I haven't bought toy guns for my sons (aged almost 4 and recently turned 2) and I don't have any intention of buying them guns. However, it doesn't seem to stop DS1 playing with "guns". Recently DS1 has been picking up his plastic cricket bat, turning it around so the handle faces outward and has started "shooting" us and his pets. Delightful (not).

We were bamboozled as to where he picked it up from, as daycare doesn't have toy guns for the kids to play with and he only ever watches ABC2. However, DH sheepishly told me a week or so ago that he let DS1 watch half an episode of The A-Team about 3 weeks ago (while mummy was out of the house!!) ... and we "think" that might be where he's picked it up from.

I must say though, my sister and I had guns (I think they were called pop guns) that made a loud crack/bang noise when fired and we used to chase each other round the house and garden shooting at each other probably when I was was aged 8 or 9 (she 5 or 6). Can't recall where we got them from, but my parents weren't exactly the toy gun-buying types. Anyhoo ... we didn't grow into adults with a bent toward violence so I'm not too worried about DS1's behaviour just yet But, I don't like guns, won't be buying toy guns and it's behaviour that I do want to keep in check.