How do you carry when you have young kids?

[garrity]

I am a mother of a 3yr old and 10 month old. Im wondering what is the best way to carry when I have one of my children on my hip still...I know that may sound like a silly question, but Im new to the conceal carry. (Actually just took my ccw class on saturday and am pending permit paperwork). If you are a woman, please tell me what works best for you. Would also like feedback from men on how your wives carry with small children? especially if your wife is of medium build like I am ( 5 ft 6 inches, 140lbs )thanks!!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[NYcarry]

I've got three boys, 8, 2 and a 5 month old. I keep the baby on my left, the 2 yr old on the right, should I need to carry him. I'd be able to set him down easy enough, while still have the youngest with my strong side now free.
Been several occasions with just us three out shopping with mom at home.

She has a permit but does not carry. Pending more training.

I wish to never be in that situation with them, but gotta do the best we can.

Carry IWB with MS VMII and OWB in the winter here in a Rosen Executive.
I typically have my coat unzipped for easy access

[buzzgum]

Well I'm not a woman but I do carry my kids on my hip. I'm 5'7, 140 lbs. I have a 10 month old, 3 year old and 5 year old. I carry my weapon at 1-2 o'clock with a Crossbreed SuperTuck. When I carry my kids, I carry them on my left side so my strong side is free to access weapon if needed. If I'm carrying two kids, I have one on each side. Hope that helps.

[KenInColo]

My 3yo grandson is very into shooting imaginary bad guys w/his toy guns. In addition, he has quite a vocabulary and quite an imagination. He wants me to take him to "Shoot the orange targets that go up in the air" (Trap) when he gets bigger.

Because of his perpetual talking, his imagination and his just plain being a real little boy, I have not let him know that I carry.

If I'm carrying IWB, I always make sure I pick him up w/my weak side.

If I'm carrying in my SigTac canvas jacket (51125 - SigTac Concealed Carry Jacket, XL, Black), I pick him up on my strong side.

[SonofASniper]

Well I am not a woman, I am 6'3" and weigh in at 250 lbs right now. I carry on my strong side with an IWB (inside the waist band holster) at around 4 o'clock (which is right behind the love handle area. Imagine your front as 12 or 0, your bum as 6, and your love handles will be 3 and 9 o'clock).

With that said, I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and a 16 month old boy. I tell my daughter that she is old enough to walk, and she is fairly good about staying right with me and will hold my right hand if I am carrying my boy in my left hand. If she has to walk on my left, then I have taught her to either hang on to some part of my clothing (usually a belt/belt loop or the hammer loop on my jeans) and keep the pressure on so that I know she is with me.

The boy is still too rambunctios to let him walk while we are in a parking lot or by a street. I have been working with him to do the hand holding. Anyways, carry him with my weak/left side so that I am still able to access my firearm if need be.

I hope to never have an incident with my children, but I do prepare for it. Last summer we had a close call on a camping trip as we were coming out of a store. I was carrying my son and my wife was holding my daughter's hand. As we came up to the truck I realized a young man was teasing our dog and causing trouble, and I immediately began to place my son in my wife's arms and told them to stay back while I confronted the man. Everything worked out fine, but afterwards my wife commented at how fast I handed off our son and how quickly she was able to react to the situation. It amazed her how fast everything can happen, and if you are prepared and alert, how quickly everything falls into place for your benefit.

She said it also helped that I appeared to grow about 4 more feet in height and looked like I could have torn apart a grizzly bear at the moment. The man quickly ran away.

[atctimmy]

I carry my kids and gun on the same hip all the time. My holster is OWB at around 7 oclock it's not a problem at all.

[preachertim]

IWB @ 3:00 all the time no matter whos around.

[Eagleks]

no gender bias there......

I've carried my kids, and then my grandkids with my left arm, leaving my right arm free & the gun IWB on right side.

You can also carry IWB on small of the back so you can use both arms easiliy when you want and the gun not being on your hip & in the way.

Also, can use a fanny pack.

Don't put it in the diaper bag, there's been cases where people forgot they had it there and had some ugly results when they left it unattended at home.

[JB-Norcal]

Smartcarry is a great product, I love it for the .380 w/extra mag.

[Bad Monkey]

Not a woman and my wife doesn't carry (yet -- I'm working on it) but I do have a 3 year-old daughter that I care for during the day and when I do I'm usually carrying in a Safepacker (with or without the Packer Backer) on my hip at 3:00. I tell my daughter it's my "Rescue Pack" like on the cartoon "Go Diego Go." She knows that my gun is in it and that she is not to touch it and that Daddy has it to keep her and Mommy safe.

[j21blackjack]

+1 on the SmartCarry. With it, you don't have a gun on your hip to worry about.

[kimberland]

I usually carry OWB, and I have a 5YO and 2YO. I open carry around the house regularly. I went to Chick-Fil-Et recently, and my 5 YO saw a police officer in line, walked up to him, pointed to his sidearm and said loudly "Daddy, he has a gun just like you". The LEO smiled and nodded in my direction.

Carry and educate. Guns are not bad. Cops and parents have them for safety.

[KevinDooley]

I don't hide my firearm at the house - I usually OC, just because it's my house and it's easier. Out and about the firearm is in the exact same place on my hip (3 o'clock), just covered up. I'm 6' 260 lbs, so I'm not even close to your body type...

But that said, I carry our 20 month old when she needs it... she's pretty much able to walk everwhere we go now, but when she was younger I still carried her witht the gun. I attempt to carry her on my weak side whenever possible, but if I have to switch arms, she does just fine riding above the weapon on my right side. We wrestle around on the floor while we play (childcare people like to call it tumbling or some other nice word... but it was wrestling when I was a kid and it still is...) When she bumps into my 1911, she'll stop and point to it and say "Owie" and then move on... it's been there since she was one (at least around the house) so she' pretty used to the fact that daddy has something on his hip all the time and she's not allowed to touch it.

[concealed]

Smart Carry when at home. I can wear it in flannel PJ and wrestle with me son and he does not even know, nor my wife. Outside house I wear Superbreed Crosstuck IWB. My wife cannot tell when I carry or not. I feel safe either way with my G26.

[Cupcake]

Most any good holster should do fine. You seem like you have a good head on you shoulders but I'll say this anyway for whomever else is lurking: For the love of God don't purse-carry! (Or anything else off body). A firearm belongs attached directly to you or locked up.