[mykeld]

My 3 year old has started asking questions about my guns and I like to answer his questions. What are/were the rules in your house concerning kids and guns?
My primary carry is always condition 1 and the others are in locked cases.
So far the rules are:
#1 don't touch without mom or dad
#2 know where the muzzle is pointed and what is beyond (he has toy guns)
#3 if you see a gun, don't touch, tell a parent (many friends are gun owners)

Thanks guys.

 

[aimhigh]

I had my girl the same way ...when she was 7 i had here shooting a 22 rifle and from there it was every weekend to the range or the back yard.
I always told here that this was not a toy and not to touch it.
But you are in the right track...
If you hide it from them it makes it works they get more curious about it..
talk to them about it.

 

[msgt/ret]

You might want to check out the NRA's Eddie Eagle program.

NRA - Safety Information for Parents

 

[mykeld]

You might want to check out the NRA's Eddie Eagle program.

NRA - Safety Information for Parents

Yea, I'm not real happy with the NRA right now but I'll look at it.
Thanks.

 

[Tubby45]

Pretty much. My 2 year old son has been shooting for several months now. He sees guns around all the time, he sees me being armed all the time, etc. Drilled it into his head from day one. I built him an AR15 pistol in .22LR. It's a pistol but the short buffer tube makes a perfect "stock" for him so that's how he shoots it. Of course hearing protection doesn't fit him, so I make a suppressor for his gun.

 

[2ndsupporter]

4-H in manny locations offers a Shooting Sports program that 8 years and up can participate in anything from Air pistol and rifle to Shot gun and Archery.

Both of my girls are in Shooting Sports and love it. I started teaching them at an early age firearm safety and the rules concerning when to handle them (when Dad or mom says it's okay).

I'm a firm believer that if all parents taught their kids proper firearm safety, then the ND/AD by a child would be almost non-existant!

 

[TX expat]

I'm a firm believer that if all parents taught their kids proper firearm safety, then the ND/AD by a child would be almost non-existant!

While I don't disagree with this statement in theory, it assumes that all adults understand firearms safety... For every AD incident involving a child there is an adult somewhere who is responsible for it.

I have always taught my children the 1. Stop, 2. Leave immediately - no exceptions, 3. Tell a parent or other adult, NRA type of child firearm safety. I totally agree that if you try to hide it you will make it more mysterious to kids, therefore making it attractive to them. That said, I also don't trust any child to fully comprehend the dangers involved with firearms so I just make sure mine remove themselves from the situation regardless of circumstances.

 

[2ndsupporter]

While I don't disagree with this statement in theory, it assumes that all adults understand firearms safety... For every AD incident involving a child there is an adult somewhere who is responsible for it.


As soon as I hit the post button, I knew someone would say this. I should have made it clear that Assumming all Adults were well trained in firearms. We all know that this is not the case. Just saying...

 

[Monkeytown]

My 3 year old has started asking questions about my guns and I like to answer his questions. What are/were the rules in your house concerning kids and guns?
My primary carry is always condition 1 and the others are in locked cases.
So far the rules are:
#1 don't touch without mom or dad
#2 know where the muzzle is pointed and what is beyond (he has toy guns)
#3 if you see a gun, don't touch, tell a parent (many friends are gun owners)

Thanks guys.

This is a no-no in my house, so my 2y/o never gets confused. IMHO mixing toy guns and real guns is a recipe for disaster. Also, he is with me when I shoot, or as he calls it "make noise". In about 12-18 mos. I will start getting him shooting.

.22 rifle - kept unloaded
12 ga. - mag loaded, chamber empty
LCP - kept out of reach

 

[Rcher]

Wow, guns and 3 yr olds can be a bad recipe. We all know how curious they are and how unpredictable they can be. Turn your head away for 2 seconds ... you get my point.

Like already suggested, look into the Eddie Eagle program. Although patterned for kids a little older, it is still a very successful program at any age. Its very tough to keep a SD firearm in the home "at the ready" that is accessible to an adult and not to a child. I believe that firearms safety should be mandatory for everyone. Good luck.

 

[TX expat]

As soon as I hit the post button, I knew someone would say this. I should have made it clear that Assumming all Adults were well trained in firearms. We all know that this is not the case. Just saying...

:image079:

I figured as much, but I thought it would be worth mentioning since we all know that there are plenty of less than responsible adults that are the root cause of AD type events on an all too frequent basis.

 

[BJC]

For our family....

We have a two year old who has grown up around guns since birth. We have taught him not to touch the guns and he has done well so far. Still, we have changed OUR habits as well to ensure his safety and ours.

For the first two years, I would just place my gun (loaded semi-auto) on a high shelf where we were staying. Around 2 years old, my son started to excel in vertical mobility. Since that time, we have changed the way we handle the handguns. If the gun is loaded, it is on Daddy. If it isn't on Daddy, it isn't loaded. We also purchased three padded soft handgun cases and a set of pad locks with matching keys. If the guns are unloaded, they are locked in the cases with the ammo in a speedloader or magazine inside the case.

This is what has worked well for us.

 

[varob]

Same with us, kids got old enough to walk, guns went in the safe.
I do play with my son using his toy guns and we talk about the parts of the gun. muzzle, trigger, sights. So when it comes time to use the real thing he will know what I mean when I say keep your finger off the trigger.

 

[SHOOTER13]

My experience

When my daughter ( 18 now, attending Penn State ) was old enough to speak and comprehend the meaning of yes and no, she was taught to understand that she could ask to see and touch anything in the house as long as my wife and I were present...things like my wife's collection of crystal and my firearms. When she was 7, I presented her with a Marlin 22 bolt action rifle ( M80 ) and we had been shooting together ever since...and I'm very proud of her markmanship ...and of her!!

 

[mrog71]

I have always taught my children the 1. Stop, 2. Leave immediately - no exceptions, 3. Tell a parent or other adult, NRA type of child firearm safety. I totally agree that if you try to hide it you will make it more mysterious to kids, therefore making it attractive to them. That said, I also don't trust any child to fully comprehend the dangers involved with firearms so I just make sure mine remove themselves from the situation regardless of circumstances.

Having 4 children, I agree with the above and that's basically my approach. 3 and 4 year-olds are great at agreeing with you and nodding their heads, but I wouldn't trust them to comprehend the danger either. I've caught my kids doing things too many times that I specifically told them not to. That 3/4 year old curiosity is a strong thing.

I don't hide my guns from my kids, but I sure as heck don't leave them accessible (to them) either.

 

[PastorPack]

Yup, I like the Eddie Eagle program.
My 6 and 8 year old have them memorized and practice it.

I add to that whenever they want to see, touch, handle one of my guns, I will be more than happy to let them as I explain and deonstrate safe handling techniques.

 

[JohnD13]

The Eddie Eagle program is very good. In our home, the kids, starting when they were about six were allowed to see any firearm in the house, under supervision, and never without permission. By the time they were six years and one month old, each of them knew how to check for a loaded chamber. They never found one, but they always looked. The only loaded gun was kept with a trigger lock on it and where they could not access it.
Safety was the first course, check the chamber, watch where the muzzle is pointed, keep fingers off the trigger.
We raised them to be safe and responsible, and they are raising their children the same way.

 

[jtmoose]

0.) Always make sure a gun is empty
1.) It's not a toy
2.) She can't touch it
3.) It's dangerous
4.) Only Mom and Dad can touch it
5.) Friends can't touch it
6.) It can make you "bleed all over" (3yr old's words)
7.) Always make sure a gun is empty

 

[Eagleks]

AT 3 yrs old...... they are not going to understand it nor the dangers. It's all on you.