"paper targets, Daddy"

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bear71

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My nearly 3 year old boy (2 yrs, 9 mos) is exposed to gun magazines on the coffee table, G&A TV and watches me shoot from the window up at Grandma's.

Very recently, he's been running around the house saying "shoot, shoot, shoot" hands clasped in the classic two hand hold with an imaginery gun. I've heavily considered his exposure and how to deal with it at his very young age. First major victory:

Jack: "shoot, shoot, shoot"
Daddy: "What do you shoot, bud?"
Jack: "paper targets, Daddy, paper targets"
Daddy: "good boy!"
Jack: "Daddy shoot paper targets?"
Daddy: "Yes, Jack, Daddy shoots paper targets."
Jack: "OK, good."

I then make a target using a pen, paper and three cans of varying diameters to get nice rings before filling out the center to black it out.

Jack: "Daddy make it for me?"
Daddy: "Just for you, bud."

I think him seeing me make the target for him really encourages him to appreciate my instruction and the target itself.

Anyone else with good tips on preparing young children to have good habits regarding firearms?
 
Congratulations. Instilling the right values when kids are small pays off big time later on.

When our kids were small, we were shooting handgun silhouette once a month. They would sit and watch or play with the other kids in the sand with their little earmuffs on.

When I gave my son a Chipmunk at age eight, he already knew the safety rules (don't think your kids aren't paying attention, they are).

Now my son routinely outshoots me with rifle, shotgun or handgun.
 
So, Pax

You know, every time I wind up at The Cornered Cat, I learn something new.

Even on pages I've read twice.

So, I was wondering, when will we be expecting your book, Rifle Team, to hit the store shelves?

Illustrated, perhaps, by Oleg Volk?

Somebody around here must know a publisher. Heck, somebody around here probably works for one.

Come on, Pax. You know you want to.

Besides, it's for the children. Really.
 
My four year old does pretty well with his airsoft pistol. I made a bullet trap with a cardboard box with paper taped over the front. Safety glasses required.

He shoots better than his mother, mainly because he will listen to me. Guess I need to follow pax's advise and get her some perfessional instruction.
 
Don't have kids, but my Dad wouldn't let my brother and I aim toy guns at each other. He always said we shouldn't aim or shoot guns at people, even toy guns. One time he got on us when we were using sticks. Our imaginary slaughter of Germans or Japanese was just as fun most of the time so it didn't matter much. I just remember that. I think it carried over to BB guns later. We never did get into shooting each other at all. Getting hit in the forehead with a BB deflection is no fun and opens your eyes a little. :)
 
Good posts! Thanks for the link, pax.

I have yet to allow toy guns in the house, I don't have much of a problem with squirt guns outside on a hot summer day, but have maintained a "no toy guns" policy. I'm, frankly, often considering the pluses and minuses of this policy.

The link by pax, suggests introducing real guns in a safe and highly supervised manner very often to reduce any intrigue a child may develop with real guns. I like that idea. I want my young boys to think real guns are "boring", effectively eliminating any mystery they may have.

I like the fact that, too, when they are mature enough and strong enough to hold and actually fire a firearm, the "boring" element will immediately dissapate. The "high" won't come until they're ready to actually shoot them.

I'm thinking the first shots should be at a well shaken 2 liter coke bottle or possibly even a black bird at the feeder to illustrate the devastating effect guns can have. Watch the birdy fly and then watch the birdy die, should have a lasting impression on the damage potential they are holding in their hands.

Thoughts on this?
 
No on the blackbird. Never could see shooting something just to watch it die and I wouldn't want to make a little kid think that it was okay to do so.

Biker
 
bear71 ~

I agree with you about reactive targets, but disagree rather strongly that it's a good idea to kill something in front of them just to drive home the lesson.

(If you're a hunter, taking your kids along hunting & letting them see the outcome -- that's one thing, which carries a different set of lessons. It can be done with respect for the life taken and the kids will most likely get that lesson if you hammer it home a little. But to kill something just to show the kids the dead body is, I think, something else entirely, and the lesson the kids learn might not be "respect firearms" but instead, "don't respect life." Not saying they will learn the wrong lesson if you do things that way, mind; I'm just saying it's a serious risk that is probably better not to take.)

When we did that lesson with our kids, it was in the fall and we used a lot of old vegetables. Hate to post a link to my site twice in a thread (once is bad enough. I'm really not that much of an ego; I just hate typing). But what the heck. I wrote up our experience here: http://www.corneredcat.com/KidsAndGuns/MomKids.htm

Once you get past the first couple paragraphs, the article there is pretty well step-by-step what I said to them, what they said to me, and how the day turned out. We had a lot of fun, and I think the kids got the lessons out of it that they were supposed to -- in any case, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that the important impression had been made, based upon their silence & awe when we discussed the pumpkin at the end of the day, and also based on the kinds of things they were saying (and not saying) by the time we were through.

We knew it was time to take the kids out for that particular lesson when one kid swung around with a BB gun and bumped into the other one. That wasn't the biggest issue; biggest issue was that when called on it, the kid then proceeded to say, "It's okay, it isn't loaded anymore."

I took that as a symptom that even though the kids knew the rules, it was time to hammer home WHY the rules mattered.

pax
 
Well.. I can't say I never shot a blackbird in the backyard. It did leave a lasting impression though, as I take killing stuff very seriously.

The main reason I even go hunting anymore is just to hang around friends I've known since I was born, although deer meat does save me quite a bit of $$ on grocery bills for several months and probably 10x healthier for me as well, so if an absolutely irresistable shot comes along I usually take it.
 
I have a child on the way, and have been wondering what I will do on this issue when the child gets to be 4 or 5.

When I was a kid, we had toy guns and such. But, U also wouldn't get suspended or expelled from school back then for simply pointing your finger in the shape of a gun at someone. Now, if you do that, or even draw a gun on paper, ya get in trouble.

Heck, when I was in 8th grade, I had a friend who read soldier of fortune in the classroom, and would draw guns on all his notebook pages. Can't do that now.

So, I think its tough to teach them about guns and let them shoot at the range under your supervision, but yet not let them own a toy gun or play cops and robbers at school...
 
Before I ever took my son to the range, I had him memorize the safety rules, by the numbers.
My first time out with him live fire I stopped and got a six pack of carbonated water in aluminum cans. While I unloaded the car, I sent him over with to a concrete pad with a can, and told him to throw the can down on the pad over and over, and do as much damage to it as possible.
When I finished unloading the car, I had him bring the can over. It was dented, and even was losing pressure through a pin hole, but it was otherwise intact.
I then showed him the ammo I'd brought, 22 LR, 380 ACP, 9x19, and 45 ACP, stressing that each was more powerful than the previous.
I then asked him how did he think he'd be doing if he had hit the concrete as many times and as hard as the can had.
Finally, I took a 22LR (OK, I cheated a bit, it was a CCI Stinger), stressing that it was the least powerful caliber I had that day, and shot a fresh, well shaken can. The resulting explosion was very dramatic.
 
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