Advice on introducing a firearm into the home (w/kids)?

[EliteCageFighting]

Any advice on introducing a firearm into a home (with children) that previously had none? My son, who is 4, is obsessed with ANY type of gun, so I am paranoid about him. Am I wrong in thinking education is the key, and that there is some truth to the saying "curiosity killed the cat"? My thinking is that if he is curious, he may be more likely to look for an opportunity (not that I will give him one, but the thought is there). Of course I know if it isn't on my side, to have it locked up, but I am looking more at other aspects of introducing it into the home. Thanks in advance.

 

[Vigilant]

No, education is THE KEY to children and firearms. I believe in sitting them down and telling/showing them how to, as well as allowing them to handle them so they are not such mysterious, and curious things. I was raised to know that if I ever wanted to shoot or handle one, to ask, and I would be allowed. Conversely, if I was EVER caught messing with them without permission, well...Kids are curious, if they are hidden and out of sight, then they are going to be found, whereas, if they are common everday items in plain view, well, nothing special about them, once properly instructed.YMMV

 

[obijohn]

first, if you haven't done so, take a basic NRA course. this will give you a very firm grounding in the safety issues involved. i'm not say you wouldn't be safe with the gun, it's just that over time we tend to internalize information and assume that others know the information. second, kids are curious as you well know. by satisfying that curiosity, most kids put that on the back burner and move on. if it is something they are truly interested in, they will revisit that curiosity. so, what that means for me, is let the child see the gun, teach them the difference between real and play guns, teach them that the proper way to look at real guns, touch them etc, is with you, the adult. kids tend to want to please their parents, so this will make it easier to teach your child. 4 is pretty young for all of this, but you know your child better than i. all of my children started to learn about guns and safety about that time. i still, and recommend that you do so, kept the guns under lock and key or on my person, for the safety of all involved. satisfy the curiosity, educate your child to the safe handling of firearms and as he gets older reinforce these lessons. education IS the key, but for a 4 year old, locks help. you will know when, as he grows older, it is time to give your son more access, but teach him, guide him and you will be rewarded with one of the safest, best shooting buddies....

 

[colt45er]

Vigilant is right on.

I grew up in a home with guns and new to respect them from an early age. I am already teaching my 11 month old how to shoot.....okay thats a joke.

i am teaching my 4 year old. In my opinion you should let them handle them when you are cleaning, handle ammunition under your supervision and such. Obviously inspect the firearm before putting it anyone near a child. Know how much ammo was out, count before putting away, etc.

In my house my guns are either locked up or on me at all times. I however cannot control every other idiot in the world. That is where it is key to teach them that if they see a gun to tell an adult and never touch it without you/your spouse present.

Do NOT hide it. Do NOT make it mystical. DO show them it, DO educate them.

Also I think you should let them shoot something, maybe not a firearm but something. For instance, my 4 year old shoots my pellet gun and my paintball gun. I hold and aim, she pulls the trigger. Not only do I get time with her but she learns.

I have already told her than on her 6th birthday (over a year away) I am going to buy her a gun. It will be kept in the safe with mommies and daddies. To "test" if the gun knowledge has set in to took one of my airsoft guns (unloaded) and left in on a bookshelf at her level. It has never moved. I know she understands not to touch guns without me.

 

[bwframe]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-home_defense_gun_safety_-_advice_please.html

 

[Xman]

Eduacation is key. Some type of training like hunter safety,NRA,etc. The others hit it on the spot. Keep it in a safe spot(safe,gun lock)

 

[Turtle]

Education! Education! Education! And a really high place in a room hes not allowed in for that home protector. I have a 4yo as well. And he has picked up my gun 1 time (was still new in the baox unloaded after bringing it home) and I made it across the room and snatched it out his hand so fast he got scared and cried.... He has a large water-gun collection for fun. And I teach him gun safty using an un-loaded pellet gun I shoot in the backyard. He fires it unloaded pointing at only the target. He thinks the bullseyes are his...lol I would say a safe and a good handgun lock-box are my next wave of child-proofing

 

[rcuhljr]

Great resource, Cornered Cat - Table of Contents

Specifically Cornered Cat - The First Lesson (Kids and Gun Safety)

 

[EliteCageFighting]

My son is highly intelligent. We taught him sign language starting as an infant. I would imagine he can now read at LEAST 3,000 words. We don't know how he learned to read. He seemed to learn it all on his own. He's been reading for almost 2 years. (OK, my proud pappa moment is over, LOL).

