Should we allow our children to play with toy guns?

[grislyatoms]

Same story, different person.
I grew up on the edge of Seashore State Park. Nowadays it's First Landing State Park.

I would leave in the morning and come home by dark. Our section of the park had about 10 residential streets feeding in, so there was never any worry about finding friends to play with. And friends were made easily, and not soon forgotten.
"Hey, want to help me dig a fort? Wanna build a treehouse? Wanna play Army?" And after dinner it was "Flashlight tag" (no rules have ever been codified, to my knowledge, in any neighborhood, anywhere ) and catching lightning bugs.

Later, it was " Which Mom (in my case Grandma/Great Aunt) is going to take us to the beach surfing/bodyboarding?" When there was no Mom, sometimes we would go anyway.   And then the teen years...first kiss, first beer, first... well.

Can't do that anymore, unless you live in a rural area. My daughter will never know a life like that. And it's a shame. Trips to the pool, sleepovers, water and Nerf gun fights are about all I can offer, so I offer that tiny bit of my childhood prodiguously (sp) a lot. Lol.

And we're fine.

(And not that I would have done otherwise but Scout26's post got me waxing nostalgic. Sorry.)

[Balog]

I've read of this having happened a few times, but seen it happen or discussed many more times in some show or movie.  I'm not concerned about that in the least, as my kids aren't running around playing guns at midnight, and no one would mistake their Nerf guns or SuperSoakers for a real firearm.

The concerns mtnbkr/Chris seemed to express are that, on one hand, we teach gun safety with real firearms to the extreme (and rightfully so).  But, if we allow unfettered play with toy guns (allow them to violate the Four Rules, "shoot" at each other, etc.) are we creating a problem?  I fully understand his concerns, and his logic.  I've even read that some members here and over at THR allow their children to play with toy guns but only if they follow the Four Rules of gun safety, to reinforce safe gun handling.

I just don't think that is necessary.  i think you can allow free play with toys, yet still teach responsible gun handling with the real thing.  Though I do chuckle when I see my older son take his finger off the trigger of his SuperSoaker while moving during a squit gun battle.

I kind of think of it the same way as edged weapons. My brothers and I beat the crap out of each other with wooden, styrofoam and cardboard "swords" but would never have thought to so the same with the real edged tools we had.

[209]

My grandson was visiting one day I was coming home from training.  We were outside unloading my stuff and he looked over the gear.  Pointing to a "blue gun" Ar-15, he asked what it was.  I explained as best I could to a 5yo about fake guns.  He said, "It's a toy?"  I said, "Yes- more or less it is."  So he asked if he could play with it.

So I hauled the rifle case holding my AR out of the trunk and put it on the ground and opened it.  I asked him what the difference was.  He said, "That's a real gun and I can't play with it."  Smart kid at 5.  So I gave him the blue gun.  Then he asked if I had a "toy" handgun so I grabbed a "blue gun" Glock 23 out of my bag and went through the same thing.  Pointing to it and the one on my hip, I asked what the difference was.  Again the same answer- this is a toy and that one is real- I can't touch that one.  So I gave him the blue gun.

Of course then he wanted a belt and holster.    He ran around for hours playing whatever game he was playing.  Not sure if he was shooting aliens, bad guys or what but he enjoyed himself.  He got tired of lugging the blue rifle around and it ended up on the back porch, but he wore the belt and holster with handgun all afternoon.  Even wore it to bed for his nap.

My DIL showed up to pick him up and went upstairs to get him.  She though it was pretty funny he wore the rig to bed (but she's a gun girl herself  )

[BlueStarLizzard]

EI think that teaching the diffrence between make beleive/fiction and reality is more imeportent then anything else.

Plus, it covers more issues then just guns.

[Scout26]

^^^^^ This

Thanks BSL, for summing up the problem and the solution in one nice, neat, tidy, package.

You win the Interwebz today !!

 

[BlueStarLizzard]

^^^^^ This

Thanks BSL, for summing up the problem and the solution in one nice, neat, tidy, package.

You win the Interwebz today !!

 

*curtsy* 

[280plus]

Ok, lets not let it go to our head. 

 

[BlueStarLizzard]

Ok, lets not let it go to our head. 

 

I could solve all the social issues in the US, if people would just listin to me.

Cause i'm smart. 

[Balog]

I could solve all the social issues in the US, if people would just listin to me.

Cause i'm smart. 

Barack?

[280plus]

Cause i'm smart. 

Thank God somebody is.

Wait, isn't that "smaht"? As in "I'm smaht, not like everybody says, I'm smaht and I want respect!"

"You're outta da family Fredo" 

[BlueStarLizzard]

Barack?

Don't mess with me, balog....

[Balog]

Don't mess with me, balog....

No reflection on you, just seems like a good encapsulation of his philosophy.

[BlueStarLizzard]

No reflection on you, just seems like a good encapsulation of his philosophy.

I would say his methods, rather, because i'm pretty sure his philosophy and mine about the way things should be are very diffrent.