xtry51
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letting your kids know you have guns?
- Thread starter roux
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This
The school counselor makes hunting analogies in the normal course of conversation. I'm not worried about overreaction.
My concern are if my kids let slip to other kids that I have a fine arsenal of guns in the house, and then eventually that rumor may spread to some crackhead relatives who may think about breaking in and taking those guns. I don't want that drama. So I tell my kids that mum's the word (and I tell them why).
But of course that's not just for firearms. I try to teach them not to brag about their material possessions regardless.
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Even as a non-parent, that sounds like solid good parenting to me right there.
As for the other responses to my question, thanks for sharing. I don't have any first-hand experience with this sort of thing, but it seemed to me that sending little Billy or Susie off to school and all the potential interactions there could be a source of great anxiety on so many levels, no least of which being an anti-gun teacher sending the cops to your house to protect your children from the evil scary firearms.
speedy
NES Member
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 only problem with this is if someone decides to get DYS or some similar organization involved they can make your life hell. I would trust my kids with gun safety more than I would trust them to keep their mouths shut at school to be honest. Kids like to brag and one up their friends.
I agree with the theory here but I think it is a recipe for trouble.
I've been around guns for my entire life. My Grandfather would pick me up from preschool and we would go back to his house, draw a target on a cardboard box and sit on the front steps, shooting at it with his .22. On rainy days my father would dig all the guns out and we would clean and oil them together. I was always shown where the keys were kept and told that if I ever wanted to look at or handle any of the guns, to just tell him. He would drop whatever he was doing, and would take them out, we would safety check them together and i could look at and handle them for as long as I wanted. We would usually end by taking a box of CB caps to the back deck and putting holes in an evil soda bottle positioned on an old uprooted tree from hurricane Bob. I later received my first gun, an H&R 20gauge for my 9th birthday and my Henry lever action 22 for my 12th birthday. I saved up and bought a Czech Mauser when I was 13, and have been going strong ever since.
Guns were always a strong bond between the generations of males in my family and I hope it will continue for many more. My fathers system of introducing me worked well and prevented any "forbidden fruit" tragedies from ever arising.
Guns were always a strong bond between the generations of males in my family and I hope it will continue for many more. My fathers system of introducing me worked well and prevented any "forbidden fruit" tragedies from ever arising.
dcmdon
NES Member
My kids see me coming and going shooting all the time. When my 2 year old sees me heading out the door with my gun bag she asks if she can come with me.
Both of my kids see me open up gun packages from Fedex or UPS and check them into my bound book. This involves opening the package and checking the actual SN on the firearm.
To them its just something dad has that they can't touch. Like a kitchen knife, the knobs on the stove, or the hot water handle on the faucet.
Don
p.s. as an aside, bullets are much less of an issue now that my 2 year old is beyond the age of putting things in her mouth. My 4 year old helps me fill primer tubes. At least she used to when my reloading stuff was in CT. I haven't set it up yet in MA. I wonder if I'll be breaking the law if I let her help fill primer tubes in MA. (with safety glasses on, and a thorough hand washing afterwards)
Both of my kids see me open up gun packages from Fedex or UPS and check them into my bound book. This involves opening the package and checking the actual SN on the firearm.
To them its just something dad has that they can't touch. Like a kitchen knife, the knobs on the stove, or the hot water handle on the faucet.
Don
p.s. as an aside, bullets are much less of an issue now that my 2 year old is beyond the age of putting things in her mouth. My 4 year old helps me fill primer tubes. At least she used to when my reloading stuff was in CT. I haven't set it up yet in MA. I wonder if I'll be breaking the law if I let her help fill primer tubes in MA. (with safety glasses on, and a thorough hand washing afterwards)
This sort of thing is what I am more worried about. Gun saftey, range time etc... is not a worry. Putting him in public school with all the anti-gun teachers is a worry. I am just wondering if they can keep quiet at such a young age.
dhuze
NES Member
This is the best advice and what I was going to say.
If you wait to show them it's going to be a big deal and might be talked about more then you'd like. If they are always around it's noting special to them.
Teach them safety and let it go.
J
Jose
I started showing and explaining all about guns (real ones, not toys) to my daughter right around age 4.