Now how about getting the wife accustomed to it? LOL Probably gonna get her something small to start out with. I told her I was getting her LTCH for her birthday, MUAHAHAHA.

 

[techres]

Be loud about safety. Let the kids see the guns when asked and loudly do the safety steps with them each time, clearing the weapon and then helping them to do the same.

My kids were nuts for a bit when I brought home the first rifle. gun gun gun gun gun.... God they drove us nuts and it nearly killed my wife.

Now they could care less and are far more into Godzilla and Pokemon. They do know how to clear the firearms and sometimes help me clean them. They just are acclimated to their presence and are not at all fascinated by them anymore. And last week I left out a very gun looking foregrip and they saw it, backed out of the room and came running to tell me that I had left a gun out. I corrected them and then rewarded them big time!

As for the wife, be very loud on safety and go very, very slowly down the path with this. Do not push her to follow you. She will come when she is ready.

But even more so, begin working on the mindset behind gun ownership. Personal responsibility, your job as parent to keep them safe, the role that police play in society and what they can and cannot do realistically, all without scaring them and staying age appropriate.

When I go on with my daughter who is 5 about how she needs to be her own person and not rely on anyone to make her way, my wife is proud. When I add in that she should also know how to protect herself and grow to have the means to do so, my wife hears and has no choice but to agree!

Good luck!

 

[bwframe]

Great resource, Cornered Cat - Table of Contents

Specifically Cornered Cat - The First Lesson (Kids and Gun Safety)

Excellent!
The only thing I might add is an emphasis that this applies to any gun anywhere. Also some (triple checked) cleared weapon laying around tests, to make sure it all sunk in.

 

[Prometheus]

Take the mystery out of it. My kids are growing up seeing mommy and daddy with guns EVERY DAY. 4 and 2 years of age now. My wife and I also open carry from time to time when we go out.

Nothing 'mysterious" about them. They are as normal as a pair of pants.

Thats the way to do it. Obviously stress safety and get your youngster to the range ASAP. Let him know (and experience) how LOUD and POWERFUL your gun is. No way to hide it if it goes off ect. ect.

 

[techres]

Let him know (and experience) how LOUD and POWERFUL your gun is. No way to hide it if it goes off ect. ect.

Took my boy to the range this summer (he is 8). Before we got him on the line, we did lesson #1 of gun safety:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2WE0W8HwU8]YouTube - The First Gun Safety Lesson at the Range[/ame]

It will do two thing: 1. get his attention on safety, and 2. get him hooked on exploding watermelons!

 

[bwframe]

Impressive techres.

 

[techres]

Impressive techres.

You should recognize the range. He had a ball there!

 

[bwframe]

"Absolutely"

 

[badazzar15]

Take the mystery out of it. My kids are growing up seeing mommy and daddy with guns EVERY DAY. 4 and 2 years of age now. My wife and I also open carry from time to time when we go out.

Nothing 'mysterious" about them. They are as normal as a pair of pants.

Thats the way to do it. Obviously stress safety and get your youngster to the range ASAP. Let him know (and experience) how LOUD and POWERFUL your gun is. No way to hide it if it goes off ect. ect.

I agree,

and lock them up dont leave them laying around.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Had that page at Cornered Cat not been mentioned already, I was going to do so. Absolutely, teach the Four Rules and that no one, not even Mom and Dad, can break those. Obviously, no one's going to spank you if you do, but something much worse (someone getting hurt or killed) could happen... and you never know when or who. I love Kathy's point about letting them handle the gun (safely!) anytime they ask, until they get bored with it, and about taking them to the range to shoot when they're able to follow the Four Rules and to follow your instructions immediately and without fail.
Great thread!
Blessings,
B

 

[dburkhead]

I'm going to recommend Massad Ayoob's [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Gun-Proof-Children-Massad-Ayoobs-Handgun/dp/0936279052/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1228320431&sr=8-7"]"Gun-proof your Children"[/ame]. Lot's of very good information in there.

 

[miguel]

Anyone ever seen/used the NRA "Eddie Eagle" safety video?

The kids are aware and have seen some of them. They know the basic rules about not touching or handling anything at home or at a friend's house (or the street) without me or their mother being involved.

While I haven't had the kids out to a range, we have those plastic bb guns and created a "range", complete with a cardboard backed "thug" target, in our basement. I basically have them treat these (and even their Nerf guns) like they're real. In fact, my five year old says, "The range is hot!" when he's about to go to town with the mini AK bb gun.