"Yes, dear - your mother and I decided to give our entire estate to the National Rifle Association to promote gun safety"
Posted on 11/05/2020 7:17:48 PM PST by DoodleBob
Parents have a difficult enough job as it is, making the choices they feel are appropriate for their families and children. Health and safety are a huge consideration in that effort. Recently, one mom questioned whether her stance on gun safety, and potential access to a firearm via her parents-in-law, was needlessly harsh. The internet response was overwhelming: you do you, mama.
The mom shared her concerns on a Reddit platform, asking fellow internet patrons “Am I The A**hole?” She explained the specifics of the ban on her mother- and father-in-law babysitting. "My in-laws (80M and 70F) have a gun for protection," she explained in her message. "They do not keep it locked up in a safe. They will not tell us where it is except that it's in their bedroom, but my husband is fairly sure it's under their mattress.” She had been assured it was not stored loaded, but the couple would not show their adult children where the gun was for their peace of mind.
That’s when, the mom explained to Reddit, things got tricky. With her kids getting older and more inquisitive, she no longer felt comfortable with her in-laws babysitting at their home. "My FIL asked me why I don't let them watch the kids,” she said, and “I told them because of the gun that they refuse to keep locked up."
This caused a huge rift in the family. But mom was adamant the decision was out of concern for safety. "We taught my son what to do if he comes across a gun, but he's still a kid. And so, we only visit if either me or my husband can go too to make sure the bedroom door is locked," she said.
The conflict didn’t end on principle alone. The poster and her husband even bought the parents a safe for the gun, but they refused to use it. Her father-in-law explained, “there is no point in keeping it in a safe because it needs to be accessible for self-defense.” So, the rift deepened. The poster noted, “They will not be watching them until I see the gun in a safe, unloaded and completely out of my kids' reach."
And largely, the internet audience was on her side. The overwhelming sentiment was that her parents-in-law absolutely were within their rights to own a firearm, but not within their rights to leave it unlocked around her kids. Similarly, the parents-in-law had made the foolish choice, not mom: "It is a very simple choice you've asked them to make. And they have made it clear they'd rather have unfettered access to their guns at all times than unsupervised time with their grandchildren."
The viral nature of the disagreement suggests that the hot-button issue of gun control is yet another source of friction for family members who are not on the same page. While the mom went online to seek insight as to whether she was being unreasonable, she was met with confirmation that holding her ground was worth the effort, in this case.
When my parents watch my kids my dad has his carry gun on him holstered. This woman is a snowflake.
"Yes, dear - your mother and I decided to give our entire estate to the National Rifle Association to promote gun safety"
I would withhold judgment. Some children, even older children, are not mature. The parents are in the best position to decide on that.
Buy the GPs a couple of gun safes.
Grandparents should give the kid a Marlin model 60 for Christmas.
Pro Tip: Never get and take advice from an 'internet audience'.
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I like mrmayer’s solution of keeping the firearm holstered on Grandpa during the visit. Frankly, carrying in the home is a very smart approach to home safety.
Especially from Reddit.
Great FReeper comment, posting without reading that they already bought the GP a gun safe. 😁
With the possible exception of FR...
Yes, lady, you are an A**hole. A flaming red bloody A**hole.
Your children aren’t safe with you.
Plural; so it [gun] has a number of possible locations.
Well we here aren't your typical 'internet audience', we're experts at everything! 😎
Yes, you’re the ***hole.
L
Buy a couple of surplus cages from the INS/Border Patrol and keep the kids in them. Problem solved!
Its a tool
When you explain what its for, that it needs proper respect, and that like other tools adults own, they are not playthings for children to use, they are off limits normally like many other things in grandpa and grandma’s house,
Perhaps she should teach her kids about respecting other peoples house, and that they dont just go everywhere and get into peoples private stuff or there will be real punishments given out
You wouldnt want grandma and grandpa going i to your room and looking through all your private stuff
Geez parents are such flipping snowflake morons
No effective punishments for kids anymore
You do corporal punishments once or twice, and then just the threat of them afterwards curbs bad behavior
It works
Thats why libtards said no more of that
Look at the group of idiots raised without corporal punishment and tell me not having it works
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