DeadLiver
Member
I have two daughters, one is 8 months old and the other turned 2 a few weeks ago. My older daughter usually watches me as I get dressed and go out. She sees me holstering my carry gun before I leave and has taken to pointing at it and saying "Daddy's gun, pretty!" Pretty being her adjective for just about everything that she likes. A couple of days ago, she did the same thing and then said "Daddy, hold it please?" I wasn't going anywhere important, and decided to indulge her curiosity.
I unloaded the gun explaining to her what I was doing and why, then let her touch and hold it with my "help". As we were holding the gun I told her about how to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, not allowing her to look down the bore. She was intrigued with all the moving parts, and was very happy to try to manipulate the safety and hammer. She giggled when I showed her how the slide moves, and where the (empty) magazine goes. I locked the slide back and let her look in the chamber, even sticking her fingers in the mag well and chamber. I think we spent 10 minutes or so until she started to get bored, but by the time we were done she knew to keep her finger out of the trigger guard and could point out and name the sights, safety, and hammer.
Afterward I did have to wipe down the gun to get all the fingerprints off and ended up getting home later than I wanted to, but I felt it was a rewarding experience, giving my little girl her first lesson about guns. My wife even got a good picture of it. Now I'm REALLY excited to be able to go out and buy that little pink cricket rifle for her in a couple more years.
I think I was 12 before I got my first lessons in firearm safety, but guns were never an interest for my parents. How old were your kids/you when the first lessons were given?
I unloaded the gun explaining to her what I was doing and why, then let her touch and hold it with my "help". As we were holding the gun I told her about how to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, not allowing her to look down the bore. She was intrigued with all the moving parts, and was very happy to try to manipulate the safety and hammer. She giggled when I showed her how the slide moves, and where the (empty) magazine goes. I locked the slide back and let her look in the chamber, even sticking her fingers in the mag well and chamber. I think we spent 10 minutes or so until she started to get bored, but by the time we were done she knew to keep her finger out of the trigger guard and could point out and name the sights, safety, and hammer.
Afterward I did have to wipe down the gun to get all the fingerprints off and ended up getting home later than I wanted to, but I felt it was a rewarding experience, giving my little girl her first lesson about guns. My wife even got a good picture of it. Now I'm REALLY excited to be able to go out and buy that little pink cricket rifle for her in a couple more years.
I think I was 12 before I got my first lessons in firearm safety, but guns were never an interest for my parents. How old were your kids/you when the first lessons were given?