Infuriating bliss-ninny.....

[Drizzt]

I was reading an article on parenting (I have no idea why....) and this example that the Dr. used just jumped out at me....

Situation #1
Your six-year-old son wants to play with the kid down the block who appears to be a ballistics expert. He always seems to be in the front yard shooting cans with his BB gun, owns three (count them, three) fake hand grenades and brags that his father has rifles in the house. You have a standing family rule for all of your kids that guns, even toy ones, are off-limits. Your child, who has recently become interested in all things military, accuses you of being unfair. “How come he can play with guns and I can’t? All of the boys in first grade own them and I just want to go down to his house and play. It’s no big deal!”

What to do? First, be sure that you’ve listened to your son’s entire argument, and if there’s room for compromise, do it. Perhaps you can allow his friend to come to your house to play with your son’s toys and games — it may turn out that the lure is not really the play weapons, but his buddy’s fun presence. If so, having him engage in non-weapon play may actually help him to broaden his horizons and become a friend to many other kids also.

Draw the line in the sand. If your son insists on playing at his friend’s house, you may have to stand firm on this one. Not only would your child be playing with toy guns (against your family rule), but there’s also the real possibility that the buddy’s dad owns and stores at least one real gun in the home. Explain to your kid that his being around a real gun is intolerable and that he can’t visit any home if a gun is present.

Call the other parent to check on the reality of the situation. Never, ever be reticent to inquire about real or toy weapons. It’s not only your right, but also your responsibility, to know if the kids will have access to BB guns, toy bows and arrows or other play weapons. Many families do not allow their children to play with toy weapons, as the parents believe that these toys are “gateways” to the real McCoy, or that playing with a toy bow and arrow can be dangerous. If a weapon-free environment (be it toy or real) is part of your family’s code of values then this issue is most likely worth digging in your heels. Don’t beat around the bush. I’ve found that it’s usually best to be direct and forward about this issue. Ask the boy's mom or dad if they possess a gun and how it is stored. If you feel even the least bit uncomfortable with the answer — don’t allow your child to visit their home. It’s just not worth your worry and the possibility of injury. Perhaps the weapon can be removed during your child’s visit, but many folks won’t go to the trouble to do so, or you may have doubts that they will actually follow-through with the temporary removal. And, there’s still the issue of the boys playing with the toy guns — something that may be just as difficult to control or curtail.

full article is here: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9991049/

 

[Lupinus]

...huh? :banghead:

 

[yorec]

Dear Doc Doodlebalm,

I'm having trouble finding a set of matching toy sixguns with pink grips for my 2 year old daughter. I'm afraid if I give her regular black gripped cap guns that she'll grow to be too tomboyish and won't find a good husband who'll take care of her.

Help me with my guilt over this issue - you know of anyplace that sells pink gripped sixshooter capguns?

Thanks.


What a moron.

 

[Justin]

When the inmates are running the asylum, don't be surprised when they start giving each other doctoral degrees.

 

[DelayedReaction]

Perhaps you can allow his friend to come to your house to play with your son’s toys and games — it may turn out that the lure is not really the play weapons, but his buddy’s fun presence. If so, having him engage in non-weapon play may actually help him to broaden his horizons and become a friend to many other kids also.

Because, you know, the child with toy guns is OBVIOUSLY antisocial and needs help making friends. Which is why your kid wants to play with him in the first place.

 

[71Commander]

Because, you know, the child with toy guns is OBVIOUSLY antisocial and needs help making friends. Which is why your kid wants to play with him in the first place.

Or maybe the kid with the BB gun doesn't want to play with a Barbie doll, unless he get's to shoot it.

 

[Matthew748]

What hogwash. Rather than running around with other kids playing army or cops and robbers, this so-called doctor (I use that term loosely) would rather see the children sit on their cans eating snacks and playing with stuffed dolls. The stuffed dolls part is an assumption on my part, but I think that it is probably pretty accurate given the touchy-feely nature of the article's author.

I daresay that social engineers like this so-called doctor are far more dangerous to the latest generation of children than all the toys guns in the world.

 

[Rabid Rabbit]

The moron Dr. need to learn about substitution and a childs active imagination.

