Do your kids...

[SavageEagle]

Ok another interesting question... If you store your guns and ammo seperate, generally where? (since prying eyes might have a computer) If you have a gun safe do you store the ammo in the safe with the guns or seperate?

 

[AllenM]

I have a reloading room where I store ammo and reloading supplies that stays locked when I'm not home, Guns are kept in a gun safe.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

One thing to think about is how much kids talk. Many of the folks on this board are mum about personal details and don't like to advertise to the general public about their arsenal or carrying, but are willing to show their 7 or 8 year old the gun collection. Far be it from me to say which age is appropriate- but I would think it important to have a lesson about what private business is, and what things you can talk to others about. Also, I can't help but think the paintball gun blurs the issue. Traditional paintballing requires you to shoot at the opponent, so unless you modify its use to be limited to targets of whatever nature and not people, I would be concerned. Just my $.02, and no disrespect to any of the parents here.

 

[Lock n Load]

Ok another interesting question... If you store your guns and ammo seperate, generally where? (since prying eyes might have a computer) If you have a gun safe do you store the ammo in the safe with the guns or seperate?

I have the bulk of my ammo in a safe at the other end of my house away from the safe..... it really just worked out that way due to being out of sight.

I do have a few loaded mags (rifle & pistol) that I keep in the gun safe, but only my daily carry pistol has a mag in it, empty chamber.

I am an ammo "collector" so its been hard to keep it all under lock and key.


Soundslikejosh:

I totally agree about the paintball issues. We have a "spinner target" thats used when the younger ones fire them. That way they are not pointing a weapon at someone else.

 

[SavageEagle]

One thing to think about is how much kids talk. Many of the folks on this board are mum about personal details and don't like to advertise to the general public about their arsenal or carrying, but are willing to show their 7 or 8 year old the gun collection.

I understand your concern and don't wish anyone to devulge any info they don't want to talk about. But some people on here don't care about everyone knows. I wouldn't care that the whole world knew if I had enuff weapons and ammo to arm an army. All I'm trying to really figure out is how I should go about firearms with my own children, nothing more. I respect everyone's opinion and whether or not they answer the question. I won't be disappointed if they don't. I'm just on here to learn from others experiances. I'm 26 and well aware that big brother or some crook could be reading everything we write. I have nothing to hide so I don't care what I write about. But I realize some do. So don't divulge anything you don't want to, but I'm still just asking questions to get informed. NO ONE HERE IS AN EXPERT so we are all here to LEARN AND SHARE.... RIGHT?

 

[Soundslikejosh]

I hear where you are coming from savage, I think maybe you mistook my statement as an attack. Certainly unintended. My point is not about what you decide to type on the internet, but what children might unnecessarily say amongst friends and in front of other adults (friends parents, etc). A lot of adults don't have good judgment about what the general public needs to know, let alone leaving a child to make that decision. Not that you need to hide anything, but why unnecessarily advertise. Again, not implying you have to agree or keep quiet, but I think you can agree that children do not utilize judgment and may not know what to say or not say.

 

[Scutter01]

One thing to think about is how much kids talk. Many of the folks on this board are mum about personal details and don't like to advertise to the general public about their arsenal or carrying, but are willing to show their 7 or 8 year old the gun collection. Far be it from me to say which age is appropriate- but I would think it important to have a lesson about what private business is, and what things you can talk to others about. Also, I can't help but think the paintball gun blurs the issue. Traditional paintballing requires you to shoot at the opponent, so unless you modify its use to be limited to targets of whatever nature and not people, I would be concerned. Just my $.02, and no disrespect to any of the parents here.

I can't speak for anyone else here, but one concern that we had was that our daughter's friends' parents might not allow them to come over to play with her if they knew we had guns in the house. Part of the instruction process for her was to instill the understanding that it wasn't something she was to talk about unless she came to discuss it with us first. We don't expressly forbid it, we just require that she consult us first. We're careful to explain our reasons for this, as well as to reinforce it on a regular basis. She's now 9 and we've never had an issue, and of course the older she gets the less of an issue it becomes.

As for paintball, we expect her to treat them the same as firearms. For example, she treats them like they're always loaded, finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, and she's only allowed to shoot at targets that we've set up for her, never people.

