Posted on 12/27/2015 7:34:16 AM PST by Altariel
I thought young Freeper parents could use a reference thread for "everything your child should know about toy gun safety/ gun safety.
For instance:
1) Don't point toy guns at children too young to play with them. 2) Play with toy guns with an adult present. 3 ) Toy guns are outside toys.
Your house rules may vary, but I think having a conservative resource for this information would be a welcome response to more statist notions.
What are your house rules? What do you teach (or have you taught) your children?
Don’t demonize guns. Show how they’re a useful tool and each gun has a specific purpose. Start training using toy guns.
1. No playing with full-size toy guns in the house. (Lego guns the size of a toothpick are okay, as are laser blasters built from 1,000 Lego bits, because those fall apart as soon as the boy picks them up.)
2. No shooting activity during Mass, even if the weapon is just your finger.
3. No shooting activity during meals, ditto.
4. If your brother or sister is screaming, stop pointing whatever-it-is at them and saying, “Pow.” I don’t care if it was just your finger. Stop it. I can’t stand the screaming another minute.
Never point your toy gun at an angry bear thinking it’s a real gun. Or a police officer thinking he knows it’s a toy.
“3 ) Toy guns are outside toys. “
Outside where someone can see you and call in an “active shooter” to the police. Only half joking.
How did we do it 100 years ago? Just do that. The way we’re raising kids these days isn’t working right.
My rules are simple - no toy guns that look anything like real guns. Water guns (super soakers) are okay, but my kids start with real guns at a young age.
They are allowed to shoot starting at about age 5, with very close supervision. They are allowed to ask about shooting and about touching guns at almost any time, but touching any gun without permission carries a one year ban on all shooting. Violating a gun safety rule, even a little, carries the same one year ban, None of my kids have ever received that ban, but they know they would if they crossed the line.
OMG...now we’re regulating TOY guns!? Is there going to be a “waiting period” to own one?
Rule No. 1: Never point it at a cop.
Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.
Merry Christmas. Enjoy your new toy. Go have fun.
(1) Any toy gun that shoots a projectile can be modified to shoot a larger projectile.
(2) Any toy gun that uses compressed air as a propelant can be modified to use explosives.
(3) Toy guns are best played with alongside leftover fireworks, and old Gilbert Chemistry sets.
We have other rules I’d type, but I have to go now, there’s a fire in the living room...
What? You’ve never seen a chemical fire before??
We had none of these rules when I was a kid and we turned out just fine - at least those of us who played cowboys and indians or cops and robbers.
We also weren't in the liberal mess of a society where guns are demonized and kids were taught to cringe in fear at even pictures of guns....my Dad and Shop teacher got together and held NRA-sponsored gun training and safety classes in our school - won't see that anymore....
Don’t demonize guns.
BTTT
Don’t treat a toy gun as a real gun. Don’t leave your children confused between the two by pretending a toy is real. It takes away respect for the real guns.
” I can’t stand the screaming another minute.”
Then don’t just stand there like another child in the room, punish the child doing it so they are incentivized to stop it. Dr. Spock was an idiot.
100 years ago the kids “toy gun” was a percussion revolver with just the caps...
Why not make a game of putting a gun lock on a toy. 1 kid can be the adult protecting other kids from killing themselves or each other. It’s like the principle of making broccoli as glamorous as cigarettes. Only real rebels eat broccoli.
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