things, even when they have been told not to. Sounds like a stupid decison on the store's part.

I think it is pretty resonable to expect a store to keep something that shoots fire out of reach of children.

Very well said!!! Seems like everyone's child is perfect around here and NEVER does anything they are told not to do. Yeah, right!! They probably also leave cleaners and lighters and stuff laying around at home in reach for their children. After all, they are perfect and know not to touch without asking.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

Put me on the "I have bad kids" list.

 

[storzo]

Here in NJ just about any smaller sized store you go into will have lighters on the counter...7-11, Dollar Stores, Rite Aids, Gas & Gos, and the like. These lighters are shaped like regular lighters, guitars, cell phones, race cars, guns, bottles, and just about anything you can imagine. Some have safetys, some do not.

Kids will be curious. Mine know not to touch, but of course it happens. Of course, I also touch things I decide not to buy.

However, all lighters have a flint that has to be ignited by pushing on the wheel-like thing and/or pushing a button. They do not spontaneously combust.

Maybe you look, but you don't play is better lesson to be taught. Then when I buy my lighters they won't be half-empty and when I or my kids buy books with sounds they won't be half-dead and pop-up books would not be destroyed and etc.

 

[Lintasare]

I actually believe as a parent you better know what your kids are doing 24-7

Are you kidding me? You must be. The only way to know what your kids are doing 24/7 is to watch them every single minute. Are you going to forgo sleep just to sit in their rooms and watch them sleep? Are you going to sit in their classroom at school? Are you going to go on their playdates? Because that is the only way you are going to know what they are doing.

The OPs daughter was standing right nex to her in line. That is pretty good for most kids. She picked up an object that both the OP and her daughter though was a toy. It looked like a toy, it was at the right spot for a child to reach and it was not labled as something potentially dangerous. How were they supposed to know it was a lighter. And the OP even mentioned her child is allowed to pick up and look at toys. So yes the store should have some responsibility in the saftey of it's customers. Like keeping dangerous items out of reach of children.

 

[Cantw8]

Here's a picture of one. I certainly wouldn't know it was one, unless someone pointed it out.

http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=28%20GD27866&c2p=hp&bhcd2=1202187244

Well, that's ironic...I tried to open this link and the firewall here at work blocked it under "weapons"

 

[famofsix]

ok on this one you push the dalmations hat and out his mouth comes fire.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=5934969

If you watch the video here you will see that they even look like match box cars etc.

It is not just the risk on the counter that is awful here. These novelty lighters are a hazard to everyone because they can be easily mistaken for a toy and it is not hard to ignite them. Most of them are made in China!

 

[allison443]

Here's a picture of one. I certainly wouldn't know it was one, unless someone pointed it out.

http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=28%20GD27866&c2p=hp&bhcd2=1202187244

Did you see the suggested retail is $11.98? I guess it is a bargain at the dollar store!

I have to agree, I wouldn't have known by looking at it that it is a lighter!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I actually believe as a parent you better know what your kids are doing 24-7

Wow, are you naive.

 

[grlpwrd]

Great lesson to teach, especially when her hair's aflame.

OP, I was at first going to jump in on the "you should have watched your child" bandwagon. And then I thought about it. When my five year old is with me at the store, I tell him not to touch things. But usually toys are fair game (of course I would not let him mishandle things). That lighter looks like a toy and my son probably would assume it would be ok to touch.

I thought this was going to be a pretty innocuous thread so I must admit I didn't think about responding. Yet like you after I read it I think it's more than about the OP watching her dd.

I, too, consider my kids consumers because they have their own money to spend. Someone mentioned that their child at age 11 must still ask permission to touch things. Are you kidding me? And happygirl... you sure don't sound happy to me.(lol) I do recall you have issues with children in past posts.... so I won't "go there."

Anyway, my kids know they are not allowed to touch fragiles or anything with a safety issue, like lighters, matches, knives, etc. Otherwise, they are free to responsibly and respectively check out the merchandise. I think it's vital for their upbringing. There is virtue in managing money and being a smart consumer no matter what the age.

OP, I think you really do need to consider that (like folks have mentioned) the DIS is a place of perfect parenting with perfect children in their perfect little worlds. I cannot "down" you for what happened because it looked like a toy.

I hope you bring it to Corporate's attention.

Oh, and this reminds me of a time my 9yo dd stood in line at a store to buy her things. The cashier ignored her. Ugh . I think people need to realize the younger generation has buying power ... and that they are little consumers.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

I actually believe as a parent you better know what your kids are doing 24-7

Alright, I'm firing up that uterine GPS/tracking/video monitoring system my husband always thinks I have. I hope it has an alarm system because I'm categorically opposed to losing more sleep than I already do!

Let us all know when you have a kid or three and tell us how it's working for you.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

You can tell your kids not to touch things but they still do! Mine are pretty good about not touching obvious breakables or things they know to be dangerous. They wouldn't touch a regular lighter, but they might touch one that looks likes a toy. I would have given them the ol' mom line of "See? That's why you look with your eyes and not with your hands!".

That's what I would say to mine too.
I would in no way blame the store because my "baby" wasn't doing what they were suppose to.

 

[FayeW]

The posters who are saying that it's Mom's fault because her daughter shouldn't have touched the item in the first place are missing the point entirely. Perhaps they are being deliberately obtuse...

