There are a lot of different challenges going on right now and most of them are dangerous. Parents need to be aware of them so they can talk to their children and keep watch to ensure that they aren’t participating in them. While some of the challenges may appear harmless, many others could lead to death.
Many parents make the mistake of thinking that their kids know better than to try these challenges.
Parents who have made this mistake are now trying to warn others. One of the current challenges is the hot water challenge.
People are either holding their hands under hot water or dipping their hands in boiling water. Others are taking it further and drinking boiling water or even pouring it on themselves and others. Hot water can cause severe burns. Many children have been sent to the hospital because of the challenge, and one young girl even died.
A young boy recently shared his story about the challenge.
He was sleeping at a friend’s house when the other boys dumped boiling water on him. He wasn’t sure what had happened. He went home and his mom rushed him to the hospital. He suffered severe burns on his neck. He said, “I felt this really bad burning on my neck. I laid in bed for two hours and finally got up. I went to the bathroom and realized that this had happened, then they told me they had poured the hot water on me…”
Numerous other children and adults have been sent to the hospital for similar injuries caused by this challenge.
Dr. Reed Caldwell, assistant professor at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health said, “Second-degree burns are often painful and cause blisters. Third-degree burns are when the skin is either very pale and thick-looking, or actually has muscle, fat, or bone showing. The first step in any sort of burn is to remove whatever’s burning you.”
Another young girl was also badly burned when a group of girls threw boiling water on her. The girl and her friends had been tossing room temperature water on each other earlier in the day when one girl decided to toss hot water on Ebony Merritt. She was severely burned and rushed to the hospital. She now faces a long recovery.
Her mom explained what happened saying, “I was told that they didn’t like her. And they have just been bullying her. They’ve been on Snapchat. It’s been going on several times. The girl admitted it. ‘I don’t like her. I wanted to do it.’
Another young girl was dared by a family member to drink boiling water through a straw.
The girl and her cousin had watched someone do the challenge on YouTube before attempting to do it. She had to have surgery. Before she passed away, her family members said she was having a hard time breathing.
The girl’s aunt said, “They dared her, and she said, ‘OK, I’m going to show Y’all I’m not scared, I’m going to do this. Tell your kids about these challenges, these challenges are horrific. Don’t just give them your phone and let them go by. Watch what they are doing.”
It is important for parents to know that these challenges are happening.
Parents can talk to their children about the dangers of these challenges and also monitor their actions. Many kids are learning about these challenges on YouTube, so monitoring their electronic usage is another way to help prevent tragedies like this from happening.
The victims of these challenges don’t’ want to see other people suffer the way they have.
The hot water challenge is just the beginning. There are a lot of other dangerous challenges out there. Parents, stay alert and be ready to talk to your kids about the dangers of all of them.
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