I have a friend that was very liberal and said there would never be toy guns or other toy weapons in the house. For whatever reason her kids would make guns out of anything that resembled a gun and yell bang bang. If a gun shaped object wasn't around they would make swords out of sticks. After a couple injuries sword fights she started to buy toy guns because the gun fights would be at a non-contact distance yelling bang bang instead of up close and personal whacking each other with a stick. So in this case guns hurt less than swords.

My friend is now a conservative and while isn't ready to shoot a gun she lets her brother take her kids to the range.

Although my kids 3&4 don't have toy guns, their interests are in the trains & princesses direction. However my daughter has a cricket rifle and a real compound bow that she is deadly with at 4 yds.

 

[entropy]

However my daughter has a cricket rifle and a real compound bow that she is deadly with at 4 yds.

Yes, Mr. and Ms. Blissninnie, please do sound off loudly about no weapons allowed in your house. Be sure to repeat it often so the robbers and home invaders will know which house to hit.

My answer to any parent badgering me about guns in the house is either "What guns?' or "none of your business, I guess your kid can't come over, then." depending on my perception of their attitude about it.

 

[Weimadog]

yorek- *snip*
Help me with my guilt over this issue - you know of anyplace that sells pink gripped sixshooter capguns?

Thanks.



My wife read this thread while I was away from the computer. She did some searching.



Here is a link to some pink-gripped-six -shooter cap guns.

 

[armoredman]

Ask, and ye shall recieve.....wow, Weimadog.


As for the thread starter...

Don’t beat around the bush. I’ve found that it’s usually best to be direct and forward about this issue. Ask the boy's mom or dad if they possess a gun and how it is stored.

"I am sorry, but I don't know you, and I refuse to answer any questions pertaining to my private life. Please do not bother me again, or I will be forced to report you to the police for harrasment, or 'casing' my place for a potential robbery. Good day."

 

[jpIII]

"I am sorry, but I don't know you, and I refuse to answer any questions pertaining to my private life. Please do not bother me again, or I will be forced to report you to the police for harrasment, or 'casing' my place for a potential robbery. Good day."

I think I would take the opposite approach... If ever asked that question. I would simply reply with another question. "Are you concerned with your childs safety"... "I'm concerned with mine as well" .... "we seem to be like minded, perhaps we could meet one evening or over lunch to discuss some more ideas on child safety."... "I think many other things beyond firearms are overlooked when parents are concerned with their childs safety."

I'd wouldn't admit anything like gun ownership over the phone, but I will entertain a conversation face to face with a parent of my child's friend. I think you can accomplish quite a bit when face to face with a non-irrational person.
(rational would denote a gun collection of their own .. I find the best conversations to be with reasonable persons, who have simply never been introduced to guns)

 

[MachIVshooter]

Hmmmm....If I could think of one, good, non-biased reason that EVERY man, woman and child ahould be exposed to and educated on firearms it is to understand two things: when they become a hazard, and the difference between concealment and cover.

I personally do not (and will not) have children. But if I did, training in safe handling of firearms would begin as soon as they could comprehend it.

 

[Hawk]

...and on a totally tangential note.

I note that Wikipedia has an entry for "moonbat" but none for "blissninny".

One of the more connected and lucid members here should take care of that.

I wonder where the child in the article is located? In Texas, a child which is prohibited from playing in households where firearms are stored spends a lot of time alone.

 

[yorec]

Thanks Weimadog!

However my post was rather tongue in cheeck and and dishonest to be totally truethful... My two year old daughter inherited a pair of those very same pink gripped pistols from her older sister when she decided she'd rather have a rifle with syntheticwood stock. Said it was easier to keep running and made a cooler noise since it poduces an elecrtic sound itself and she didn't have to reload the caps all the time... Unlimited shots... Sigh another high cap snob is born. (But will this mean she's gonna be a dreaded tomboy too? Er...already is?)

 

[dasmi]

He always seems to be in the front yard shooting cans with his BB gun, owns three (count them, three)

Well, of course.
Rifle, carbine, handgun. This kid has his head on straight

 

[El Tejon]

I'll bet that doc wears sandals and mock turtlenecks!

It's all about healing the inner gun nut.

