Will you let your kids use toy guns

[meeg124]

Will it be okay with you if your kids play with toy guns or other military type toys?

[Lynette]

My first impulse was an emphatic NO but then I realized that Brian has already warped Alaina's young brain by letting her play with a replica light saber :bag But at least that's fake????

[daisydoc]

NO NO and NO!!! Toys guns do nothing but teach kids that guns are toys and "fun" to play with. That's a dangerous thing to learn. UI know I won't be able to keep them from EVER being around them BUT they won't be in my house.

[My3sonsplus1]

What do you define as a toy gun? Is this a "gun"? http://www.orientaltrading.com/application?namespace=browse&origin=searchMain.jsp&event=link.itemDetails&demandPrefix=12&sku=16/79&mode=Searching&erec=1&D=shooter&Ntt=shooter&Ntk=all&Dx=mode%252bmatchallpartial&Ntx=mode%252bmatchallpartial&y=0&N=0&x=0&sd=DISC+SHOOTER

We don't have any "realistic" guns but I allow trigger toys like disk shooters.

[KaisaG]

Dh has a gun fascination and I grew up with guns in Alaska - and used to go to the outdoor shooting range occassionally when I was in HS... so it's hard for me to say "no I won't let him play with them ever or at all..." but he'd have to be old enough to understand certain things. After all, I played with toy guns as a kid and I knew the difference between those and my dad's real guns and I never had any desire to play with the real ones as a kid. They scared me.

[LMS]

What do you define as a toy gun? Is this a "gun"? http://www.orientaltrading.com/application?namespace=browse&origin=searchMain.jsp&event=link.itemDetails&demandPrefix=12&sku=16/79&mode=Searching&erec=1&D=shooter&Ntt=shooter&Ntk=all&Dx=mode%252bmatchallpartial&Ntx=mode%252bmatchallpartial&y=0&N=0&x=0&sd=DISC+SHOOTER

We don't have any "realistic" guns but I allow trigger toys like disk shooters.

same here.
If it's purposely meant to look like a realistic gun, they won't be allowed to have it (except for those water oozies. Those are fun, LOL)

[Kellie_MO5]

:yeah ... i love water guns! LOL

[Mom of 2]

we don't have toy guns here. I did use the water ones as a kid.

Kate
Mom to Patty and Tyler

[Sara]

I said yes mostly because I assumed it meant all toy weapons. We have a buzz lightyear ray-gun and Jacob plays with little army men. I have made a point from the beginning to offer all toys including dolls, cooking toys, etc. and he gravitates towards swords and karate. I have no problem with water guns, etc, but would never give him a plastic realistic hand gun. When he gets older (much older) he will be able to shoot a bb gun if he wants, with adult supervision of course. I grew up with guns, shoot skeet, and even have my hunting license (tho I have never actually shot anything live ;) ) We don't own guns and don't have any in the house and will teach him about gun safety, never to touch one if he finds it at a friends house, and to leave the room if a friend comes up with one. I would rather have him educated about guns, rather than just blankly tell him to stay away because that way they might become more enticing. If it is no big deal and he has the knowledge to stay away I think he will be better protected.

OK, done rambling now :o)

[LMS]

we had toy guns as a kid (i think all water, though... I had a huge black machine gun one that was a water gun... my brother and i got it when rambo was popular, LOL) but my mom has a HUGE fear of guns b/c her dad was a cop and always had them in the house. I think her fear was mildly irrational which really taught my brother and I (as kids) to *fear* them.
Now that we are older it's just very matter of fact "guns aren't toys"

[Kellie_MO5]

yeah... i really think it depends on whaqt kind of gun toys you're talking about (I don't see guns in the same catagory as military, more gang, but that's just me).. my kids play with water guns, those plastic orange guns that have the suction cup thingies it shoots, and nerf ball guns... I tell them never to point it at or near someones face, and they don't... they don't play with realistic guns.... but military toys? like G.I. Joe? yeah. they play with him, soldiers, tanks... we don't have a problem with it.. they're just playing ;)