She is ten now, and has no interest in them. She also doesn't consider them a mystery, nor evil. They are just another object to be treated with respect, just like fire, knives, poison, and many of the other normal household items she knows can cause harm or death if misused.
She is ten now, and has no interest in them. She also doesn't consider them a mystery, nor evil. They are just another object to be treated with respect, just like fire, knives, poison, and many of the other normal household items she knows can cause harm or death if misused.
dcmdon
NES Member
Of course, I could be completely off my rocker. I bring my 4yo daughter to the range nowadays. At 6, I'll give her the same as my father gave me: A .22 rifle and a 3-blade pocket knife.![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
Joe - what did you do for hearing protection. My 4 y/o daughter is very thoughtful and methodical. In short, just the kind of kid you can introduce to firearms at a young age. Just for fun, we tried to put some of the foam plugs in her ears and they wouldn't fit. I was going to cut one up into quarters and see if it works.
Does anyone make muffs for little kids?
Don
p.s. It really burns my butt that suppressors are illegal in MA. I have to tell you that a .22 with a suppressor and subsonic ammo (CCI std velocity is subsonic) is about the best training firearm there is when it comes to introducing kids to guns. No noise, no recoil, and no need to wear muffs.
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Oh yeah. One more thing. No toy guns in my house. It just encourages bad habits. They'll get plenty of opportunity to play with real ones soon enough.
I can't wait till little gracie gets a chance to use this. Its a dedicated .22 AR built on a pre-ban lower. I'm thinking of painting the furniture pink. Ha. The bbl is threaded and with a YHM mite, its VERY quiet.
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dcmdon
NES Member
If the child is acclimated, they won't bother saying anything because its no big deal to them.
Could you imagine your kid telling a friend, "my daddy has a chainsaw", or "we have knobs on our stove that I can't touch.".
No, of course not. Because its no big deal. Make guns no big deal and they won't even think its something interesting to tell their friends.
J
Jose
No. I don't give a shit about what my daughter's teachers think.
"no toy guns in my house".
Really? You do not trust your kids to be able to figure out the difference between real and toy guns? Maybe ban all TV or movies too, since they all show poor gun safety? If a kid is mentally ready to shoot real guns, they are going to be smart enough to really know the difference.
Really? You do not trust your kids to be able to figure out the difference between real and toy guns? Maybe ban all TV or movies too, since they all show poor gun safety? If a kid is mentally ready to shoot real guns, they are going to be smart enough to really know the difference.
TZCHRIS
NES Member
My 6 yr old watched a show on Aliens with his big brother Sat night, he was so scared after he asked if I could sleep with him and bring my guns to bed! I didnt have the heart to tell him 'they' had ray guns and my weapons would be useless!![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
I picked up a set for my daughter this past weekend at Four Seasons. Came with 31Db smaller sized muffs, a set of smaller foam plugs and a smaller pair of shooting glasses with a pouch. 29$. She loves them.
-Brian
My dad was the only one in his family with firearms and no one ever liked it. It was a taboo. I don't remember which age I was exposed to the family ruger 10/22 but around 9 or 10, Dad, made everyone in the family to take a safety course so that all of us will be on the same page. Both my brother and I were exposed to firearms at an early age and couple times a year we have pistol, rifle, and skeet shooting. As my Dad aged, we went less and now I have a LTC and I will bring him along when he's available. Anyways, at some point, you should let your kids know there are guns in the house. You should not keep it a secret. Knowledge is power and educating children on firearms is very important.
My older son is 4 1/2 years old.
He knows dad has guns. He know he's not allowed to touch or play with daddy's guns without daddy's permission. Daddy has a mix of nerf guns, air-soft guns, pellet guns and "real" guns. He only has nerf guns right now.
He has been learning safe handling with his nerf guns:
Keep them points in a safe direction
We only shoot at targets (On occation he and I have Nerf battles, but only after Daddy verifies that all the guns are safe and everyone is ready)
We only put our finger on the trigger when we're ready to shoot and pointed at our target
We make sure all guns are unloaded when we put them away.
When he's a little older and fully able to understand the difference between a NERF gun and a real gun, he'll be allowed to have NERF gun fights with friends.
In a few years, I will start bringing him to the range so he can start shooting his .22LR
He knows dad has guns. He know he's not allowed to touch or play with daddy's guns without daddy's permission. Daddy has a mix of nerf guns, air-soft guns, pellet guns and "real" guns. He only has nerf guns right now.
