I kept loaded firearms in every room of the home and every vehicle from before my kids were conceived until now.
The youngest turns 30 the end of next month. Secure the kids, not the firearms.
P.S. - the guns were lost in an unfortunate kayaking incident last year.
Correct. A time-tested (as in for centuries, folks) approach that works. Even very young children can understand the difference between "toy" and "real" IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO BOTH. And the earlier the better (age four is NOT "too young"). But either letting them ONLY handle toys (or worse, neither) is just sowing the ground for catastrophe, as they WILL think "toy" when they are first confronted with a real weapon, unless they are TRAINED otherwise.