I love the Fourth of July. And I LOVE watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. We have a great view just sitting in our front yard, and my three boys absolutely love seeing all the colors and sparks. It’s magical and beautiful. I find myself filled with joy and pride for our country.
But hearing loud fireworks for a whole week leading up to the fourth, and an entire week after, really frustrates me.
Last night, my eight-year-old cried for about an hour because he couldn’t fall asleep due to the noise. I found a pair of headphones to cover his ears and muffle the noise. It didn’t help. The fireworks were SO LOUD. He was exhausted, but anytime he dozed off, he was almost immediately woken up again.
I was beyond frustrated.
After a series of particularly annoying mortars, I felt compelled to run outside—in my robe—to confront whomever was shooting fireworks off at midnight. I could not see anyone on my street, but I could tell it was probably coming from a few streets over. Out of desperation I yelled out, “STOP SHOOTING FIREWORKS!!!” like a crazy person. Which, obviously, did no good. But it did make me feel a little better.
My message to fireworks enthusiasts is this:
All your neighbors (with kids) really don’t like you.
You are ruining the sleep of young children and their parents for weeks on end. By the time the fourth rolls around, we are going to be too tired to even celebrate or feel excited about fireworks.
Plus, it’s inconsiderate. It astounds me that people don’t think about others who NEED THIS THING CALLED SLEEP. After all, there’s a reason sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture.
What, honestly, is the point of shooting off fireworks for two straight weeks? Are you actually celebrating our country every night?
As a parent, I expect and plan ahead for fireworks on the actual holiday. But I CANNOT make arrangements for two weeks around every fireworks-related holiday to accommodate your desire to blow things up.
A suburban neighborhood of young families isn’t the appropriate venue to do that. People have jobs to go to, kids to raise, and appointments they can’t sleep through.
So please, stop ruining the holiday for the rest of us.
Hi Kristen. Came over from Lacey’s!! I can imagine your frustration. We have this thing over in India too. Festivals have become more about noise, pollution and the mess it creates after the fireworks in almost every street and road. The Court has to step in every year to ban bursting them which is followed by protests and comments from disgruntled firecrackers!!
May good sense prevail!!
Not to mention it is ILLEGAL in OKC city limits PLUS there is a 10pm noise ordinance.