My Grandsons Never Curious About Guns

[the iron horse]

I can carry my shotgun to the pond while we go fishing
and my two grandsons never asks questions or seem to be bit
curious about the gun.

Their father and yours truely have trained them for this response.

I'm just curious to know, if you know why.

I'm thinking most of you know why.


How have you trained your children or grandkids?

 

[scott5]

Hello Iron Horse
I'm doing my part by rounding up all my woman friends that have the least bit of time along with my best buddy to take shooting.

Someone asked my buddy how long that he has been shooting and he said as long as he has known me.

My buddy won an elk hunt once and asked my advise about it since he couldn't bring himself to actually kill one and I told him to take the best camera and lens that he could get his hands on and shoot it with that.
Hey shooting is shooting.

Does that count?

 

[CZguy]

Hey shooting is shooting.

Does that count?

In a word, no.

 

[buck460XVR]

the iron horse, you've done good.


They say in cultures where clothing is rarely used, that young boys seldom look at pictures of naked women. Basically the same principle.

 

[Rick S]

I've taught my children about guns and what they can do. Shot a watermelon at close range with a 12 ga. no more temptation. But they still want to learn how to shoot and hunt. I guess you could say I turned them in to healthy curious.

 

[Sam1911]

Hmmm... My two older kids had both "fired" Kalashnikovs by 3 years old (sitting in Dad's lap). My daughter's favorite shooting iron is my 629 w/ .44 Specials -- she's 8.

My 3 kids see firearms several times a week at least, and come out to matches at least once a month where they see hundreds more -- and all kinds from handguns to belt-feds. (For some reason they think suppressors are hillarious. They fall on themselves laughing when they hear a silenced gun fired. Strange children!)

They really aren't very curious about firearms at all (almost uninterested enough to worry me!) and I can't imagine either of them touching one without permission even if I gave them the keys to the cabinets.

 

[md2lgyk]

When my kids were growing up back in the late 80s, my wife and I were both active pistol competitors. They saw us doing "gun things" many times. But none of the three ever took the slightest interest in shooting. I bought my oldest son a .22 rifle when he was about 17 and he traded it for a guitar.

 

[TexasGunbie]

Hi, I grew up in Hong Kong and my parents always believe that the kids will raise themselves. In Hong Kong, owning a firearm is illegal unless you have plenty of money to apply for one of their expensive license. Anyway, I was not raised around guns, but my own interests in firearms developed when I was around 18. So don't worry if your grandsons aren't interested now. They might become interested later on.
I never had a slingshot or airsoft when I was young, but now I wish I have an older mentor that can introduce me to hunting or other outdoor sports.

 

[waterhouse]

my two grandsons never asks questions or seem to be bit
curious about the gun. Their father and yours truely have trained them for this response.

I'm just curious to know, if you know why.

This would have been highly unlikely in my family. We were always asking questions about caliber and gauge, what size shot or choke our grandfather was using for ducks, why one uncle used a .30-06 while another used something else, why my dad used a pump gun but my uncle used an O/U, etc. I won't say we afraid of guns or mesmerized by them, because we'd been around them for as long as we could remember, but we were certainly curious and asked a lot of questions.

 

[russ69]

Kids do their own thing, sometimes it's not what their elders are interested in. It happens.

Thanx, Russ

 

[Sheepdog1968]

If they are growing up in a more city environment, then they are likely interested in what the other kids (influenced by their parrents who are likely non-gun toting) are doing. Bring a Nintendo Wii or Sony Play Station III and I bet their eyes will light up. I am fortunate to be just old enough where I missed the majority of the video game craze so most of my youth was spent doing traditional male activities. Though my dad didin't care to hunt, he did teach me how to shoot his pellet and bb guns, which he enjoyed shooting.

 

[donny640]

My 3 oldest ones who we adopted 15 years ago,would ask me daily to go shooting. They are moved out now but we still go shooting at least once a week. My youngest daughter has handled guns since she was born. We had gone out to the stump pile several times she would get the gun sighted in but would not shoot it.She has always wanted to help me clean guns, seperate brass and even deprime a few cases. Was not until she was 12 that she finally let the 22 long rifle fire off,that was a fun day.

 

[bonza]

I have three kids, two girls (currently 19, & 11), & a son (15). I've been very involved in competition shooting since long before they were born & am almost always doing something gun-related so they've been exposed to guns from day-one. The older two have shown little to no interest in shooting, though my daughter came to the range with me one time (out of a 'sense of duty' more than anything), but had had enough after firing a few shots with a .22 rifle. My son is high-functioning autistic, & he will sometimes fire a few shots with my Drozd (CO2 select-fire BB machine pistol) at family gatherings, but otherwise shows zero interest when I'm working with my guns, reloading, casting bullets, etc. Ironically, my youngest daughter has shown the most interest in shooting & other gun-related stuff, but she has quadraplegic cerebral palsy & has little control of her limbs, & zero fine motor skills so her shooting prospects are limited. She has 'shot' my Drozd & a CO2 air rifle by sitting in front of me while I hold the rifle up to her shoulder while she looks through the sights & I help her squeeze the trigger. Naturally, I always hoped my kids would want to follow me into my shooting interests (I bought my son a .22 rifle the day he was born!), but life doesn't always go the way you'd hope for, you just have to appreciate them for what they are.....individuals, hopefully responsible ones.

 

[330d]

This is a great thread. I'm in a situation kinda like these... My Father is dying, and has always been a very responsible and active gun owner and hunter. We never really saw eye to eye when I was younger, so I sort of shunned him and his guns. We have grown through the years to be much closer, but I could never figure out how to ask him to share his vast knowledge with me (although looking back, it probably would have given us a great bond that we needed.) Now I am going to inherit a wonderful collection of amazing guns, which I know very little about. I have joined this forum with the express intention of learning as much as I can, so I may be able to enjoy his last days with him talking about one of his favorite things in the world. Although I am not an expert, I do know enough about firearms, that I am completely comfortable around them, and would think nothing of me or someone else bringing a gun out back to the pond while going fishing.

