[MaterDei]

An old Army buddy and I both went to the range yesterday with some of our kids. He brought his two oldest girls and I brought my two oldest boys. All 4 of the children were between 7 and 11 years old. I have 4 other children, two of whom are old enough to shoot and enjoy shooting but weren't able to come with us, and two not yet old enough to shoot.

We all enjoyed spending quality time together and, of course, killing paper. I've been reflecting on what a tremendous activity that shooting is for the family and all of the things that kids get out of it. One would be hard pressed to name a more beneficial family activity.

Kids receive:

- Valuable lessons about safety and responsibility
- A feeling that they are trusted
- A sense of accomplishing something as they improve
- Hand and eye coordination improvement
- The chance to do something 'neat'
- Respect from their peers (especially from boys)
- Self defense skills and the confidence that goes along with them
- A sense that they are part of that wonderful thing know as the 'gun culture'

And the two that I consider the most important...

- Quality time with mom and/or dad, and
- An appreciation of the freedoms we still enjoy as Americans and, hopefully, the lifelong desire to fight to defend those freedoms

Anybody have anything to add to the list?

Blue Skies,

MaterDei

[Bravo11]

I can't think of any to add but I agree completely.
Especially quality time with dad.
The grins on kids faces when they hit the target is priceless.

[MaterDei]

Not just the grins but the jumping up and down too. :)

[Standing Wolf]

I wish my father had taught me to shoot.

[RSKING45]

My oldest son is 14 and has been hunting with my older brother sence he was 12,I havent gone hunting sence 1990.My son has been after me to get my small game license.On sat, I went and got it . On sunday my son and I went out for small game,I got to tell ya, Out of all the years that i went hunting,this was the best time I ever had hunting eventho a shot wasnt fired.
Rich

[Black92LX]

- Respect from their peers (especially from boys)

i am not a parent, some would say i am still a kid. but i am not sure that this is really a good thing. you being from texas and i from ohio. could make the difference, but when i do have kids, it's something that i will tell my kids not to tell people about. hopefully we will still be able to own guns when time comes for me to be called a father :what:

[manwithoutahome]

Some of my greatest memories when I was growing up was shooting off the back patio with my dad in GA (this was in city limits and there was woods behind us as a back stop, back then, it was still okay to own and shoot out your back door). Mostly pellet and .22.

M

[C.R.Sam]

Great post.

Like to add;
Learn discipline (safe gun handling)
Earn respect of peers and adults.
Earn self confidence.

Sam

[jsalcedo]

Once a children learn how to safely handle, shoot and maintain a firearm
they are on the fast track to responsible young adulthood.

Anytime my son wants to see a firearm in my collection I take it out and
go over all the rules, checking the chamber, pointing in a safe direction,
finger off the trigger.

We go over the history and how to operate each one.

He has a healthy respect for them and doesn't feel the need to go looking for them when I'm not around.

[MaterDei]

Thanks, Sam

[owen]

If I didn't take to guns when I was little, I don't think I would have ever gotten to know my dad. We went shooting almost every weekend for years.

owen