For some, 4th of July isnt fun

We tend to think of this holiday in terms of family BBQs, fun on the water and of course fireworks. For some though, the sound of fireworks can be disturbing and prolonged exposure to it can be a nightmare. Idahoans are BIG on fireworks despite the fact that we live in an area prone to wilderness and range fires every summer. There are laws on the books about certain types of fireworks and where and when they can and cannot be used, but they're rarely enforced in town unless there is a very obvious danger. It's not uncommon here to start hearing them occasionally a week in advance and for a couple days after. The night of, they can last until midnight depending on where you live and who you're neighbors are.

When we hear the word "PTSD" we tend to think of veterans but in an age where violence is every where (domestic violence, bullying, school shootings, suicides, natural disasters, and other forms too many to number), PTSD is becoming more widespread. It's not just for adults anymore. This holiday normally finds my daughter under her covers with headphones on, binge watching Netflix until she falls asleep and my dog quivering in my lap despite my best efforts to drown out the noise. We are not fans of it.

Maybe it's not coincidence then that we're focusing on wellness for our safety topics. This year Annie and I decided to start a new tradition of getting away for this holiday. The worst of the fireworks tend to be in residential areas in town. We're getting a hotel room for the night in a business section of downtown with an indoor pool that allows pets. We can hunker down and escape the worst of it and focus on our family making it something the kids look forward to instead of fearing or be anxious about. There was a noticeable relief on my daughter's face when we told her our plans which quickly turned to excitement. In the future we want to plan family vacations around the holiday by renting cabin in the mountains where we can hike, fish, swim and relax in relative silence.

We're expecting our Parents of the Year award any day now.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/ptsd.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414752/