what do i do if my child is burnning papper?

Question

my child is 11 years old and burnning papper can you please help me to find a way of talking to here as im not sure what way to deal with it.

Answer 1

I used to light fires all the time when I was a kid. It's just something kids do. I was a tomboy however.

You just need to talk to him/her about the dangers of fire etc and keep all matches, lighters in a safe place away from your child.

Don't worry too much about it - really.

Answer 2

I don't know the extent of what might be bothering your child, but even if it's (for lack of a better term) "simply just experimenting" with fire, the child needs to be shocked into what could really happen. I'm sure there are plenty of sites on the net that can show you photos of what has happened from children just "playing" or "experimenting" with matches or lighters... but don't just stop at that... sometimes the curiousity won't go away just like that.

It's probably best to talk to a professional immediately. Before there is a very serious end to this very dangerous game, you need to take action. You are already aware that your child needs some help, which is courageous for you to admit - so go on now, and help your child... Please don't wait.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

Not hard that just make sure there are no lighters or matches around. That age should know better anyway. Take her to a burns unit in the local hospital and see what harm it does.

Answer 4

From your question and spelling I would think you are not much older than your child, try turning the central heating on, he must be cold and he has devised a way to keep warm.Take him to see a child physiologist, there must be a reason for him to do this.

Answer 5

Talk to the doctor she may have a serious mental heath problem and needs help. Fire starters are usually people who have been through a traumatic event and this is the way they deal with it or it could be a chemical imbalance in their brain.
Firesetting

In some children, fascination and fireplay turn into intentional and repeated firesetting behaviors. These children usually have underlying psychological or social problems, and account for 40% of all children who start fires. Helping these children includes stopping firesetting behavior immediately and correcting the underlying problems that caused the behavior. Juvenile firesetting is a dangerous behavior that cannot be stopped without appropriate intervention, intervention that addresses why the child sets fires.


Warning Signs (Red Flags)

ABOUT THE CHILD:

Child has ADHD and family is having trouble managing this problem
Child has had fire safety education, knows that firesetting is wrong and is 8 or older
Child has been severely punished for firesetting
Child is the victim of physical, emotional or sexual abuse
Child experiences an anxiety release from fires
Child has intense feelings of powerlessness or has trouble controlling impulses
Child is a member of a gang or has a history of aggressive criminal behaviors
Child relies extensively on thinking errors and is extremely uncooperative with assessment
Child has been unsuccessfully treated for firesetting; the family is unable or unwilling to support intervention
ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR:
Bed or bedroom fire
Fires are set to specific materials related to stress
Recent changes in the family
Chronic history of firesetting with progression
Bizarre or ritualistic firesetting
Uses fire to torture/injure animals, self or others
Obsessive/compulsive fire thoughts/behaviors

When to Seek Help

If your child has "played" with fire on more than one occasion or has deliberately started a fire, or if you are unsure about educating your child about fire safety, you should seek help through your local Fire Department or E.S.C.A.P.E. We have trained personnel who can help the curious child to understand that playing with fire is very dangerous. Deliberate firesetting is a serious matter. Children who have deliberately started a fire may be indirectly indicating that they are having problems.

Answer 6

Take your child to an open day at a fire station if you've got one near you. They often do a display showing how fast fires are spread. That might scare her into stopping.

Answer 7

Contact the Fire Service and see if they can give your kid a reality check.
You may also need to seek medical/psychological help as there may be some underlying issues there.

Answer 8

Take the PAPPER away and look after them properly then they wont do it.

Answer 9

you can only tell her about the dangers of fire and how quickly it can spread - I would imagine the fire service website (http://www.fireservice.co.uk/) would have some information you could show her about the devastating effects

Also you MUST keep temptation out of her way as far as possible -hide lighters and matches and confiscate them if you find her with them

Its natural to be curious about fire but its up to you as a parent to make sure he isn't playing with matches etc at home

Answer 10

you could arrange a fire safety officer to come to your house they do it free of charge they'd inspect the house but could also talk to your child about the dangers of fire. Try hiding the matches too!