I grew up in a home with guns and we have them at our house, too. I can't really remember one particular time where I was taught gun safety. It was more like a continual, taught from the beginning thing. My dad loves to hunt. We always took long hikes in the winter to get rid of cabin fever. On these walks, dad would set up targets and let me shoot all the while teaching me how to respect firearms. Obviously, we live in the country and have the land/space to do this. I also took a hunter safety course when I was old enough. The number one rule I learned is to ALWAYS treat a gun as if it is loaded. Firearms need to be respected and always handled cautiously. Truly is a shame that not everyone learns this.
I grew up in a home with guns and we have them at our house, too. I can't really remember one particular time where I was taught gun safety. It was more like a continual, taught from the beginning thing. My dad loves to hunt. We always took long hikes in the winter to get rid of cabin fever. On these walks, dad would set up targets and let me shoot all the while teaching me how to respect firearms. Obviously, we live in the country and have the land/space to do this. I also took a hunter safety course when I was old enough. The number one rule I learned is to ALWAYS treat a gun as if it is loaded. Firearms need to be respected and always handled cautiously. Truly is a shame that not everyone learns this.
I think part of the problem is that even if everyone were taught this, kids are kids, right? They learn lots of things and then do the opposite. Because that's what kids/young teens/teenagers do. Many of them grow up to know better, but most people do stupid things when they are young, so why would they have a separate deep respect and maturity around guns?
I think those that do (like you) are likely the exception, not the rule.
Very true. And let's be frank....common sense seems to be a rarity in our youth as a whole these days. You take, for example, our grandparents and great grandparents. I bet it would be hard to find one of them that hadn't been raised around firearms or shot one. Gun violence in their time didn't seem to be a pandemic. I wonder, too, if the lack of being around firearms being part of the issue. This thing that used to be so common in households now often taboo. A lot of kids' only exposure to firearms are through glorified gore movies or video games. They truly don't understand "the real world" repercussions of firearms. It is considered "bad ass" instead of something that requires respect and maturity.
I just watched it. It's very surprising how many people do not lock their guns up. They act like their kids are none the wiser but it was proved they know where the guns are located. LOCK THAT SHIT UP. That's primarily directed towards the people like the soccer moms who keep shot guns in the car's backseat.
The hunters/gun enthusiast shooters that teach their kids gun safety and "kill the curiosity before the curiosity kills the kid" are very naive. Gun safety is important but thinking your child cannot play with the gun you let them shoot with is stupid.
Guns are scary and not just in a practical sense. They are this huge heated issue that people get terrifyingly up in arms about. Pun intended.
I actually own a small handgun. A Cobra .380 (bullets are the same as 9mm in diameter, shorter length.) And that shit is triple locked and tucked way way back in a closet. Someday in will teach my child gun safety, but until that day no one but my fi and I will even know its in the house. We have no reason to get it out if we arnt going to the range and that is a very rare occurrence.
However, I'm hoping to teach my child that guns are not ok to play with very early on. In case a friends parents have one or another kid wanta to show off, etc.
That was pretty intense. Just goes to show that no matter how much education you think you are giving your child, young kids just aren't capable of understanding the dangers of playing with guns.
And how about that one mom who left LOADED guns out around her house, openly, and told her daughter that bad people were out to get them?! Wow! That has got to be traumatic for that little girl to live in such fear. And surprise, surprise, she and her friends have touched the loaded guns that are just sitting out in the open... That mom is an idiot!
I'm glad we watched that. DH admitted that the safe he uses for his handgun now is not as secure as he'd like it to be, so we'll be buying a better one. I'm glad we are doing this before DS is old enough to get into things. And we'll be asking about guns before we send DS over to play at anyone's house.
That was pretty intense. Just goes to show that no matter how much education you think you are giving your child, young kids just aren't capable of understanding the dangers of playing with guns.
And how about that one mom who left LOADED guns out around her house, openly, and told her daughter that bad people were out to get them?! Wow! That has got to be traumatic for that little girl to live in such fear. And surprise, surprise, she and her friends have touched the loaded guns that are just sitting out in the open... That mom is an idiot!
I'm glad we watched that. DH admitted that the safe he uses for his handgun now is not as secure as he'd like it to be, so we'll be buying a better one. I'm glad we are doing this before DS is old enough to get into things. And we'll be asking about guns before we send DS over to play at anyone's house.
That lady seriously bugged me!! "There are bad people out there and they want to hurt us!"
Yeah okay. Even if that's true.. Not something I would be telling my young children. And I would NEVER have loaded guns on my kitchen table/leaning against my walls out in the open. I hope that was a huge wake up call to her!
My coworkers H (who is now in AA) was cleaning one of his guns once.
Of course it was loaded and he "disn't realize it", and the gun went off. Went straight through one wall, and stopped when it hit some brick. If it had gone through the brick, it would have hit her, while she was holding their newborn.
She brushes it off like it was nothing. Guns are only just now locked away, after CPS showed up at her door.
And they have a very curious 4 year old in the home too.
I'm anti-guns. I'll be the mom who asks if people have guns in their homes. If the answer is yes, my kid isn't going over there.
I was telling my husband that I wanted to watch this tonight. Of course I missed it, but he was shocked when I said I was going to ask dd's play dates' parents if there were any guns in the house. I said I wouldn't let her go to someone's house if they had guns. He thinks I'm overprotective but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I'm anti-guns. I'll be the mom who asks if people have guns in their homes. If the answer is yes, my kid isn't going over there.