It all boils down to raising your kids to respect and understand what guns can do, and what they are for. Even though I was never a gun fanatic, (that is changing quickly) I always understood what place they held in our lives. My father ingrained that at a young age. I have GREAT respect for him because of that.

 

[Nausea]

Interesting. When I was fourteen I got to fire my uncles auto pistol, and I don't recall being super eager. My uncle and father asked me, I don't recall "jumping" at the opportunity, but I wasn't uninterested either. As I got older I got more into firearms, ironically after I had lost contact with my uncle and father. It took me about six years to actively want to shoot. My younger brother didn't want to have anything to do with my uncles AK, until i fired it in front of him and then my cousin did. Hope I helped.

 

[JTHunter]

330d - sorry to hear about your father. It's never easy losing a family member.
On a happier note, welcome to the forums. Read enough posts and you will find the information you seek.
Count yourself lucky in the collection you are getting. Due to problems with my father's second wife, his collection of weapons (edged, flint/percussion black powder, & modern) somehow "disappeared". Even if you never use these weapons, consider the time, energy, and talent it took to make some of the older ones. Some might even be considered "works of art".

 

[330d]

Thank you JThunter. I do consider myself extremely lucky to not be in a weird situation where we have to argue and fight about what part of our father's legacy we get to keep/carry on. And as I delve deeper into understanding the guns he has, I have a new found respect for the kind of guy he is. Almost every gun he owns is on many different people's so called bucket list ( as I have seen it so aptly named on here.) He was a machinist throughout his life, so I guess a natural understanding of firearm quality was inherent to him, and it reflects in his collection. He also had a lot of foresight because a few of the guns were by no means popular when purchased, but are now very sought after. I call myself proud to be his son.

 

[the iron horse]

"They say in cultures where clothing is rarely used, that young boys seldom look at pictures of naked women. Basically the same principle."

~buck460XVR replied

Yep, that's the principle!
And like one member replied, I did take my two grandsons
out in the field to show them the damage a 12 ga. shotgun can
do to a coffee can.

It caught their attention.


And much thanks to all the replies from members.
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and life stories.


Take care
God bless

 

[wrs840]

All kids are different with different interests. My 9 year-old daughter has always been interested in shooting my guns, and always wants to try a "Bigger" one. She's just naturally gregarious (pity me, gentlemen). My 13 year-old boy is a tech-geek, and although he loves Nerf-gun wars, and blowing stuff up on video-games, he thinks my guns are awful loud, and always asked for earplugs and cans when he's anywhere close to shooting, and believe me, he kept his distance to boot. However, his interest was piqued when I put a Crimson-Trace on my 442. Suddenly he wanted to know all about my handguns. My girl likes to participate in bombast and drama, my boy is a sucker for cool technology. Go figure...

Les

 

[RemoteOps]

I think its like anything else, if you make it taboo they will be more curious about it. I made sure to always to let my kids see and experience firearms. Take the curiosity out of it.

 

[saggy]

Based on what you have said, I would be inclined to conclude that they have gotten accustomed to seeing guns around. I think that's great. But it is a far cry from knowing the danger that comes with guns and their appropriate safe handling. You may well have instructed your grandsons accordingly and just didn't feel the need to mention it in your post. I bring it up because it is a key concern in my mind these days.

My son is not quite 3 years old. It is clear to me that the best way to avoid an accidental shooting is to educate the lad, properly (in addition to all the other precautionary safe storage techniques in the home; but I can't control what he will find in another person's home!) What I haven't quite yet figured out is when, and to a lesser extent, how.

I look to my own upbringing for guidance. My father was military and grew up hunting. So guns were always a part of his life. But he never kept them carelessly around the house (though, back then, there were nowhere near the safe options that there are now). I vaguely remember a discussion in my youth where he brought them out and taught me a little about them. I know I was less than 10, and more than 6. And then a few times he would take us out to a rock quarry to shoot the variety of guns he had. At that time, I wasn't too interested as I was a little uncomfortable with them still (I was still pretty young). Dad never forced the issue. A few years later, I know I wanted and eventually obtained a Crossman 760 Pumpmaster air rifle. Dad showed me the ropes, and reinforced safety again. I quite enjoyed shooting cans and such with that. But that was about it for me for many years. It is only recently that my interest in guns and self defense has spiked. And so the cycle continues now as I ponder how to educate my son. Looking back, I feel my dad did well. So I will probably try to follow suit.

Beyond that, I have seen one book on the subject. Massad Ayoob's book "Gunproof Your Children". Haven't read it, so I don't know if that is any help or not. But I will probably pick it up.

 

[CTPhil]

When I was young I was drawn to my grandfather's guns like a moth to a flame. It was just something that resonated with me. Some kids will be interested, some not. Same with cars, cameras, musical instruments, etc... Expose kids to many interests and if something doesn't stick that's just how it goes. Having exposed kids to guns may at least produce an individual who is not anti gun.

 

[doubleh]

What flips one person's switch may not do anything for someone else. I have three grandsons. The oldest is 26, #2 is 21 and the youngest is 19. The first two love to shoot, hunt, and fish. The youngest cares nothing for guns and won't touch a fishing pole.

I can understand him. My wife loved to bowl and some in the family love golf. I won't particiape in either activity. Just not interested.

 

[omegaflame]

Maybe you can interest his friends, casually.

If he suddenly thinks his peers find them fun, he probably will too.