The only issue is that a dangerous item was not labelled appropriately, and was placed within easy access to children. If I, as an adult, picked up an item that did not have appropriate warning labels on it, and flame shot out of it you can bet your bibby I would make a stink. The fact that these items look like toys, have no warning labels or child safety devices, and are placed within arms reach of children is something we all should be furious about.

OP, you know what, I would contact your local fire dept and ask them if there is any legistation regulating the sale of these items. I can guarantee that there is. These items are dangerous to all consumers if they are not labelled properly and don't have the safety features they are required to have.

 

[FayeW]

That's what I would say to mine too.
I would in no way blame the store because my "baby" wasn't doing what they were suppose to.

So, it's okay with you if lighters are not labelled appropriately and don't have the required safety mechanisms?

What if the kid had asked her mother if she could buy the toy guitar, and picked it up to give to the cashier so they could pay for it? In that instance, she would have been doing exactly what she was "supposed" to do, with the same result...fire shooting unexpectedly out of a "toy". That still Mom's fault?

 

[famofsix]

So, it's okay with you if lighters are not labelled appropriately and don't have the required safety mechanisms?

What if the kid had asked her mother if she could buy the toy guitar, and picked it up to give to the cashier so they could pay for it? In that instance, she would have been doing exactly what she was "supposed" to do, with the same result...fire shooting unexpectedly out of a "toy". That still Mom's fault?

You won't get an answer to that question I asked related questions like that and they seem to be buried unanswered in this thread.

[/url]http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=5934969[/url] the lighters in this clip are scary.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

You won't get an answer to that question I asked related questions like that and they seem to be buried unanswered in this thread.

[/url]http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=5934969[/url] the lighters in this clip are scary.

I'll bite. I have said numerous times in my posts that I do think the store should not have them right where kids can grab them. I too would tell the manager that is was unsafe and I would hate to see a kid get hurt. I would however remind my child that I told them not to touch anything. If my kid put it on the counter to buy I would inspect it and see what it was. Then I would say yes or no. I am having a hard time however believing that the kid picked up the lighter and flames just "shot out" from it!!!! Even if it had no safety on it I don't think flames would magically appear. Overall I think it was a bad spot for them in a store but there are tons of hazards in any store that are at kid level. My kids try to touch stuff but I just keep reminding them not to. Am I a perfect parent? I don't think anyone is a perfect anything. I do however think that things aren't always black and white.

 

[DizBelle]

Sue them. It seems frivolous but they should not have a guitar shaped lighter where a kid can pick it up. Come on they are all obsessed with Hannah Montana or some other pop star so it will attract their attention. That staff member needs to be punished. It is his responsibility to make sure his store is safe for all customers. Of course I got in trouble with the Christmas store I used to work for because I mouthed off about the lack of chair accessibility in our store.

Then they are going to have to remove all merchandise from customer access. You'll have to request items from the employee and they'll fetch them from the locked cabinets. The dollar store will become the five dollar store because of all of the extra staff they will have to hire.

This is really the only way to make sure the store is safe - don't let anybody touch anything. Because anything in the store can potentially cause harm if used improperly.

 

[DisneyPhD]

ok on this one you push the dalmations hat and out his mouth comes fire.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=5934969

If you watch the video here you will see that they even look like match box cars etc.

It is not just the risk on the counter that is awful here. These novelty lighters are a hazard to everyone because they can be easily mistaken for a toy and it is not hard to ignite them. Most of them are made in China!

Yay, Michigan law against them. My DD (6) would really be interested one because it would be "doll size". The article about all the injuries and death because of them is scary!

I am pretty amazed at all the "I am a better parent then you because I wouldn't let me kid touch something that looks like a toy" going on this thread. I know my kids might of touched it with out knowing. I guess I am a bad parent. Is everyone just jumping on the OP calling her child a baby? We all know she isn't, but as parent I will admit I feel like my child is still my baby when I fear her getting hurt.

Op thanks for the thread and warning. I will be sure to keep an eye out for them, hopefully this new Michigan legislation will keep them out of the stores here and other states will follow. It started with a mom speaking out though, and we need to.

I think I would go back to the store and see if they are still there, talk to the manager. Then maybe call the local news and see what they have to say about it.

 

[DizBelle]

Yay, Michigan law against them. My DD (6) would really be interested one because it would be "doll size". The article about all the injuries and death because of them is scary!

I am pretty amazed at all the "I am a better parent then you because I wouldn't let me kid touch something that looks like a toy" going on this thread. I know my kids might of touched it with out knowing. I guess I am a bad parent. Is everyone just jumping on the OP calling her child a baby? We all know she isn't, but as parent I will admit I feel like my child is still my baby when I fear her getting hurt.

Op thanks for the thread and warning. I will be sure to keep an eye out for them, hopefully this new Michigan legislation will keep them out of the stores here and other states will follow. It started with a mom speaking out though, and we need to.

I think I would go back to the store and see if they are still there, talk to the manager. Then maybe call the local news and see what they have to say about it.

FWIW - it was the OP herself that referred to her 7 year old as a baby ("her" baby)....

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I only read the first page of this thread, then I fell over laughing that people actually have kids that listen to them. The second my daughter and I step into any store, the words "don't touch anything" comes from my lips...and repeats itself over and over until we leave said store. She still doesn't seem to hear me.