What is Your Policy on Guns in the Household?
For us dads there is always that time to answer the ultimate question about guns and what your policy will be regarding guns in the household. What about toy guns? It is a good question for all dads to think about and it is never too early to make up your mind, even if you have a toddler still in diapers.
The idea of this blog came from a discussion on a dad forum and I thought it was perfect for here. My current policy is that educating children about weapons and teaching respect for them is important. I feel keeping them out of sight and away from your kids can cause adverse effects in the future. Ignorance on a certain subject is never better than educating about the realities.
There are toy guns in my house and you never…. ever… point a toy gun at another person. I know it isn’t real but you treat any real or toy gun as if it were loaded, end of story. I have real guns in my attic locked up. I have ammo in my room locked up. I am a hunter and will teach my kids to hunt, so guns education and safety will be a big part of teaching my kids to hunt.
What is your policy on guns in your house? I would really like to hear from anybody out there… dads… moms… kids…
Tags: 2nd-amendment, ammo, gun-education, gun-rights, guns, hunting, kids, Parenting, teaching-kidsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Parenting
6 opinions for What is Your Policy on Guns in the Household?
Matt Casto
Oct 11, 2006 at 11:20 am
I don’t have any guns in my house, and I don’t think I’ll ever have them. I don’t have a problem with my son (17 months) eventually getting a toy gun, but I don’t think it would be me that would buy it for him.
I’ve hunted in the past, but never actually shot any of the animals I’ve observed. If my son wants to hunt when he’s older, then I plan on supporting that and teaching gun safety, etc.
It’s an interesting idea that you never point a toy gun at another person. I like the idea, but I have some questions:
1. How do your kids play with the toy guns if they don’t point them at each other?
2. What do you think about toys like Laser Tag (does that still exist?) or rubber band guns?
3. Should the rule that you never point a gun at another person extend to household pets?
4. What about the gun being pointed at someone on TV?
steve
Oct 11, 2006 at 11:30 am
Great questions and never thought about it that far and I probably should. In general I don’t have a problem with the kids playing with guns if they aren’t pointing them at other people. Kids can re-enact and hold the toy guns and shoot at pretend objects. They do it all the time.
Personally, where I am home with the kids all day and not ignoring them I can spend time talking with them about the realities of weapons. If I clean my real rifle I usually do it after they are asleep but they have seen it before and they know it is real and act differently.
You can tell by how they react when a real gun is around and things change. I try to never bring the gun out when the kids are around and the wife would repremand me for it. But sometimes they have to see it and that is the realities of it. Like if I am going hunting. I need to take it from the attic to the car.
They know and are knowledgable about guns.
We don’t have laser tag…
Yea, shouldn’t point guns at pets either but they do sometimes. lol
Don’t get me wrong, my kids aren’t playing with toy guns all the time. I think they prefer to play dolls especially with 3 daughters in the house. But we go over to our inlaws and there are 3 or 4 younger boys over there who make guns out of wooden blocks etc and they play around with them. All of them hunt and are very knowledgable about them and respect them.
Guns being pointed on tv - dunno haven’t thought about it. Probably shouldn’t I guess…
Jared
Oct 11, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Never. All the training in the world won’t stop the persistence of a child’s curiosity or the anquish of a teenager. You don’t need to own a gun to know that they’re dangerous and should be given wide berth.
It only takes one mistake.
This week, a middle school student in Joplin, MO brought a rifle to school. From home.
Last month, a student in St. Louis, MO brought a rifle onto a high school campus. From home; it was his rifle. He tried to commit suicide.
The only realistic way the majority of students in the US can get a gun is from the homes of friends or family.
Bill
Oct 11, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Your just plain wrong Jared. Possession of arms is the only deterrent to tyranny we have, read the constitution and the founding fathers thoughts on the second ammendment and arms in general.
That aside, while I have no issue with firearms in the house and am an avid hunter. However, I think you should be careful in what you post about firearms beign present in your house, it could bite you in the arse. Different states have different rules about storage of firearms, violation of which could result in a visit by Child Services. They love to take kids away, so you may want to think twice about what information you post on here. Because all it takes is an anonymous tip for them to come to your door and demand to see your house and kids. If they don’t like you, they can take your kids right there on the spot. You should exercise caution when putting personal information on the internet. That said, I like the blog, looks nice.
steve
Oct 11, 2006 at 12:56 pm
I agree Bill, but I don’t think what I have posted is illegal or close to being illegal. Maine is a state where hunting is promoted and storing a gun in the attic is good gun safety tactics promoted here on local television and local news stations.
But thank you and I will remain cautious about what I choose to post here. Oh and welcome to Inside Fatherhood. :D
Bill
Oct 11, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Thanks. I wasn’t trying to suggest that you had posted anything illegal. That was my whole point, it doesn’t have to be illegal for Child services to take children away. They have done it for crumbs on a table in the past. And the kicker is that you have an alomst 0% chance of winning a legal battle over their decision. I just wanted to warn you.
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