I started with my kids teaching them the basic safety rules starting from the start, ages 1.
I did so first by allowing them to play with squirt guns and in doing so I'd 'teach' them by visual example always keeping my finger off the trigger and gun pointed in a safe direction, until sights are aligned and ready to 'fire'.
As they got old enough that I could speak to them and they could understand and _comprehend_ my words & meanings I'd up the ante by showing them with their own fingers to gun how to do the above.
Further we talk about my own guns as they see me get dressed and mount my holster and gun with spare mag and mag holster. They see and know where my handgun safe is located and also know to not only never touch my guns or any one elses guns....But they also know what to do if they see a gun, magazine, or ammunition laying around. We have discussed this multiple times and I do so by making it into a game of learning rather than a Danger Wil Robinson lecture.
As well they have seen me disassemble and clean my guns with explanation of what parts do what (gun, magazine, ammunition) and they have seen me train both at home with dryfire as well as at the range...And they have seen me on TV shooting both in competition and as related to a local news item that had featured me shooting in a law enforcement course. As well they have seen me train at home in my backyard using my BB pistol, and me train toward and participate in past paintball tournaments. They know the same rules apply to all of my 'guns' be they fire bullets, BBs, paintballs, or water (I have two 1911 style squirt guns).
They know without a doubt that daddy is a shooter and he is a safe practicing shooter.
In turn they imitate me and apply what lessons thus far I have taught them by mouth and visual example.
They spontaneously on their own will hold amongst them self as play pretend 'training' sessions. My daughter taking the part of 'instructor' and my son being the 'student'. They setup pretend targets of paper and they made themself their own individual range kits including a lid, sunglasses (eyes), and my boy borrows my spare pair of ears which as a rule when not in use are stored on the inside door knob to my bedroom closet.
Also when taking baths at night they like to play with their squirt guns and will setup targets to shoot at self teaching and guiding each other now in following the 3 basic rules of gun safety. They do this spontaneously without my direction albeit with my encouragement and praise, which is positive reinforcement.
My daughter is 6 and my son turned 3 this past July.
I taught and continue to teach them these things not because I have dreams of them becoming top shooters or even shooters at all. Frankly if they choose to never shoot or hunt or handle guns as adults I would be okay with that...As long as they both had at minimum a handgun for personal protection in their home as law abiding adults.
My focus though and primary motivation is to EDUCATE my children now as related to their future. Guns are everywhere in America. Period. Stupid and unthinking people are everywhere. Adults and children alike. Period.
By teaching my children what I have thus far and what more i will in the future as they mentally grow and become able to comprehend the lesson plan then in doing so that is a real world insurance plan as against possibility of they being injured by a stupid person, or they injuring themself...each other...or some other person with a so called "accidental discharge" which we all know are 99.5% of the time directly related to handler ignorance and negligence.
Below is an image of my children from a week ago as they were playing 'Shooting Class' learning and teaching...
Note: This squirt gun has no trigger guard but still my kids know not to touch the trigger, unless they desire reactive action to occur. My boy even has gone so far as to make himself a holster out of cut up paper for play. As well at times on his own when he's getting himself ready to go out and puts his shoes and jacket on he'll go to his range kit to get his squirt gun and then 'holster' it in the side of his pants.
I sometimes feel bad about seeing that in particular but overall I'm okay with it as it's better that he know better than know nothing at all.
...Take careful note of not just my sons clothing but that of how he's handling his quirt gun.
I did not at all prompt either of them on this. I'd been outside mowing the grass and came in to get a drink when I saw them playing and noted their methods. I grabbed my cell phone and took this picture spontaneously.
When either of my kids pickup a toy gun they now both on their own and immediately _default_ to the three rules of firearm safety.
* Finger off the trigger _and_ indexed along side the frame of the gun.
* Gun pointed in a safe direction away from them self and other living beings, human or animal.
* Make aimed fire only (!) at proper targets using either 1) the sights if available or 2) point shooting using the body of the gun and/or their index finger as a reference marker in lieu of working sights.
- Janq
P.S. - To show them how not following these rules can result in persons being harmed if not hurt, I pretend with them at times during their baths to 'forget' the rules and wind up shooting one or the other in the eyes or even myself in same. It's uncomfortable but otherwise medically harmless to do so.
They do not like being squirted in the eyes. Nobody does. So now by that 'play' they have been taught and learned why it is that the three rules are necessary and important to be followed.
It's all fun and games, until some body starts to cry.