I personally don't feel there's any blurring there at all. If you're going to argue that, then I think the same argument could be made for pretty much anything on television these days (desensitization to violence, for example) but most parents don't think twice about letting the TV raise their kids. I think it's easy to underestimate how intelligent kids are and, at least with mine, I've found that a little parental guidance goes a long way. Today, she picked out the novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark at the bookstore. She was reading the first part and came over to me and showed me that it had the word "damn" in it, and then asked if it was OK for her to read it. A kid with that kind of sensibility will have no trouble seeing the difference between a paintball and a bullet.

 

[SavageEagle]

Ok let me apologize as I have become somewhat defensive from being attacked alot in previous threads. I see what you are saying and let me tell you from experiance that CPS isn't a government office you want to mess with. As far as other parents opinions on the fact that you have an arsenal should be irrelevant. While it's not any of their buisness, nor is there anything they can do about it, I can see why people would want to avoid the headache. I would just take it as an opportunity to educate another person on the facts and myths of gun ownership. Yes kids do talk and if they are like mine, the OVER exaggerate things. But if you have nothing to hide or be ashamed of, I don't really see the problem...

 

[Soundslikejosh]

No harm, no foul. And to Scutter, I try to tread lightly with parents because I respect that you have a difficult job with everyone offering suggestions. I do my best to respect that 99% of parents do the best they can. I like how you use paintball guns at targets only- and I agree that is very clear and a good way to teach the rules. I just remember that when we used to do paintball it was a kill-maim-wound type attack.

 

[SavageEagle]

I can't speak for anyone else here, but one concern that we had was that our daughter's friends' parents might not allow them to come over to play with her if they knew we had guns in the house. Part of the instruction process for her was to instill the understanding that it wasn't something she was to talk about unless she came to discuss it with us first. We don't expressly forbid it, we just require that she consult us first. We're careful to explain our reasons for this, as well as to reinforce it on a regular basis. She's now 9 and we've never had an issue, and of course the older she gets the less of an issue it becomes.

I can understand your concern about friends coming over to play after their parents realize you have guns. We always meet the parents before they can go play with their kids, and, maybe, have dinner with them if we feel the need to get to know them better. That being said, one of the first questions I ask is about animals(allergies, fears) and the next is usually always is there firearms in the house. If so we talk more about it. My point is, be it the neighbor down the street or a friend across the city, we always meet the parents before they go over. I realize alot of people will just bar them from coming over because of a gun in the house. That's why we always meet the parents first. Among other reasons of course.

We should be scared our kids friends parents might not like us for simple reasons such as these. IMHO. I believe we should use the opportunity to educate and inform. If they resist reason, was it worth it in the first place?

 

[Scutter01]

As far as other parents opinions on the fact that you have an arsenal should be irrelevant. While it's not any of their buisness, nor is there anything they can do about it, I can see why people would want to avoid the headache.

To tell you the truth, we mostly don't care if the parents know. What we do care about is our daughter having friends to play with and we just don't want to risk the parents having an irrational little freak-out and banning their kids from being friends with mine. It would kill me if she lost a friend because of me. Friends are hard enough to come by as it is.

 

[Scutter01]

I just remember that when we used to do paintball it was a kill-maim-wound type attack.

Same here. I was a teenager before I started playing real paintball. Teenage years are a whole different discussion, though.

Oh, and for the record, I didn't take anything anyone said as an attack. It just sounded like we were having a discussion, so as far as I'm concerned, no-one should feel like they need to apologize.

 

[SavageEagle]

To tell you the truth, we mostly don't care if the parents know. What we do care about is our daughter having friends to play with and we just don't want to risk the parents having an irrational little freak-out and banning their kids from being friends with mine. It would kill me if she lost a friend because of me. Friends are hard enough to come by as it is.

I understand, don't get me wrong. I have no friends so I know how delicate a situation it is. But trust me, you won't make your kids lose a friend over having firearms. As long as the other parents know they wont have access there really shouldn't be a problem. Unless you're kids are making friends with Hellery Clinton and Saddam Hussien Obomba! LOL IMHO of course...

 

[Scutter01]

But trust me, you won't make your kids lose a friend over having firearms. As long as the other parents know they wont have access there really shouldn't be a problem.

