Do you teach your young children gun safety?

[1911 guy]

Post #3 nailed it. Teach your kids, but never rely on trust with any child. They are children. Two major issues are at work here. First, they are children and do not have as developed sense of consequences and understanding of the permanence of the harm that can be caused. Secondly, it is the job of an adult to shepherd their children through childhood. This means guiding them through circumstance as they mature, not simply teaching a lesson and then leaving them to their own devices. Do you trust your kids to always look both ways when crossing the street? Even when they are chasing a toy? Kids do dumb things. I did, you did, we all did. It's part of childhood. As adults, we look back on those mistakes and learn from them. Thankfully, we all had parents who paid enough attention to guide us through and help us avoid the stuff that might have gotten us killed.

 

[kvtcomdo]

Yes, and grandchildren.

 

[Pushrod]

This is a great discussion. Hopefully a lot of parents reading this can learn something new.

 

[Ironicaintit]

My boy is 4, and has a "pop" gun (little plastic cap that pops off with air pressure), that he likes to pretend with.
I use that as a tool to teach some habits. Don't point it at people, keep your finger off of the trigger, etc.

I have also demonstrated with melons, what a firearm can do!
I stress to him that yes, they are very dangerous, they are not a toy, and they are not for him.

 

[JohnRov]

Yes, both my kids (9 and 5) watched the NRA video. The older one I can explain things in more detail to, obviously, but the younger one can sing the, "Stop, Don't Touch, Runaway, Tell a Grownup" refrain. All my guns are locked up and the kids know they are dangerous. Both have seen them, my oldest has looked through the scopes and stuff. This year I will be getting an M&P 15-22 for her to learn on. I don't want them to be completely mysterious to them, which would add to the allure perhaps if they were ever in a situation where they came across one.

 

[herrwalther]

A non-negotiable for me is when the child obtains his/her first gun (bb gun or whatever) toy guns of any kind are no longer allowed, ever.

I like that. My son (2.5) has all sorts of plastic toy guns that shoot darts that the dogs usually eat. I am probably going to start him off with a BB gun around 5 or so and that is when the dart ones go away.

 

[DavidWR]

Teach your kids early

Kids are emotional and malleable to outside influences. You must teach them safety first. Whether or not you trust your child, just remember when you were a child and how the slightest thing could tick you off. I know that I was emotional - I got picked on at school for stupid reasons and it messed with my psychology.

Just gotta be smart with your kids. That's all

 

[MedWheeler]

"Teaching gun safety" to preschoolers is far different from them learning it.

I watched a video last night (as my 7-year old daughter and I were having one of many gun-safety talks) that does a lot to open eyes of some of the most confident parents. In it, a preschool class participates in an animated gun safety lesson involving, among other things, the NRA's Eddie Eagle video and its kid-captivating chant.

Days later, two unloaded pistols are stashed in the classroom, and the teacher steps outside into the hall, advising the children there is candy on her desk (where the guns are.)

Hidden cameras capture several students who find the guns handling them, and even looking down the barrels, despite the warnings from other kids, and even the handlers themselves are admitting they shouldn't be touching them. Finally, one student begins to holler for help, but the others are still handling the guns (one of which is recognizable as a Raven P-25.)

Though the video is clearly made by an anti-gun network, it's lesson cannot be missed.

 

[FAS1]

This is a story from a couple weeks ago with a local news station. Worth watching the video clip on the page.

Teach them and continually reinforce gun safety. Securing guns is still a good idea from my personal experience raising two boys. Kids can react very differently to the same information.

http://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/kids-dont-respond-as-predicted-when-left-alone-with-a-gun

Here's the last sentences of the story:

"There were only 2 kids that did not pick up the gun or even seem interested. They are the kids who have guns in their homes and whose parents say they have talked extensively about guns."

 

[bhk]

Teach but never trust a child. A child is a child. They are programmed to be curious. That is how they learn and grow. But don't leave it in the hands of trust. My young ones have been taught, are comfortable around guns, and have demonstrated gun safety time and time again. But one lapse of judgement from their underdeveloped brains cannot be taken back. Bedside gun safes are cheap and fast. When not in a safe, keep it on your body.

Extremely well said!!!!!!!

 

[DeepSouth]

My oldest son, now 17, was hunting small game by himself when he was 6 or 7 years old, of course on our land and close to the house. When he was 5 he was more responsible with a gun than most adults I know. It amazed me how responsible and safety minded he was, more so than me even. This was all with long guns, never with pistols and he is still this way. It was like it was just second nature to him, like he just knew and didn't have to be taught, although I'm sure I did at some point.

Now my youngest, now 12, I wouldn't let handle a gun unless I'm within 3 feet of him even today. He never has had any interest, so he just hasn't had the experience to stay fresh in his mind. He has the head knowledge of safety, and has been around guns, he just doesn't have the interest so their is very limited real world practice of safety. He probably hasn't shot a gun but a time or two in the last 3-4 years.

 

[tcook90]

I got my son his first 22 rifle when he was 7, and he's been great with safety. He's 10 now, and just got his first 22 pistol. Again, very safety minded. I think I taught him right!

 

[Bobson]

My daughter is five, son is two. My daughter seemed to have an interest in guns when she was in her third year, but lately doesn't seem interested at all in them. Still, the only gun safety I've yet taught is the fairly regular reminder to "never touch a gun without daddy, because you can hurt someone." The guns are all either locked up, or on my person, at all times.

