At what age should I introduce my son to firearms.
- Thread starter jmresistance
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jgiehl
Member
One thing a lot of parents seemed to have lost their way on now days is that it's not only a parents job to protect, which a lot of parents have gone overboard on. Lots of kids are so protected they have no fun in life whatsoever.
The forgotten lesson in parenthood is education. It's not only my job to protect my children but to educate them as well. Not just in the way of books and school but also in the way of this world, how it operates, social situations, safety, hunting, fishing, girls (yes girls too).
I started teaching my kids not just about guns but also about safety when they came home. Sure enough when he picks up a firearm he checks to make sure it's unloaded not just visually but he'll shove his finger in the barrel too.
Never too early to learn nor is it ever too late, always room for learning.
Edit here:
You could also teach them that they're not just guns, firearms, gats, or heat.
But they are also tools, tools with an intended application.
And just like if you use a screwdriver for a pry bar BAD things begin to happen.
And my favorite:
In the right hands it's a useful tool.
In the wrong hands it becomes a dangerous weapon.
The forgotten lesson in parenthood is education. It's not only my job to protect my children but to educate them as well. Not just in the way of books and school but also in the way of this world, how it operates, social situations, safety, hunting, fishing, girls (yes girls too).
I started teaching my kids not just about guns but also about safety when they came home. Sure enough when he picks up a firearm he checks to make sure it's unloaded not just visually but he'll shove his finger in the barrel too.
Never too early to learn nor is it ever too late, always room for learning.
Edit here:
You could also teach them that they're not just guns, firearms, gats, or heat.
But they are also tools, tools with an intended application.
And just like if you use a screwdriver for a pry bar BAD things begin to happen.
And my favorite:
In the right hands it's a useful tool.
In the wrong hands it becomes a dangerous weapon.
Last edited:
My son is 8 now. When he wants to be, he's real smart. Nerf guns are a daily affirmation of manhood. He likes to wake me up in the morning by unloading his belt fed full auto Nerf Vulcan on me. (where the heck was this when I was 8?!?). He knows it's a toy.
By around 5 years old, I would grill him on the four rules. He still doesen't get 'em all verbatim/ in order - but he does know them all. In addition to the four, I also (every month or so) give him these questions:
What do you do if you see a gun? Run away and tell an adult.
What do you do if one of your friends shows you a gun? Run away as fast as you can and tell an adult.
What do you do if you want to handle a gun? Ask you Dad.
My thing is this: If he wants to see a gun, all he's got to do is ask. I drop what I'm doing and get the kind of gun he wants to see. I retain positive control at all times. He sits in my lap. I've never caught him hanging around the safe.
Christmas time a year ago I was given the opportunity by a friend to take my boy to shoot at a private outdoor range. On the way there we had a contest between my boy and my friend as to who knew the four rules. My boy won.
My friend had a 10/22 youth model that my boy shot that day. I have never seen my kid have so much fun, while also following absolutley everything I said to the letter, as I did that day. And yes, he kept his booger hook off the bang switch until he was ready to shoot.
The other day I did catch him playing with my bow case. I've never thought about the safety rules with it. Its a 70lb bow and he weighs 50 lbs so I'm not too concerned. But, the fact remains that guns aren't a mystery to him and the bow is...
By around 5 years old, I would grill him on the four rules. He still doesen't get 'em all verbatim/ in order - but he does know them all. In addition to the four, I also (every month or so) give him these questions:
What do you do if you see a gun? Run away and tell an adult.
What do you do if one of your friends shows you a gun? Run away as fast as you can and tell an adult.
What do you do if you want to handle a gun? Ask you Dad.
My thing is this: If he wants to see a gun, all he's got to do is ask. I drop what I'm doing and get the kind of gun he wants to see. I retain positive control at all times. He sits in my lap. I've never caught him hanging around the safe.
Christmas time a year ago I was given the opportunity by a friend to take my boy to shoot at a private outdoor range. On the way there we had a contest between my boy and my friend as to who knew the four rules. My boy won.
My friend had a 10/22 youth model that my boy shot that day. I have never seen my kid have so much fun, while also following absolutley everything I said to the letter, as I did that day. And yes, he kept his booger hook off the bang switch until he was ready to shoot.
The other day I did catch him playing with my bow case. I've never thought about the safety rules with it. Its a 70lb bow and he weighs 50 lbs so I'm not too concerned. But, the fact remains that guns aren't a mystery to him and the bow is...
CoRoMo
Member
I agree. I couldn't bare to see him emasculated like that, so I set things right.
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