Kids and toy guns

[onthefly]

You know where my son learned about guns? Beatrix bloody Potter.
He doesn't actually have any toy guns, doesn't need them. He doesn't often play guns - he's more into constructive tools - but he does like to hunt and kill things somethings. no idea where it comes from.
Oh, and sometimes he steals my dad's invisible weapon from him to turn other things invisible...

[peanutter]

we are a no guns household, deciding whether to become a no weapons household ...

kind of does and kind of doesn't answer your question!

[*EJ*]

I have never encouraged guns but even so my boys know what they are. They don't participate in imaginitive play with them between theirseleves but i have a nephew that comes over and he will find anything possible amongst our toy collection that he can use as a gun. I suspect playing with him is where my boys learnt a lot of what they know. Somehow i think a lot of it is just a boy thing

If they are playing in anyway that i find inapropriate i tell them and discourage the play. I would imagine you have tried this, i hope it's just stage

[Miss E]

Another 'no gun' household here too. I make a point of veto'ing any tv shows, movies or books that have them in it and our friends and families know that any toy guns that are given as gifts won't be accepted. I tend to think childhood is so precious that the longer they can go without being exposed to the notion of killing/harming people the better.

If it was up to me I think I would also try for 'no weapons', but that is much harder to avoid. DH recently bought DS a Captain Feathersword hat and feathersword which I wasn't sure about (but hasn't been an issue - it's for tickling not hurting people). And we have some fireman duplo that came with little axes.

But that doesn't help you does it. I think the suggestion of buying a water pistol and teaching him to aim/knockover objects is a great idea. If it was me in your shoes I would be trying to change the association of guns being for killing/harming people, to them being for aiming at objects.

[AndiE]

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.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

My girls have water pistols, they have also seen DP with a gun, we had 1 at DP's uncles when there was a bit of an issue with snakes & we were camping.
It is not something we drew attention to and I would much rather explain they are dangerous and not to be touched than them eventually seeing 1 and having no idea of its dangers.

That said I don't go out and buy them guns, we don't 'shoot' people with the pistols we 'squirt' etc etc!


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[lilima]

DS doesn't own any, but he knows about them. DH often works on a farm, so he knows what they are all about. guns do have their place.

My DS will use a banana as a gun!

I suppose if you are worried, try and have a chat about how guns should not be used to hurt people, but like an earlier poster said, they can be used to give animals medicines etc... Dunno. Tough one.

[Ginger]

My boys have toy guns and they do exactly the same as what it sounds like your ds does with it. I don't have a problem with it at all.

[Ginger]

I should also add here that ds1 has made guns out of duplo, sticks and even cruskits before.

[Traveller]

I should also add here that ds1 has made guns out of duplo, sticks and even cruskits before.

mine too, and in the absence of those they use their fingers. My rules are no toy guns outside the house, and no pointing them at people. They generally shoot imaginary baddies. I can't complain, I had real guns as a kid for target practice. I used to shoot tin cans of cat food at the bottom of our garden. Yet I can assure you I am not a psychopath or maladjusted in any way.

[Ginger]

He bites his cruskits into gun shapes and then gives one to his brother so they can shoot each other. They also shoot imaginary animals and transformers up in trees.

[Early Kids]

Thanks for the replies.

Feeling better knowing that other children similar in age are doing the same thing




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[Ginger]

cool. i personally have no problem with it whatsoever. but then, I'm one of those parents that lets their kids watch tv and i take them to mcdonalds.
last week, on the way home from swimming, i even introduced them to the wonderful world of 7/11 slurpees.

[Rouge]

We have the same rules about toy guns, you don't shoot people. They shoot imaginary things but not people. We also have nerf guns but that's more target practice. Like others, boys will make guns out of whatever they can so it doesn't bother me. We talk about guns in "real life" as oppose to laser guns in starwars etc. I educate rather than censor and it works for us. He doesn't obsess over it, and now like traveller prefers his FX Lightsaber to any gun.

[Early Kids]

Thanks ginger we are the same we are very open to everything and teach the kids according to life experiences.

Appreciate everyone's replies thanks


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[misty]

Thanks.

DS2 aims, lines up and takes the time to shoot people, things... Like he's actually hunting them. It's quite concerning! I just wanted to know if this is a normal behaviour for an almost 3yo??? Or should I look in to it more???


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Completely normal. My DS1 (4yr old)even tells me how he is going to 'kill' people, or 'kill' areoplanes or cars. He gets in trouble for it, but has no real concept of what killing and death are, they are just words. IYKWIM?

I completely understand why some parents wouldn't want to intriduce guns into their childrens lives, but that wasn't an option here; my DH is an army reservist, and military history is a big part of both of our families, plus all DH's siblings live on farms, where riffles are a way of life. Instead, we try to teach responsible gun ownership (even in regards to toy guns and water pistols). Most of the time our kids are really good, but even so, we still occaisionally get them aimed at people (big 'no' in this house) or the talk about 'killing'.