letting your kids know you have guns?

My kids were also instructed never to brag about anything they have, especially dad's s "stuff". They are very good at it...so far. They came up with their own reasons why it is a good idea. Empower them, and they will Make it their philosophy also.

The brain, once expanding by a new thought, will never return to it's original shape.
 
Don,

I have taken specific steps to ensure my son uses proper safe handling of his toy guns, even though they're "just toys" because he's still at a young age when understanding the difference between a "safe" NERF gun and a dangerous "REAL" gun is difficult.

He practices safe handling (he'll even unload a NERF gun before handing it to someone), and has been taught that he only shoots at targets. (Targets includes actually "targets" but also some of his action figures, toy cars, etc, but never people) When we do play shooting games with each other, he brings daddy all of the guns we'll use and daddy checks them out to make sure they're safe. Only after daddy says it's ok can we play shooting games.

We had guests who don't have guns over with their kids. When one of the kids pulled one of his NERF guns out of his toy bins, he told hem, "We only shoot at target" then came to me to ask if they could set up targets and shoot in his bedroom. We set up his Transformers and they spent the next 2 hours shooting at transformers in his bedroom. Our guests commented on the discipline he has.

When he's a little older, he'll start getting introduced to the real guns and as he develops the understanding of the difference, he'll be allowed to start playing shooting games with toy guns and people as targets. It's been my experience its easier to start with the general (we only ever shoot at targets / we always use safe handling) and then work in the exceptions when specific activities are allowed than to start with the exception and then try to correct for the general.

There's no risk in having a child treat a toy gun like a real one, there's a huge risk in having a child treat a real gun like a toy.
 
Everyone's kids are different, and everyone's approach is different. What works for you is what you should stick with.

That said, I just can't see treating toy guns like real guns. Same way I can't see treating toy cars like real cars, toy power tools like real tools, etc. Part of the fun of toys when I was growing up was being able to do things like crash the cars together or chase each other with toy power tools. Blowing up model airplanes with firecrackers when we were ten never led any of us to go blow up real planes with dynamite when we were teenagers. I treat my kids the same way. Works for me...

+1

My boys have more toy guns than all other toys combined. They shoot each other, me, my friends, the dog, etc with these toys. I can leave a loaded firearm and often do on the kitchen counter or kitchen table and guess what they don't shoot anyone with it. It's amazing that some people think a child can be taught to piss in the toilet but can't be taught to respect firearms at a young age. [thinking]
 
^^Good point Derek^^

I like this thread. Pretty cool to see everyone's opinions as parents, or an outside observer on this subject. [thumbsup]

No kids for me(only 24), but nice to see different opinions or ideas on how I would handle that in the future.
 
Some of my best moments spent with my young sons is down in the basement 'bunkers' we made to shoot at each other with nerf guns. Wish I had some of these toys when I was young. We had to make our own guns and tennis ball cannons!
 
I "introduced" my Son to guns when he was about 5 yrs old. He was like most other kids who grow up playing video games and they kill their Friends but their Friends just "respawn" and come back to life. Took my son out in the woods by our house with a pumpkin and a shotgun ( I am sure others have done this as well) and blasted the pumpkin to show him how much damage a real gun will do. He didn't freak and asked me all good questions and I showed him all of the guns in our safe and why we lock it. He is 17 now and has little interest in shooting (probably my fault) but he is glad that we keep the guns locked since most of his friends have not be taught and would most likely hurt themselves or one of us if they found a gun laying around.
 
Herd,

My preference is the copper plated hollow point .22LR into a watermellon or cantalope, a demonstration I will likely repeat when my son is a little older than he is now. Punching a hole in a motorcycle helmet with "just a 22" is another effective lesson.

The idea isn't to scare them into fearing firearms, just demonstrate in a memorable way that "real" firearms can be dangerous (like knives, forks, cars, power tools, etc) and should be respected for what they are.

Then you take the mistery away by going over how they work, how ammunition works, take a few apart, put them back together, and explain the difference between "real guns" and "toy guns"
 
my #2 granddaughter at 5 shooting her Cricket .22.


emilyshoot.jpg


at 11, she's graduated to an AK

Web%20standingAK.jpg


Get to them early and you will have no problems.
 
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