“PUT GUNS OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN!”
They are long gone.
When they were around, I showed them my guns, let them handle them to remove the mystique, AND kept them out of reach. Later on, after telling them the rules of safe handling, I took them in the back yard and shot a can of tomatoes with a 22 hollow point - goo flew all over the place. Told them that’s what a bullet does to a human. BIG impression.
I told them to call the bullet back into the gun and was told that was stupid, it couldn’t be done. I said “Exactly, as the pleas/apologies in the would would not undo that shot and to keep that in mind.
Never had a problem.
Our “kid” is fifty-one years old. However, we are subject
to infrequent, unexpected visits from sister-in-law &
brother-in-law’s numerous grandkids.
Fang was forgetful about the loaded gun in his desk drawer.
After the last time they visited a few years ago, I asked
him about his guns. - Oops! It clean slipped his mind! I
scared him & I meant to scare him.
He keeps his shotgun beside the front door (loaded), but he
is insistent on having it there in order to murder the
numerous squirrels that steal his pears off the trees down
in front. - I just try to remember to remove the shotgun
when any of the distant kin bring their kids to visit.
(Very rarely.) Fang is hardheaded and it puzzles me. His
grandparents had a very tragic situation with a loaded gun
that his grandfather kept on a high closet shelf. Fang
comes by the obstinate stubborn attitude honest. :o(