Guns are not toys.  Why does society think it is O.K. to familiarize our children with weapons? I grew up in Los Angeles, Ca. and I remember a child  being shot by authorities because he was playing laser tag in his front lawn.  Sure that is an extreme case but with all the other creative ways we can influence our children, why on earth would we want to give them a gun to play with?

aspiretoattain Mar. 31, 2009 at 6:27 PM

My husband and I had this talk around Christmas time actually. My 3 yr old got a nerf gun larger than he is from an uncle being funny. We had said before no guns and he was too young but he went against our wishes and bought it anyhow. I'm sure in time when he's a little better with the hand/eye coordination and following directions (No shooting people in the head means no! lol)  he'll be able to play with it again but I'm just not a fan of a 3 yr old running up and telling me I'm dead or bloody or just got shot in the head. There's plenty of years for him to discover the fun, safety and blood guts and gore that go with guns, I'd rather not desensitize him at age 3 is all.

Kcdefg Mar. 31, 2009 at 6:32 PM

My son all on his own became fascinated with guns. He doesn't watch TV, he's a very sweet and tender guy.

He can play with guns, BUT:
- he knows you only shoot people when they are playing too
- you only shoot silly things at people you know (he came up with shooting me with kisses .. I couldn't say no!)
- if you don't know the person, you don't point at gun (even pretend ones) or 'shoot' strangers
- you don't threaten to kill anyone
- you don't say 'I killed you!' after you shoot someone while playing
- you only shoot bad guys..
and in NO WAY do we tolerate any type of violent behavior, verbal or physical in our home.

.... we've kept everything along those lines and it's worked out. He doesn't have guns that resemble real ones at ALL. He only has water guns or ones that shoot balls.

I believe they're not making him a worse off kid, he's a little boy who likes imagining he's a space ranger or a cowboy.

What happened to teaching your kids right from wrong!?

vidavida Mar. 31, 2009 at 6:43 PM

I will do everything to make sure that my boys never play with toy guns, when they get of age and want to go to a shooting range and shoot a gun then have fun, but till then no way.  I shot a gun for the first time last year and I was/still am 22. 

Jssg86 Mar. 31, 2009 at 6:43 PM

My dd had some of those little soldiers but I threw them out. I didn't vote because the only toy guns that my kids can play with is water guns and that is twice a year. I don't allow toy guns mainly because some look real. I don't want my kids to mistake a real gun for a toy. We have one gun in our home, a 22 rifle and my dd knows never to touch it. We will be teaching how to shoot next year maybe.

palexander Mar. 31, 2009 at 6:56 PM

What the hell is the main concern here. We teach our kids. sure if you are not teaching gun safty then your child should not have toys guns maybe. But both of my boys love nerf, water, sticks that look like they might be able to be a gun. no bb guns yet not sure what age that will come about. But my point is, teach your kids!! My son will not be hunting regularly at 8 but he will go through gun safty course, because of how much he likes guns, ( this boy is from a military family and knows more about WW2 and pearl harbor than most of us on here) We cannot always keep our kids protected from this world, but we can inform them and teach them to prevent horrible things.

muzikgrl477 Mar. 31, 2009 at 7:07 PM

my boys are different age but they were not allowed to play with toy guns until they reach the age that we could explain to them why guns were dangerous and they could actually understand.  We don't purchase toy guns for our kids unfortunately the grandparents do, if they have them, it gets taken away if they point it at anyone, no exceptions!

LuvmyFam6 Mar. 31, 2009 at 7:13 PM

Squirt guns and laser tag seem trivial in comparison to the video games that are on the market now.  Men are hunters, women gatherers but then I am just old school.  Pellet and bb guns are not allowed in my home because quite simply they are very dangerous.  My children know the difference. 

njoynlife Mar. 31, 2009 at 7:21 PM

I would rather let my boys play with toy guns and educate them on the dangers of real guns rather than have them very curious the first time they find a real gun laying around at a friend's house (or where ever they may find one).

absmama Mar. 31, 2009 at 7:31 PM

Both of my boys(who are 4 and 2); both have numerous toy guns.  Even if I didn't "allow" them to have toy guns; they turn ANYTHING into a gun(and have since before they got their first toys).  Hangers, blocks, a boomerang, and even chicken nuggets with a bite out of them(LOL) have become guns in my house.  I was raised around them, played with them, even got my very first real rifle at 4 years old.  I see no point in turning them into a forbidden object.  My children know that they are not to touch real guns, without an adult present.  They know that they do not play shoot each other.  My dad is even teaching them gun safety(finger off the tigger, don't look down the barrel LOL) with their toys.  I am looking forward to taking my oldest out once it warms up a bit more and actually starting to teach him to shoot a real gun.

JenB1983 Mar. 31, 2009 at 8:11 PM