[StacyK]

Ashur is one of those kids that will chew his peanut butter and jelly sandwhich into the shape of a gun and pretend to shoot it - Now let me say a few things - Nate and I do not owns guns, nor do we condone violence in ANY way. We are what you would consider semi-crunchy, passifists and for a long time it would bother me to no end that Ashur was always pretending to shoot guns and play with swords. We don't have cable tv and I'm very careful about the movies I let him watch, but somehow it was just inheirent in him to "get the bad guy."
I would tell him over and over that we don't hurt people and guns aren't nice, they can kill people, and I would try time and time again to get him to stop playing like that. But he would continue to hunt the bad guys w/ his pretend guns - sticks, bowling ball pens, pillows, whatever he could get his hands on would be a gun or a sword.
Finally, I read this article in Mothering Magazine that totally opened my eyes and helped me. (The article is "Kids and Toys Guns, What's a Parent to Do?" - Nov-Dec issue. I highly suggest reading the article yourself, but I'll try to summarize.)

"There is a gap between how adults see weapons and how children experience it... While adults disapprove, children are often doing the child's work of play: experimenting with power and excitement, action and reaction, in a safe, make-believe world....a healthy response to weapons play has little to do with restricting or forbidding and everything to do with engaging my children's imaginations and connecting to their innner worlds...

"Children are naturally fasinated with 'good guys' and 'bad guys,' and they reenact dramas on moral themes. Such imaginative play is soothing and highly educational. It helps children order their world, feel safe, and construct meanings that they carry into their adult lives. As children tell their stories and enact their battles, watch how often the good guys win....For young children who feel small and powerless, playing with prentend weapons can make them feel strong and in control... Allowing play with toy weapons keeps you in the loop of your childs relationship to violenceCompletely banning it can lead to resentment and powerstruggles...The best response is a gentle one: engage your children in their play and work with, not against their interests...."

There is much much more to this article that I wouls like to share, but cranky kids call...

The point for us was to observe the way our son is playing, make sure all parties involved are okay with the type of play, redirect if needed - and for us it was important to Make sure no pretend guns are being pointed at people. Since we've taken this new stance, it's given us many opprotunities to talk with Ashur about weapons and what they can do (in the real world, not the pretend one,) to people. He's been much happier since we've let him play wrestle, and swords, and...yes, even guns....
And less negative confrontation means...well, less negative confrontation.

[My3sonsplus1]

:yeah. I was trying to remember where I'd read something similar. I think it is imperative that kids be able to play games in which they "get to be in charge" and "be powerful". It is quite the journey to get there from being the pacifist :) and I still have my days of cringing at the "violent" play but if both parties are okay with it, then I am okay with them playing that way. I still won't provide actual weapon replicas but popper guns and such are okay and just a "active" outlet for my "ALL BOY"s

[meeg124]

So, the reason why I posted this was Scott bought Caden a laser gun last night. Not only is it a toy gun but it is loud and obnoxious. I would never allow Caden to have a realistic looking "toy" gun, not even the water pistol type. It will always have to bright orange or whatever. However, because of Scott's hobbies and interestes, guns will be inevitable in Caden's life. Scott shoots competitively and dresses up in armor and bashes people with sticks for fun, so some of that is bound to rub off on Caden. Already one of his favorite things to do is "fight with sticks". Scott is already preparing Caden for gun safety and all of the guns in our house are locked up in a safe that has a combination lock and a key lock. When we think Caden is ready, Scott will start him off with a bb gun and really looks forward to sharing that with him.

We have discussed though, how will other parents feel knowing that we have guns in our house? Is that something we have to disclose every time a child is invited to our house? Would we want to know if other parents had guns in the their homes? Although we need to revisit the discussion as Caden gets older (because at this point, he never goes to anyone else's home without one of us and is never left alone in someone else's home), we have agreed to let parents know that there are guns in the gun safe at our house. It is also something we will want to know about any family that Caden goes to visit. Although, being a such an overprotective, keep my kid in a bubble kind of mom, he will probably never be allowed to go to anyone else's house :lol

This got kind of long but it's just something that I've been thinking about.

