Will you let your child play with a toy gun?

[betsy]

I don't have any toys that resembles a gun....not because I don't want to....but because it's better for me - business-wise - not to make any provocative controversial statement.

But one thing I noticed though, a child will conjure up a gun- whether it be just his finger, or a stick, or leggos - and say "bang! bang! I shot you!"

I do not however, restrict any child from bringing his own toy gun, unless it got small parts that could make babies choke.

This morning a little 3 year-old boy had brought a little toy gun. He's excited to play with it outside later, and in his excitement he told another parent about this toy gun. I was in the washroom with another child at the time, but I could hear this parent asking "why do you want to play with a gun? why did you bring a gun?"

If any parent ask me point-blank why I'd let toy guns in the house, I'm prepared to say: why not? What's wrong with that? I've played with toy guns in my childhood. I imitated the tv war series COMBAT. We played cops and robbers!

How about you?

[margrace]

You can argue this issue til the cows come home. My boys had toy guns, now neither of them own a gun nor do they hunt. My father was a hunter but he loved fishing more. If you live in the country then you are subject to bears. And don't fool yourself, a hungry bear can be very dangerous.

Coyotes attacking sheep and cows can also be a problem. The police won't come, even if you have a bear climbing in your window. So what do you do, you shoot it and say nothing, bury it, happens all the time in farm and country residential areas.

[noahbody]

Some of my fondest memories as a child were playing cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, star wars, etc. I'd enjoy a Popeye cigerette on occasion as well.

Personally, I think playing with toy guns (not replicas) helps kids understand the difference between fantasy and reality. It's educational and also introduces trust and responsibility.

[M.Dancer]

I got my first BB gun when I was 7. It was a daisy winchester. I also had a daisy colt 44 (actually .177)

I never shot birds or chipmunks but made mince meat out of targets.

When I was older I had a czech pump pellet rifle and we would play war with each other aiming for the soft parts of the nether regions.

Now my brother only has one eye.....but that had nothing to do with BB guns or such....he was popping off .22s in a see saw and one bit him.

My kids have various gun shaped toys that either shoot water or make zapping sounds....I'm pretty sure I would never have sex with my wife again if brought home a daisy winchester for my son......so he's on his own.

[cybercoma]

I'm pretty sure I would never have sex with my wife again if brought home a daisy winchester for my son......so he's on his own.

Funniest quote of all time!

I'm picturing a small child trying to buy a BB gun from the store. When the clerk says, "where are your parents?" The child replies, "Daddy says I"m on my own. "

[FTA Lawyer]

Some of my fondest memories as a child were playing cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, star wars, etc. I'd enjoy a Popeye cigerette on occasion as well.

Personally, I think playing with toy guns (not replicas) helps kids understand the difference between fantasy and reality. It's educational and also introduces trust and responsibility.

The key really is for the parent to take the time to teach the kid the difference between the toy and the real thing. Ironically, I believe that taking a child along to learn about shooting real guns at an early age is one of the best ways to ensure that they don't misuse one later in life.

The thing that angers me on this issue is when parents lose it on their kid for pointing a finger or a plastic gun or a stick or Leggos as Betsy notes at another kid and doing the "bang I shot you" routine.

If you treat an obvious toy / imaginary gun as though it is real and admonish your child in this fashion, you lose all credibility when you try to tell them how dangerous real guns are. (hmm...mom says don't touch this 9 mm Glock pistol becuase it's really dangerous...but she said that about my left index finger too, so it must just be mom being ridiculous again right?...BANG!)

FTA

[jdobbin]

How about you?

I don't have kids at the moment but we had toy guns as children so if I had boys I wouldn't necessarily make them play with Barbie and sit down when they peed.

Still, a watchful parent is a must.

I always hate hearing stories about how he was a good boy, never talked back and sat in the basement with his arsenal and when he did go out, he disposed of those awful gray squirrels in the most efficient and deadly way.

[Peter F]

How about you?

It didn't bother me in the least that my kid played with toy guns. Nor does it bother me in the least that other parents think different. Nor would I see any loss by the boy not having toy guns to play with.

[betsy]

I'm glad to see that we all share the same view about this.

And guess what. After growing up playing with toy guns....I am actually sqeamish about holding real firearms.

My husband taught me how to load and use a rifle....just in case I need to defend myself, he said.

That was years ago. Now, I am unsure if I'd remember how to do it properly...but I'm not telling him... he might give me lessons again.

[B. Max]

I got my first BB gun when I was 7. It was a daisy winchester. I also had a daisy colt 44 (actually .177)

I had one of those daisy winchesters too. Bought my first real gun when I was fifteen. A twenty-two single shot. Mailed a fifteen dollar money order or some such amount away to Eaton's and they sent me back back the gun I ordered, and I still have it. Although I've not fired it in about twenty years.

[RB]

I recall playing with toy guns, but they were very brightly color: red/yellow and you can distinguish a toy from a real gun. I mean you can never mistake what is toy.

I look at the toys today and a five year old can easily take a real gun, aim and play - also never underestimate the senselessness of parents where they keep the real guns accessible to children.

Unless toy guns are potential tools to be used to commit a crime, I think that toy guns should look like toys and ok to play with.

I can easily understand a parent concern especially if there was no discussion with the child about guns and violence and about the differences between TV and video game violence, toy guns and real life violence and gun discussion in general.

[Liam]

I have two daughters, so they probably wouldn't play with guns, anyhow. Though one was Queen Amidala for Halloween last year and her costume came with a Star Wars laser pistol and she somtimes still shoots me with it. It doesn't bother me -- I think the overall lessons the kid learns in the home are far more important than a plastic toy. In our case, we're not a gun-owning household and we discuss the dangers of real guns (you never do know what they might find in a friend's house), so I don't expect either of my kids will be cavalier about guns as they age.

[Drea]

When he was little, my son was never allowed to play "shooting" at all.

Not even with the index finger.

My hubby bought him a bb gun last year... I was against it at first but because he is a cadet and will eventually learn to shoot I thought it would be ok.... and I'm still sleeping with hubby LOL.

He is now 13 and will take range shooting with Cadets this fall.

He has already learned that a gun is not a toy, now he will learn to use it as a tool in its proper context.

He is not any less "masculine" for this lack of gun-play.... he stands up to pee.

Shooting and killing "games" should not be allowed until the child is double digits... before that it is very difficult for them to tell the difference between real and make believe.

For computer games my son plays "Command and Conquer" .... games with whole armies. I draw the line at first person shooter games. He can play them when he moves out on his own.