He has been learning safe handling with his nerf guns:
Keep them points in a safe direction
We only shoot at targets (On occation he and I have Nerf battles, but only after Daddy verifies that all the guns are safe and everyone is ready)
We only put our finger on the trigger when we're ready to shoot and pointed at our target
We make sure all guns are unloaded when we put them away.
When he's a little older and fully able to understand the difference between a NERF gun and a real gun, he'll be allowed to have NERF gun fights with friends.
In a few years, I will start bringing him to the range so he can start shooting his .22LR
joeendris
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I have a few sets of the electronic muffs which work really well for Bee. She can still hear/talk with everybody, and with the volume adjuster, she gets to add her bit of control over the situation. Above and beyond that, I always give her the option of jumping in the car with the climate controls so she can either cool down in summer, or heat up in winter. It lets her dump the muffs, cool down/warm up, dirty up the car, etc
. http://www.howardleight.com/ear-muffs/impact-sport--2
They're slim enough that they don't get in the way when firing rifles/shotguns, which is a nice bonus.
Other than water guns, the same rules apply in my house.
I can't wait till little gracie gets a chance to use this. Its a dedicated .22 AR built on a pre-ban lower. I'm thinking of painting the furniture pink. Ha. The bbl is threaded and with a YHM mite, its VERY quiet.
![[thumbsup]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/044.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
schweet!This is the same fight my family had with my father, then with me. He's getting up there in years, and I can host easier when family comes to visit, yet they refuse to come any where near my house because of my icky guns and boolits.
![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
. Care to take a guess where they're from? NYC and California, sigh...
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P-14
NES Member
The opportunity arose while I was cleaning my guns. My 4 and 7 year-old girls at the time wanted to see what Daddy was doing at his workbench. I showed them the unloaded guns and told them a little about firearm safety, the Eddie Eagle mantra, and then they wanted to help get the dirt out of them.
The oldest one wanted to learn to shoot when she was 14 (no pressure from moi) and the youngest one had no interest. Surprisingly, 2 months ago, the youngest (now 24) called me up from VA where she lives and told me that I'd be proud of her - she just bought a pistol! Her husband who is in the Navy is teaching her how to shoot.
I love stories with a happy ending.
The oldest one wanted to learn to shoot when she was 14 (no pressure from moi) and the youngest one had no interest. Surprisingly, 2 months ago, the youngest (now 24) called me up from VA where she lives and told me that I'd be proud of her - she just bought a pistol! Her husband who is in the Navy is teaching her how to shoot.
I love stories with a happy ending.
joeendris
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Because you live in a state where "my daddy has guns, too" isn't going to bring a chainsaw-weilding moron through your front door. You don't live in a state where, if you CoP doesn't like your kids talking about your guns to anybody, he has the right to take them away. You don't live in a state where, by the sheer fact of having a .22 spent casing in your center console of your car, the LEOs have the right to cuff you, search your car, and make an arbitrary decision of "unsuitability" because you aren't storing ammo properly. Yes, spent brass casings are considered ammo in Massachusetts.
We do, so we have to incite a lot of caution....almost bordering on paranoia. Why? Because the majority of the ifiots who vote in this state have been fed lies and crap for so long, they ask for more corn, every election...
Jsfitzgerald85
NES Member
my 4yr old went with me to buy my Mosin, she has seen my rifles, however she has never seen my pistol, she has no idea where i keep it. She knows not to touch them, i could leave my rifles on my bed and she wouldnt even try and touch them. Ill give it a few more years then take her to the range...... Correction try and take her to the range she might not be interested at all [sad2]
xtry51
NES Member
I test my kids by placing a (unloaded) pistol on the floor. They completely ignore it. Only if it gets in the way of what they're doing will they come ask my wife or I to move it.
Just ask yourself: Do I ever see kids grabbing steak knives and running around the house?
The answer is no. The reason is simply because you don't treat the steak knife like it's a toy or like it has mystical properties.
Just ask yourself: Do I ever see kids grabbing steak knives and running around the house?
The answer is no. The reason is simply because you don't treat the steak knife like it's a toy or like it has mystical properties.
I'm sure I posted this here before but I'll do it again.