Same. Move to NYC so Fox And Fifi can be besties.
Skye too. I watched it and the first ten mins I could totally have seen my kid do what those kids did. Get a fucking alarm system and a dog people.
Bear mace, people! Non-lethal, easy to point and shoot, and will F someone up (but if it your kid that is f-ed up, you take them to the doctor and they will be fine by the next few days....)
I'm watching it now. @bkeane619 I hope all the gun happy people in the world saw those first 10mins. It should be an eye opener for people but unfortunately I think people will still think their kid wouldn't do it.
DH was supposed to talk to the ILs a while back about a gun they had while he was growing up but never did. I immediately texted his mother after those ten mins and asked if they still had it in the house. Thank goodness they don't. DS is staying there this weekend. I meant to tell her I didn't want it there months ago but forgot since baby came. She may have been offended I would think she had it in the house while he was around but whateva I DGAF. Bren said he saw it when he was a kid loose in their closet. WTF.
@bkeane619 I recently found out my stepdad has a gun. He says it's locked up. When Fox is a little older I'm going to make him show me the gun situation and demand it is elsewhere when we are there. I ain't playing around.
OK, I am seriously sleep deprived because I read this as "Gum & Kids" and thought, "Ooo, what's the big deal with kids chewing gum?"
I personally hate guns, but I made myself go to a shooting range once and fire a couple handguns with an instructor. It helped to solidify my stance that they scare the shit out of me and I would never want one in the house. Luckily DH agrees about having any in the house, but he enjoys going to the shooting range and just uses their guns when he goes.
m/c 9/22/07 at 8w5d...BFP 12/23/07! DD born 9/4/2008,
BFP 2/14/13...DS born 10/22/2013
I grew up in a home with guns and we have them at our house, too. I can't really remember one particular time where I was taught gun safety. It was more like a continual, taught from the beginning thing. My dad loves to hunt. We always took long hikes in the winter to get rid of cabin fever. On these walks, dad would set up targets and let me shoot all the while teaching me how to respect firearms. Obviously, we live in the country and have the land/space to do this. I also took a hunter safety course when I was old enough. The number one rule I learned is to ALWAYS treat a gun as if it is loaded. Firearms need to be respected and always handled cautiously. Truly is a shame that not everyone learns this.
Similar situation. We live in the country and have our own range on our property. We have to have guns to protect our animals. We've lost many due to coyote and raccoon attacks. Weve had a cougar about recently as well. We also have thousands of people on our property in the fall. So our family sees it as necessary. My dad collects antique pistols as well. We all keep them locked up. My brother has 6 kids and his oldest three boys have a pellet rifle that he uses with them to teach them gun safety. Our kids will grow up learning gun safety. But it's a different area here. We don't know anyone around that doesn't have a gun.
Re: Guns & kids:20/20 tonight
I think part of the problem is that even if everyone were taught this, kids are kids, right? They learn lots of things and then do the opposite. Because that's what kids/young teens/teenagers do. Many of them grow up to know better, but most people do stupid things when they are young, so why would they have a separate deep respect and maturity around guns?
I think those that do (like you) are likely the exception, not the rule.
Very true. And let's be frank....common sense seems to be a rarity in our youth as a whole these days. You take, for example, our grandparents and great grandparents. I bet it would be hard to find one of them that hadn't been raised around firearms or shot one. Gun violence in their time didn't seem to be a pandemic. I wonder, too, if the lack of being around firearms being part of the issue. This thing that used to be so common in households now often taboo. A lot of kids' only exposure to firearms are through glorified gore movies or video games. They truly don't understand "the real world" repercussions of firearms. It is considered "bad ass" instead of something that requires respect and maturity.
The hunters/gun enthusiast shooters that teach their kids gun safety and "kill the curiosity before the curiosity kills the kid" are very naive. Gun safety is important but thinking your child cannot play with the gun you let them shoot with is stupid.
Guns are scary and not just in a practical sense. They are this huge heated issue that people get terrifyingly up in arms about. Pun intended.
However, I'm hoping to teach my child that guns are not ok to play with very early on. In case a friends parents have one or another kid wanta to show off, etc.
And how about that one mom who left LOADED guns out around her house, openly, and told her daughter that bad people were out to get them?! Wow! That has got to be traumatic for that little girl to live in such fear. And surprise, surprise, she and her friends have touched the loaded guns that are just sitting out in the open... That mom is an idiot!
I'm glad we watched that. DH admitted that the safe he uses for his handgun now is not as secure as he'd like it to be, so we'll be buying a better one. I'm glad we are doing this before DS is old enough to get into things. And we'll be asking about guns before we send DS over to play at anyone's house.
"There are bad people out there and they want to hurt us!"
Yeah okay. Even if that's true.. Not something I would be telling my young children. And I would NEVER have loaded guns on my kitchen table/leaning against my walls out in the open. I hope that was a huge wake up call to her!
Of course it was loaded and he "disn't realize it", and the gun went off. Went straight through one wall, and stopped when it hit some brick. If it had gone through the brick, it would have hit her, while she was holding their newborn.
She brushes it off like it was nothing. Guns are only just now locked away, after CPS showed up at her door.
And they have a very curious 4 year old in the home too.
I mean WTF?
Also Fox + Fifi + Skye. He gets all the ladies.
And I second the bear mace