Gun and Kids - Our children

Recently saw a post about when you should involve and teach your children about guns. I came across the article on Warrior Talk News that speaks to this.

Link: WARRIOR TALK NEWS - The Warrior Parent

Hope this is helpful!

It is never to early to start teaching your children about guns. My 2 1/2 year old knows enough to know that a gun is bad (for her...2 1/2 year olds shouldn't play with guns) and it has bullets in it. That's really about as far as we're able to get so far. :rolleyes:

I completely agree. Discussions have come up with my wife and I about what age the boys will start shooting. As the article stated, we agreed age is much less significant than maturity. As few as they were some of my fondest memories are of shooting as a kid (9-11 years old). If my kids are interested I will be there to support their interest and keep them on the correct path: Responsibility, defending our rights, etc.

Thanks White Owl!

Nice article! I like the progression, with safety instilled at every step.

Nice article, my boys know to tell an adult if they see a gun, and that they are dangerous, but I let them help me clean theam and I am looking forward to taking my oldest boy hunting next week.

Great article! I constantly tell my 5 year old about gun safety. My biggest worry is him being at a friends house who might not of had such things instilled into him/irresponsible parents, so I drill it into him. IF YOU SEE A GUN, IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE ROOM AND TELL AND ADULT. IF YOU SEE YOUR FRIEND GO TO GRAB ONE, IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE ROOM AND TELL AN ADULT! He can recite it word for word, I just hope it's REALLY gotten through and not just something he's just memorized (though memorizing it isn't bad, I just hope it really has sunk in and he will abide by it).

I've had talks with just about every parent of the kids house he goes to about firearms, but unfortunately, his mother and I are no longer together so I can only hope she's doing her part when he's with the friends he has there. :icon_neutral:

Blitzbugh
I do the same with my boy (He'll be 5 in Dec). I also have the same worries as well. My ex is not anti but has little interest in guns. I just have to hope that he will remember what I have told him, if he ever finds himself in that situation.

wraithls1 - My ex and her husband are currently living with her parents. She's into guns, her dad and brothers hunt, but have no interest in handguns and their long rifles are locked up in a safe. Her and I had a mutual friend who's fiance left his fully loaded, ready to go, safety off gun on their bed, their 5 year old son walked in, grabbed it and ended up killing himself, so I sure as hell hope she's echoing the same things I'm teaching him and talking to his friends there parent's about their firearms. When I talked to them, I didn't pry, I just pretty much said "If you guys happen to have any firearms, please be responsible and keep them out of reach while my son is over at your house and I'll do the same while your kids at my house". They didn't mind and were actually glad it was brought up.

If you do keep a gun in the home, it's important to keep it out of vision and out of arrive at of children. The gun should be kept closed and unloaded, and the ammo should be saved independently.Enabling children to perform with toy weapons is a personal decision, as is how to reply to a kid's imagine capturing activity during the course of perform.

My son was probably two when my husband started to show him the guns and tell him what they were and what they were for. It was never a secret in our house what the gun would be used for and how dangerous they could be. As he got older he would want to see the guns and touch them. Not a problem, hubby would get the guns out, make sure they weren't loaded and hand them to our son and then our daughter. Again, we talked about the guns and what they could do to someone if they were shot. We didn't white wash the story we gave hard truths. Then, when they were a bit older came the gun shot pictures. Children need to know facts not scare tactics.

I don't know why people act like their children are stupid and play boogie man. Give kids the facts a little at a time and be responsible with firearms. I didn't let the kids play with guns. I wanted them to understand guns are real not toys. Doesn't mean they didn't make guns out of sticks lol and they did have nurf guns.

Now my son loves guns and since he has problems, many of you know this, we still point out the hard truths and are not sure we really want him to shoot. Still trying to decide on this one, he is 25 now. Yes, he was in rotc and has shot guns, more types than mom has, but he isn't real steeped in reality sometimes so I worry. My daughter has now shown an interest since mom got her cwp and talks about wanting to go shooting with me. Her husband has never been around guns and is showing an interest too.