Of Kids and Guns
Since the invention of the firearm it has been enshrouded with allure. Guns have an attractive quality to them that no other object can come close to. Adults as well as kids are attracted to guns from the first moment we discover them; they have a mystique about them, and they stir up curiosity in all of us.
And why not? Guns have all the qualities that logically draw us to them: they are shiny, sleek, mysterious at times, and powerful. Those qualities alone would make most humans weak in the knees, and leave them begging for more. Kids especially fall to the draw of the gun, and yet, in many houses, guns are treated as taboo – they are not to be touched or messed with – and that just makes the draw to them even stronger.
Not in my house.
With all these alluring qualities that guns possess why do so many parents go out of their way to keep kids away from firearms? What is their fear? And doesn’t that fear, and the strong stance being taken to shield their kids from firearms only make the guns that much more alluring?
Guns are not toys, and should be treated as such. But to try and keep kids away from them is moot. Surely, if you are one of the parents trying to keep your child away from guns – at some point in their life – whether at a friends or who knows where, your child is going to come in contact with a firearm; it is going to happen. So why then wouldn’t you want your kids prepared for that inevitable moment?
Since I have a young daughter in the house, this topic has crossed my mind many times. And after careful consideration and thought I’ve decided that firearms will not be taboo in my home. Guns will be an open book, and because of that, my daughter will learn proper gun safety at an early age; she will understand the power of guns; that they are dangerous and can cause harm and even death, but that ultimately they are like any other tool: if used properly, they can be very beneficial and even fun. Yep, I said it, fun!!!
I realize that there are going to be naysayers that read is, and to them I present some simple facts. According to data(2002 & 2003), from the National Center for Health Statistics (the CDC) that examined unintentional injuries resulting in a child’s death, age 0-19, the least likely item to cause death was, you guessed it, a firearm. Kids were more likely to be injured from poisoning, suffocation, fires, drowning (any of you have any 5 gallon mop buckets sitting around), and motor vehicles. Yet, even with this information in hand many parents would still steer clear of showing and teaching their children how to properly use a gun, but wouldn’t give a second thought to loading their child in the family car.
Can guns be dangerous? Sure they can! Do they require discipline and and command respect? Of course they do. Should children be kept away from them? Definitely not! Children shouldn’t be shielded from them anymore then they are shielded from riding in cars, campfires, or cleaning supplies under the sink. Truly, they should be taught all about guns – the same way we teach them that a hot fire can burn you, not wearing your seat belt can kill you, and the cleaning products under the sink are for cleaning and not drinking.
Guns in the home is the American way; it is what the Second Amendment is for. And trying to shield your child from them is the wrong way to go about it. Children should ultimately have proper adult-supervised training and time with firearms. Then they will know how to properly use them, just like they know how to put their seat belt on, not stick their hand in a fire, and not get in the pool until they’re trained to swim.
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Wow, great stuff – and great chart too. I like your approach because the rule in our house was that kids don’t mess with the guns. And we didn’t. But as a result, I grew up afraid of guns. And when there came a day I needed to handle one (to remove it from someone who was a danger to himself), I had no idea what to do with it – no idea whether it was loaded, whether the safety was on or off. It was terrifying.
So much fear of firearms stems from everyday violence we see on the evening news. The easiest way to keep your child from someday having an accident or committing a crime with a firearm is to remove firearms from their life. It is great you are removing fear of firearms in your household. You will soon have repsonsible and informed kids when it comes to firearm safety.
Great post! I have two little boys and I am teaching them about firearms at an early age.
I agree with you on this. It is important to teach kids to respect firearms in a responsible way. Sounds like you are doing just that!
Morning all. As a avid outdoorsmen and father of three, I totally agree with teaching kids to respect firearams. My approach has been to mix this topic in with all other outdoor topics as not over preach it. Both of my girls and my son has earned their Hunter Safety Certificates. Guns in our home are an everyday item. We all ask if the gun is unloaded before handling in the house and “safeties on” are always brought up when shooting or hunting …..
I really believe that teaching the safety and resposibility aspects of firearms takes away the mystery of firemans. Great job on the site!
Good post. I too am teaching my kids about gun safety and even encouraging them to learn to shoot. But keep in mind, just because your kids have experience with guns doesn’t mean they won’t be tempted to handle them unsupervised at too early an age. A locked gun cabinet is still a good idea.
I do agree with making children aware of the benefits and power of guns, to instill respect by our own actions.
It does happen that there will be a child more curious and believe they can handle a gun without an adult present. They may pretend to hunt or do what they see on TV in the police shows.
What I am saying,watch your children to see if they might fall into the category of strong independent character. Those young ones might need to hear over and over the mantra – It is a Tool not a Toy.
I pretty much agree with you.
However. I have put a cabinet lock on my cabinet that has the cleaning supplies – because an instant of disobedience there that I am unaware of could cause my children to become violently ill or even die. Similarly – our guns are stored unloaded and the ammunition is kept in a separate place. However we do have a loaded pistol in the bedroom. So – the kids are locked out of our bedroom unless we are in their with them because one moment of disobedience with a loaded gun could cause instant death or severe injury.
Mind you, Sugar isn’t even 2 yet and she already knows what guns are, already knows that they make a loud noise and already knows that she can only touch them if Mommy or Daddy help her. She is being raised exposed to guns, around guns, and is being taught about gun safety – but until she is old enough to truly understand how dangerous a gun can be and how to be safe with a gun she’ll be locked out of the room where the guns are. Just like she’s locked out of the cleaning supply cabinet.
After she gets older we’ll do like my brother and sister-in-law do. Their youngest is six and now they only lock the guns up when the kids have friends over – that way someone who isn’t as familiar with the power of a gun and how to be safe with a gun can’t get to any of the guns at their house.
OK – hope that makes sense… I’m a bit sleepy!
Ok, I never grew up with guns, and I did not ever feel drawn to them at any point in my life, whether as a child or adult. If you are inclined to treat guns as a hobby, sport, or necessity in your life … so be it. And certainly, be sure if you have children, expose them to the ins and outs of guns since you plan on owning one. But do you mean an adult, a parent, should go and invest in a gun just in case a day comes when their child is exposed to one at a friend’s house or somewhere else? I do believe gun awareness and safety are important; but I don’t believe kids must learn these facts by handling a gun themselves. Everyone is different in how they feel about guns; and people should not be put down if they don’t want their children, or themselves, to be exposed to guns on a regular basis. My stepdad insists on exposing my children to guns, even though my husband and I don’t favor that. It’s all seen as innocent … looking online for hours at guns, talking about guns, handling a loaded gun with a safety on, and loading a magazine. But the next step that I can forsee is allowing them to shoot the gun. Why must I say this is ok? Not everyone desires to own a gun!
Michelle,
My intent was not to say that a person who has no intentions of owning a gun should go a buy one just to teach their children about guns. The intent of the post was for all children to be taught what guns are, and what the realities of them are – that’s it. I think that your plan to teach gun awareness and safety is an excellent thing to do, and I don’t think that you need to own a gun to succeed at that task. Nor would I ever insist that anyone needs to own a gun if they don’t choose to do so.
My main point, and I think I might be repeating myself, was that all kids should be taught about guns and about gun safety, whether a gun is in their home or not. I would never expect a parent who chooses not to own a gun to purchase one just to teach their child gun safety. I am going to teach my child about gun safety with a hands-on approach, but I would never force that particular way on everyone else. And I would certainly never put anyone down who chooses not to own a gun, I just think it is a foolish practice to not teach your children about them.
Thanks for visiting the blog.