 

[Lucky]

Actually, you ought to wear eye protection. BBs ricochet easily. BBs are brass, hard and round. Pellets are lead, softer and less dangerous to ricochet.

It sounds reasonable to ask about the place where your kids gonna play, but a little lazy, imo. If you are suspicious, then by definition you can't trust! Lol its contradictory. If you're suspicious, you go see for yourself. You don't trust someone else to tell you.

In my experience, the lady left out some other really fun toy, slingshots! Fun, cheap ammo (rocks), and when you hit a can it doesn't go 'tink' it mangles it.

And, realistically, from studies and my own experiences, be afraid of TRAMPOLINES! Swimming pools, too, I guess. But trampolines are crazy scare machines.

Why is it that people who are afraid of a pellet gun are OK with their kids bouncing 20 feet in the air on a steel framework?

 

[antsi]

Dear Dr. Bottombiter,

The parents of my child's best friend are mentally ill, and try to foist off their delusions on my child. They believe that disarming law-abiding citizens and handing all power over to a massive tyranny state will eliminate all violence and oppression. Until people like them get their way, it's still a free country I suppose, so they're entitled to their dangerous and delusional opinions. But I don't want my children exposed to their psychotic brainwashing and propaganda. How should I handle this situation?

I have another problem with the parents of my children's other friends. These parents let their kids have toy guns, and they're always pretending to shoot each other. My kids are rasied with a simple rule: guns are real. My kids do have their own firearms, which they are allowed to shoot under adult supervision in appropriate circumstances. I have carefully trained my children in safe gun handling and proper use of firearms, but I'm afraid that these irresponsible parents letting the kids sling toy guns around any old way could undo my kids' good firearms training. The other day, in fact, I saw one of their kids carrying a gun around with his finger inside the trigger guard! I don't care if it is a toy, that's wrong! How can I get these parents to train their kids in the appropriate handling and use of firearms?

Thanks for your help, Dr. Bottombiter!

 

[Candiru]

The doctor who wrote that article is Dr. Ruth Peters. Ain't following links great?

It occurs to me that asking if guns are secured around the house is a reasonable thing to do as a parent and one should not get offended into inquiries that way. In fact, a reasonable, calm, friendly demeanor while discussing the subject could go a long way to putting a sympathetic face on the spectre of gun-owners, while getting gruff and defensive will only confirm the stereotypes under which they labor. Shutting the anxious parents down hard may feel good for a while, but then these people will be forever polarized and your own child will suffer from the loss of a friend.

Nobody crosses the fence willingly if they're pushed or pulled over it, but if you exercise the moral fortitude to open the gate for them, they'll at least take a look at your side of things.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Your six-year-old son wants to play with the kid down the block who appears to be a ballistics expert.

If the 6-year-old is a ballistics expert, he's probably extremely safe around guns.

I've found that it's the sons and daughters of these bliss ninnies who are the first to wack another kid with a toy sword or point a toy gun at another kid.

Explain to your kid that his being around a real gun is intolerable and that he can’t visit any home if a gun is present.

So I guess the kid can't go near police officers, soldiers, military bases, sporting goods stores or any store or restaurant with an armed guard.

I have some additional comments about emasculation that I'd better not utter here on THR.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Kids who play with guns tend to be MORE sociable than those who do not. How else could they learn to maneuver by squads and practice double envelopement ambushes!?

 

[wingnutx]

Even my bleeding-heart liberal sister finally relented and lets her kids play with fake guns, after she realized that she couldn't stop them from pointing a bent stick and yelling *bang*

She tried for a while.

She used to be into shooting herself, until she became a public school teacher and the union implanted their chip in her head.

 

[silverlance]

lol chip in head

i just have one in my shoulder.

that said everyone is entitled to their opinions as long as they don't encroach on somebody else's.

if this blissninny really wants to keep guns out of his kid's life, he would also have to remove all movies, songs, etc...

and every time his kid sees a cop he would have to cover his eyes and run around in little circles...

 

[M-Rex]

<snip>

She tried for a while.

She used to be into shooting herself, until she became a public school teacher and the union implanted their chip in her head.

Ok, I laughed out loud at that. Too true.

They do that in LEO administration as well, it seems...at least over the rank of sargeant.