[alowe]

Alot to think about Megan, but I see where you are coming from. It can be really scary when you hear all these stories now days about kids being accidentally shot. Very little kids at that. My dad always had a gun in his night stand, just in case, you know, cause we lived on a tiny little island in Alaska with no crime at all LOL. I knew it was there, but I also knew if I touched it or played with it I would be in deep ****. Growing up we always were around guns, we would drive out the road and go shooting and that was in high school, but everyone knew safety rules and there were never any accidental shootings. I definitely think you and your husband have a good plan. Make sure the guns are locked up and make sure Caden knows how to use a gun safely. One of the posts said something about kids being even more attracted to guns because they know nothing about them and I think that could possibly be true.

[LMS]

I would think that if your guns are locked away with the ammo locked away separatly, you wouldn't need to tell everyone who comes in the house. I *would* however make the room with the gun cabinate offlimits to the kids, and be sure that that is EXPRESSLY understood

[JeriAnne]

DH is a big hunter and has a ton of guns.

We will be investing in a gun cabinet that has voice activation, retnal scan, finger print scan and a blood test because I do not want my kids getting into them.

I'd prefer they NOT know they were in the house at all. My kids may know the rules that the guns aren't touched but that doesn't mean any of their friends (hopefully my kids will have A+ friends, but ya never know...) are going to obey the rules. There is no accounting for someone elses stupidity, ya know?

As far as toys guns are concerned, I will try to keep them out of the house as much as possible. I know that I can't restrict them from every playing with one (as their friends parents might have a different stance on the situation). I will revisit my feelings when the kids are a bit older, but at this age (3 and 1 1/2) I really don't think there is a need for them in the house.

[My3sonsplus1]

We will be investing in a gun cabinet that has voince activation, retnal scan, finger print scan and a blood test because I do not want my kids getting into them.

something like that seriously exists? Holy macaroni! Cool though!

[LMS]

I don't know if they do, but they sure should!
If my brother can shell out $2500 on a laptop that scans his fingerprints to let him in, then there is NO REASON for there to not be that kind of security on a gun cabinet!

[JeriAnne]

LOL - I don't know if they make one of those, but if they do...I don't care how much it will cost, I'd buy one. If it keeps my kids safe then I can jusify the cost

[Kellie_MO5]

oooh, that would be cool! as it stands our shotgun is on the top shelf of a locked closet... and I think the air rifle is just in the garage somewhere... both places the kids aren't allowed w/o supervision

[justamom]

I do not buy toy guns for my kids, and if they build one from legos they are not allowed to point them at real people for any reason. I have realized lately that my son had purchased a set of toy soldiers much like the ones in Toy Story. I did not pay attention when he bought them, but each of them is equipped with a weapon. I feel somewhat OK about them as they are in miniature, and I feel comfortable with the way my son plays with them.

We don't own any real guns as we do not hunt. We also do not want our kids accidentally hurting themselves. I just wonder how much a gun could protect me if it is locked away, and seperate from the ammo. So I see no point for our family to have one.

[Lynette]

I just wonder how much a gun could protect me if it is locked away, and seperate from the ammo. So I see no point for our family to have one.

:yeah We actually have one that is locked up with seperate ammo and I am not even sure where it is or how to load it, etc and have said the same thing to Brian. But then we have the three Danes who would be very protective if someone broke into our house or at the very least, very scary and noisy so the person would have to be on crack to try...

[barb]

I can't vote.

I won't buy them. Dh won't buy them. But even without having toy guns in the house the boys have *ALWAYS* used their fingers, other toys, etc. as guns. I used to freak out about them shooting things, but after talking with some friends I have started teaching them that we don't shoot people, we shoot for food and target shooting is ok as long as you're taught by a professional and you follow all the safety rules. One misstep and you're outta there.