If/when they express a further interest, or I notice a rekindled curiosity, I'll take that safety training further as appropriate for their level of maturity. I hope they both have an interest in guns as they get older, but I'm not going to push it on them. That said, I expect, based on how strong my interest and enthusiasm is for guns and all things related, my hobbies will rub off on them, at least on a level enough that they won't hit age 15 and be clueless when it comes to firearms.

 

[frgood]

While my children are now much older, I think I would teach gun safety with the same structure and guidance as the band saw, jigsaw, sander, etc laid out in the garage. mind you the safety switches are engaged and power cords are not plugged in.

I am not making an analogy here. All tools, including kitchen tools, were used in their correct sphere and access was not out in the open. Both for safety and general neatness. Even paintball gear was kept in the Sports bag and we continued to have fun and be serious when required.

All in all, I like how the kids turned out.

 

[EIB0879]

I taught my kids (now 15 and 17) at an early age.

 

[armoredman]

 

[gbran]

I drilled safety to my kids, my grandkids, but I never forget kids do the darndest things.

 

[Win73]

YES!!

 

[Skribs]

It depends on the kid.

My nephew I wouldn't have anywhere near one, until he can learn to put nerf ammo in a nerf gun without looking directly down it.

 

[bangswitch]

I also got a 5 year old son, he has been exposed to firearms all his life ...... my only problem is this I noticed this a few months ago it kind of made me think i don't know if I liked it, one day at night I went to check on him and cover him back up and I noticed that under his pillow was his favorite gun toy a 1911 and next to it was his ninja turtle flashlight. So he sleeps with a toy gun and light under his pillow ever night u can't get him to give it up. At first I was proud but know Ima little worried. What do you guys think about that?

You mentioned in another post that he's doing that to copy you. If you're doing that, YOU need to stop. There are many, better alternatives to quick access that are infinitely safer.

As for your son, it sounds like he's had a good start to learning gun safety. I would teach him that although there are toy guns and real guns, and that toy guns won't hurt you like a real gun can, the toys should be treated the same way as real ones. That said, I see no purpose in a toy that emulates a deadly weapon. Whether he will "give it up" is entirely dependent on how serious and firm you are about it. Right or wrong, your kids should listen and obey. They're too young to make judgment calls.

My daughters are both grown now, and have never shown an interest in shooting. They were never curious children in the terms of having to pull drawers open to see what was there. They were taught early to ask questions, and were given answers. When each one was about 6, I took them in our bedroom and had all my rifles and handguns laid out on the bed. I asked them what they were, and they knew they were guns and knew they were dangerous, even before I started telling them. They picked up that much from TV shows and movies. At that age, showing how to load or unload one is pointless, the main goal was to teach them never to touch one, and what to do if they were at a friend's house and saw one (leave the room immediately). I also taught them about calling 911 and that was what they should do if they saw a friend holding a gun. They were also taught never to talk about Daddy's guns with friends, even if asked.

As they got older, I added to the lessons and reinforced what had already been taught.

 

[stonecutter2]

I taught my daughter, who is 4, basic things like if she sees a gun, not to play with it, leave the room/area and to tell a grown up right away.

I also showed her pictures of real guns, so she knows what they look like.

I also reassured her that it's okay for her friends on the playground to "make guns" with their fingers and sticks (that was one of her first major concerns, interestingly enough). Those are just pretend, I told her.

It's also important to ask questions to reinforce it, like randomly just ask when nothing is distracting - hey, what if there was a gun right here, what do you? If they can't remember, just go through it with them again and keep reinforcing.

I also like bangswitch's suggestion above me - i'll make sure she understands to not talk about Daddy's guns with friends. I like that.

 

[Officers'Wife]

We teach our kids gun safety.

We also teach highway safety, cow safety, tractor safety, power equipment safety and more kinds of safety than I can list without getting carpel tunnel. We are not foolish enough to believe we can make the world safer for them, all we can do is teach them how best to survive the dangers present.

 

[BSA1]

When my son was little about 4 how I would have him sit my lapwhile I reloaded ammunition. I used a RCBS Rockchucker single stage press at the time and I would have my son load each primer in the press to seat it.

It worked out great. His little fingers could handle the primers much easier than me and he learned how ammo is made.

 

[Pushrod]

We teach our kids gun safety.

We also teach highway safety, cow safety, tractor safety, power equipment safety and more kinds of safety than I can list without getting carpel tunnel. We are not foolish enough to believe we can make the world safer for them, all we can do is teach them how best to survive the dangers present.

You know OW, I think that is something that I neglect somewhat with my son: Teaching safety with other tools/items that I take for granted. I need to work harder in that regards. Thank you.

 

[gwpercle]

Of Course !
How else are they going to learn. I took my little ones to the range one day and showed them exactly what daddy's guns could do to plastic water filled milk jugs. Then , gun safety lessons followed , every time we went shooting we went over the rules. Every time.

My baby girl is now 43 years old..... she told me that she NEVER ever forgot that day, seeing what guns could do.......truthfully , I had forgotten about that.
But she did use a 38 special, drawn from her left pocket to stop two armed robbers when one told my daughter and 3 others in her office to face the wall and kneel down...she said , he had the money box and could have left but I wasn't going to let him murder all 4 of use, Daddy , what you taught me about guns saved my life....her old man got sorta misty eyed... So guys tech your kids gun safety and how to shoot, just may save their life.
Gary