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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Your thoughts on guns and kids.
We have some best friends who are great with their kids (3 and 9) and DD. But the H has a huge gun collection (probably not even all legal ones) and they aren't all locked up. I have no idea where he keeps the ammo and I'm certain they don't all have trigger locks. He has some in his master bath just leaning against the wall.
They offer to babysit all the time, and the only thing stopping me is the guns. That's also what's keeping us from naming them guardians in our will. The 3 y.o. boy has toy guns and it makes me SO nervous to even see him with those. How is he really supposed to tell the difference between the real ones and the fake ones? Personally I think it's just a horrible accident waiting to happen.
Do you think I'm unreasonable (not that it matters, I'm just curious)?
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Re: Your thoughts on guns and kids.
no, not unreasonable at all. our rule is that if the family has guns or an unfenced pool, dd will not be playing there.
it may sound overprotective, but i am big on the "better safe than sorry" mentality. i would not be able to forgive myself if something happened to dd because i was lax about letting her be around guns.
I think you are perfectly reasonable. I'm all for owning guns. I am also for keeping them where they belong, locked up & safe.
People that leave guns laying around are idiots. I would not allow my DD at their home at all.
You are definitely not being unreasonable. Keeping them leaning up against a wall in a bathroom is NOT ok!!!
and FWIW we do have guns in our house- but they are locked up!!!!!
I don't think you're unreasonable with the guns being locked up. I'd let them know you're uncomfortable with it and if they want DD to come over and play, then the guns need to be locked up.
However, kids will make a gun out of anything. I don't see any harm in toy guns.
I applauded you for your responsible thinking and forethought in the matter. I would NEVER let my girls play in a house with guns lying around.
WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED A COLLECTION OF GUNS THAT LARGE!?!?!? GRRRRRRRRRRR.
The fact that they are not all locked up is what would stop me. My uncle is big into hunting and shooting targets, but all his guns are locked up in a gun safe. I would trust him completely with DD and know she would be safe. The fact that he does not lock them up is a big problem.
We have guns in our home, but I think it's rude when ppl don't put guns out of sight or lock them when visitors with kids come to their home. It's one thing to educate your own children and create what you consider a safe environment, but it's another to make your friends/relatives feel uncomfortable around the guns.
Leaning guns against the wall in your master bath for others to see if just tacky regardless of whether they're loaded/locked, IMO.
DS wouldn't ever be allowed in that house. Even if I'm with him.
No way - accidents happen too often and that sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
Yup. We have two guns, both locked in a safe that DD will never know how to open.
I am 29 and still don't know the combo to my dad's gun safe.
No, I don't think you're unreasonable. We have a couple guns, but they are ALWAYS locked up. In fact, DH keeps them locked up in a small gun safe thingie (don't know the name of the little ones) and keeps it that way all the way until he gets to the shooting range, etc.
If I knew that someone had guns that were not locked up, DS would not be going to their home.
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What scares me about toy guns is a lot of them look real. A friend & I had toy guns that looked real pulled on us once. The state police where called & some of the kids almost got shot. The police where not happy at all. They sat the kids down & chewed them out for over 2 hours about why it was a dumb thing to do.
Recently here in NJ a kid was shot by a police officer who had a fake gun. He was riding his bike in a neighborhood w/ a toy gun that looked real. A neighbor called the police. The kid wouldn't put the gun down. He is dead now.
Would this happen to a 3 year old. Probably not. Could it happen to a 12 yr old. Probaby yes.
I don't get it either, but he collects them. He's a really nice, sweet guy, is all over DD anytime he sees her - it's not like he's some violent criminal type! He does have a gun safe, but they're not all in it.
We do go over there, but I always keep both kids (mine and their 3 year old)in my sight, and they keep their bedroom door locked when we have DD there. But still. They have a toddler. Don't get it at all.
Re: the toy guns, I don't want them in my house, but I don't care if he has toy guns. My point is that if he's allowed to play with those how will he differentiate if he comes across one of his dad's?
I think DH and I need to talk to them about it. I don't want to offend them, but they're like family to us and I wish I could feel comfortable leaving DD with them.
All our guns are locked in a gun safe downstairs... except for the home protection gun (which is getting its own small safe in our room).
Thats the ONLY way I would have guns in the house.
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
Guns (loaded or otherwise) have no business being around young children. When my kids are teens, if they want to take a gun safety course and learn how to handle one safely and ONLY in appropriate settings (gun range, etc, NOT in their backyard) - then they can certainly go for it.
But I would probably not feel comfortable letting my young children play in a home with guns that I feel aren't safely stored.