I grew up in a house with a mother who is as anti as a person can be. My father kept a revolver, disassembled, hidden in three separate, hidden, locked containers (to appease my mother). My brothers and I had no idea our father had a gun. My older brother found one of the lock boxes and picked the lock. When he saw what was inside, he searched out the rest of it. Eventually found it all, assembled it, and kept it in his erector set case. One day, he told me to come to the garage because he had something cool to show me. I was probably 8 years old at the time. We never pointed it at each other and never pulled the trigger because our mother had taught us that every gun is loaded, and you never point a gun at anyone so everything ended up just fine with my brother and I getting in a shitload of trouble and our folks getting a divorce years down the road.![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
My point is, you can't out-clever a ten year old kid. They will find out, that's what kids do. Like P-14, I took advantage of the times I've been cleaning my guns to talk to my daughter about them. When they are disassembled I can show her all the bits and pieces and all the mystery goes away. I use these times to talk about safety, and let her know that if she ever has any questions or wants to see them we can look at them together whenever she likes.
ETA- I don't give a damn what a teacher might say if she were to mention it in school and I do live in MA. Keeping my daughter safe is far more important to me than worrying what some cowering jerk might think.
I grew up in a house with a mother who is as anti as a person can be. My father kept a revolver, disassembled, hidden in three separate, hidden, locked containers (to appease my mother). My brothers and I had no idea our father had a gun. My older brother found one of the lock boxes and picked the lock. When he saw what was inside, he searched out the rest of it. Eventually found it all, assembled it, and kept it in his erector set case. One day, he told me to come to the garage because he had something cool to show me. I was probably 8 years old at the time. We never pointed it at each other and never pulled the trigger because our mother had taught us that every gun is loaded, and you never point a gun at anyone so everything ended up just fine with my brother and I getting in a shitload of trouble and our folks getting a divorce years down the road.
My point is, you can't out-clever a ten year old kid. They will find out, that's what kids do. Like P-14, I took advantage of the times I've been cleaning my guns to talk to my daughter about them. When they are disassembled I can show her all the bits and pieces and all the mystery goes away. I use these times to talk about safety, and let her know that if she ever has any questions or wants to see them we can look at them together whenever she likes.
ETA- I don't give a damn what a teacher might say if she were to mention it in school and I do live in MA. Keeping my daughter safe is far more important to me than worrying what some cowering jerk might think.
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Exactly. Very good point. Guns have been shown in a bad light to kids and when they do see firearms the first thing they do is try and shoot them.
I'm in NH.....The parents that don't own a gun (at least in my town) would be in the minority.
Our son grew up with them all of his life. We used every moment as a learning lesson. He had wooden toy gun, and when Dad was cleaning his gun, our son would take one of his wooden toy guns and sit with dad and clean his gun. Always teach gun safety at the same time.
Take the mystery away, we always let our son look at the guns in the gun safe and handle them while supervised. It made them a non issue.
Our son has been hunting since he was 5 with his dad and grandfather.
dcmdon
NES Member
wildweasel - your example sounds like the only instance of a toy gun being used constructively I've ever heard.
Most parents allow kids to use toy guns to "shoot" each other. Which is why my kids will probably never have toy guns. (and they're girls, so they probably won't want them, but i've got my fingers crossed on real guns)
I've got no problem with kids running around playing cowboys and indians (sorry, native americans) and using their finger or sticks as guns and bows. But toy guns are a bit too much like the real thing to "play" with. If a kid has a toy gun, he should treat it like a real gun. i.e. don't point it at anything you don't want to kill/destroy/pay for.
Don
Most parents allow kids to use toy guns to "shoot" each other. Which is why my kids will probably never have toy guns. (and they're girls, so they probably won't want them, but i've got my fingers crossed on real guns)
I've got no problem with kids running around playing cowboys and indians (sorry, native americans) and using their finger or sticks as guns and bows. But toy guns are a bit too much like the real thing to "play" with. If a kid has a toy gun, he should treat it like a real gun. i.e. don't point it at anything you don't want to kill/destroy/pay for.
Don
P-14
NES Member
Don: I'm sorry, but I built Lego submachine guns with my little girls and we ran around the house shooting each other and falling down when hit. It was great fun for us one afternoon. Play is play. Kids know the difference between handling toys and the real thing - when you teach them the difference.
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