Mostly I agree that's true. I base that on knowing for a fact that most of my neighbors have guns as well. There's always going to be that one soccer mom that has a problem, though, and I'd prefer to handle that circumspectly myself, rather than from my daughter casually mentioning it to her friend, who then tells Soccer Mom.

 

[SavageEagle]

Completely understand. Which is why I meet all my kids friends parents. Plus I'd like to know if they are druggies, etc. If you know what to look for they are easy to spot.

 

[Paul]

im way young to have kids, but i remember when i was a kid. I knew my dad had guns ever since i could remember. I knew where he kept his handguns and rifles. I knew which ones were loaded and not. He taught me how to handle them and assume all guns were loaded. He taught me how to check to see it they are loaded and clear the chamber. He just told me not to touch them without his permission first and he was there. He just wanted me to know what to do just in case....

I shot a bb gun when i was younger, but was never really interested in real guns myself until last year.

 

[bwframe]

Great thread, now lets talk about training...

My daughters were raised from a very tender age knowing there were firearms in the house. At the younger ages, they were shown various guns as to know what they were.

They had very strict instructions;
"This is mine, not yours. Do you understand?"
"If you ever want to see, touch, hold or shoot this we will. However, this happens only when I am with you."
"If you ever see a gun (or knife) laying around or anywhere that I am not, you are not to touch it and notify me immediately."
"If you ever see anyone with a gun or knife you are to tell your dad, mother, teacher, grandparents, etc."
This was followed by frequent reminders consisting of leaving a gun or knife out in their view, asking "What do you do?"
Occasionally, I would to a test. (Kinda humorous, when after a few years of this, my youngest hollered downstairs "Dad, come get this handgun off of my bed so I can lay down. Enough with the testing already, we understand!")

When the girls got to school age we discussed how they were to talk to anyone else about dad's guns. Quite simply, they weren't. They were instructed that it was no one else's business and, if pressed for info, their words were to be "you'll have to talk to my dad about that." This was backed up with conversation about innocent comments leading to issues like theft and our responsibility keep lethal weapons secure.

 

[BloodEclipse]

I can't speak for anyone else here, but one concern that we had was that our daughter's friends' parents might not allow them to come over to play with her if they knew we had guns in the house. Part of the instruction process for her was to instill the understanding that it wasn't something she was to talk about unless she came to discuss it with us first. We don't expressly forbid it, we just require that she consult us first. We're careful to explain our reasons for this, as well as to reinforce it on a regular basis. She's now 9 and we've never had an issue, and of course the older she gets the less of an issue it becomes.

I think 13 is about the age we started taking my daughters friends with us to the range. Most of them have shot just about every gun we own and enjoy going. But they get taught the firearms and safety before we ever leave the house. I have never had a parent show any hesitation to let their kids go with us. Most of the kids can't wait to go the next time.

 

[AllenM]

It is a differant world than what I grew up in. I was taught about firearms by at least age 5. We went back through old photos a couple of months ago and almost every picture I was in even at a very young age I was holding a gun, either real or a toy.
I learned how to be safe with them and it never even crosses my mind to use them to scare or threaten anybody. I veiw them as a last resort, but mostly I used them to hunt with.

I have been in one scenerio were shots were fired (not by me) and 2 situations where I /we used a gun to get out of a tight spot, over the last 47 years. All thre of those could have been avoided by not being in the wrong place at the right time. Anyway I think if young people were taught correct firearm use at an early age they would understand the seriousness of the damage that can be inflicted. My dad taught me alot and signed me up for firearm safety classes starting when I was twelve.
Having said that I think it is getting increasingly difficult to raise children and teach them propely expecially if you live in the city. The media and society says all guns are taboo.
My wife has been constantly amazed at the amount of people we know that own and enjoy guns, but they wont say anything until they find out that we do.
Hmm more to say but have to go to work now
*just felt like ramblin, sorry

 

[baldmax]

My boys, 6 and 3, know I have guns. I have started the basic safety of firearms with them. The 6 year old is almost ready to go to the range, the 3 year old has some time. The wife knows next to nothing, but that is changing this summer. So, pretty munch, I am on my own.