My family and I head up to the mountains every winter time for a getaway. We’ve been doing it ever since I was a small child, and as an adult with my own kids now, it is still our favorite family tradition that I look forward to every year, one of my favorite memories as a kid was having a great snow afternoon because I knew that would mean marshmallows and warm chocolate in front of the fireplace that evening. I wasn’t a big fan of the fire pit outside since it was so cold, but being in front of the fireplace cuddled with my parents looking at snowfall outside regularly felt love magic! Now that I have my own kids with me, I often worry about the safety precautions for the fireplace at our home. Fireplaces are often openand I have a feeling that our toddler is going to be mesmerized and want to run straight towards the fire. My dad thinks I am being dramatic because I never did that when I was their age, however I’ve read blogs with horror stories about fireplaces plus small children. I’ve been showing our kids pictures of fireplaces and creating positive but safe associations with them so they understand that while the fireplace is great to look at and experience, it is not something we go near and touch. I genuinely feel overprotective of my children occasionally and I’m genuinely trying to let that go, but it’s strenuous when the world is becoming so wild and unpredictable every year. All I want to do is shelter them.