Gun-toting mamma's

okcountrygirl · March 2016

Hello lovely ladies! I hope everyone doing well! So hubby and I started really talking the other day about gun safety in our house as well as when we're out and about. This baby is our first so we haven't put much thought into how to keep firearms accessible to us but safe from the kiddo. Whenever friends with kids come over we just put them up in the top of the closet of our bedroom, but that's not a good permanent solution. As for myself, I'm having a purse made that has a hidden pocket on the back for my gun. The pocket also has a locking zipper on it.

Anyone have any advice that has worked well for you and your family?

proudparent2b · March 2016

My first thought is that you could buy a gun safe. The safes are relatively inexpensive and give great piece of mind.

JessicaB0627 · March 2016

I would highly suggest getting a safe. We keep our guns locked up because kids are smart and figure out how to reach places that you would never imagine them reaching. We have a small safe with a keypad lock by our bed with one of each of our handguns in it and a locking gun cabinet with our shotguns and rifles and our other handguns.

As for carrying, I have a paddle holster that I keep my gun in in my purse only if I know that my purse will be on me the entire time and not set down. When it's not in my purse it's in the locked console in my car.

ETA I just realized I sound a little crazy. DH and I like guns! Lol

businessmama · March 2016

We have a fingerprint safe as well. it makes me feel a million times better because I have seen one too many documentaries where the parents think their kids don't know they own guns and the kids lead the cameraman directly to them.

wamam027 · March 2016

We don't have them yet (in the meantime all of our guns are locked up in a carry case in a closet we can lock from the outside) but we have been looking into getting a nightstand safe, don't know the real name for them (they're small enough to fit into the drawer of a nightstand so I can have my pistol accessible if/when needed but still have it be kid safe). For the rest of the guns we just intend on getting a big gun safe to keep in the garage, we've ALMOST got enough money saved up.

saraleigh2 · March 2016

I am a FTM and we have quick access pistol safes that I love!!! There are number of brands & designs on the market I've had the safe for 10+ yrs and it was worth every penny when we got married my husband liked mine so much he bought one too!! I like it because I can keep my pistol loaded and ready to use inside the safe (which I can open in the dark easily in a matter of seconds), but it keeps out any unauthorized access -neighbors, kids etc. For larger arms you might consider a large safe, but personally I only own one shotgun so I just keep it stored in pieces and so that it can't be used without assembly. If you know how to assemble and clean my shotgun you probably know how to be safe with my shotgun… But that's just what our family is comfortable with I hope you find this helpful!

doozer1345 · March 2016

We have ours in a safe, hidden in a closet, hidden in a drawer, and other inconspicuous places. We're ready for the apocalypse thanks to DH.

lalala2004 · March 2016

I wish everyone that owned guns would keep them in a safe (unless they are always carrying) whether they have kids or not for theft prevention.

dsmith211 · March 2016

Safe for sure. DH wanted a gun here at home for protection, but my stipulation to him getting it was also that it had to be in a safe. He's also taking it a step further and putting a door alarm sensor on the closet door where the safe is. We can get them through the security company we use for like $30 or so and have it linked to alert us on the security system. I just know when I was a kid even if something was high up somewhere, if I wanted it then I would find some way to get it.

amberraysofdawn · March 2016

I can't repeat what PPs have already said enough times - gun safe. We keep a tall one in my husband's home office closet, and there's a small one in the drawer of his nightstand as well. I'm also going to talk to him about possibly keeping one on the shelf in the entry way closet, because DH has a habit of just putting his gun, wallet, and keys on the counter every time he comes in. I am not comfortable with having that thing just laying around, even if Emily won't be big enough to get into it anytime soon.

TheThornBird · March 2016

I'm still working on convincing MH, but I'd like to have a gun safe, individual locks for each gun, and a separate locked safe for ammo. I remember when I was a kid, I'd climb to the top of a huge (probably 8 ft) closet and pull out my dad's gun to show my friends; so I don't trust that just hiding it is enough.

Also, check out https://www.projectchildsafe.org/ to get a free safety kit from local law enforcement.

rlworzalla · March 2016

Currently the two we own are in my bedside table, unloaded. We will be putting them in a safe once taxes come in, as we have no friends who visit with kids and the only family child that visits is my sister who is 12, educated in guns and has no idea where we have them (not that that's an excuse). I travel to our state capitol a lot and there's been a lot of road rage shootings and random fun violence in malls so I wouldn't mind a conceled carry license.

Victoria52516 · March 2016

I agree with the fingerprint safes its awesome and easy to access in a hurry for protection. I know it wont be an issue right away but we believe trying to hide the guns and not teaching even at a young age is dangerous. My family all have guns and even when my sister and I were young and not shooting actual firearms yet my dad taught us about them and even our toy pop guns, waterguns, and gunish toys were to be treated like they could hurt someone and only targets were used to play with them not people. My cousins were never taught and found their dads guns and were out in their yard shooting unknown to my uncle of course and shot a house behind their house through the woods that was too close thankfully no one was home at the house. There are always exceptions but I believe when you make something so tabboo kids tend to do it just because of its mystery and excitement of doing something you shouldn't be. When you do it with them and let them explore it safely they tend not to feel the need to sneak and do it on their own. Im only a ftm though so I guess we will see!

okcountrygirl · March 2016

Thanks ladies! I'll have to look into one of those finger print safes or something like it. We currently keep a gun in the nightstand, and would like to keep one there, but obviously need it to be safer for kids, and still need it quickly accessible if the occasion should occur. We currently only have hand guns at our house. 4 total. The one we keep in the nightstand, my carry gun, and both of my husbands carry guns. Maybe we can get a second safe where we can check in our carry guns after we get home from somewhere...

mcb2016 · March 2016

Good idea to be thinking about this now. We have guns and ammo locked and stored separately at our house. The problem is it is not easily or quickly accessed if needed.

ayeshaohara · March 2016

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

mumbolino · March 2016

Same here @ayeshaohara (European living in Australia). Scary!
I've read so many stories lately about kids shooting kids/ themselves/ mom/dad who knows.... I suppose if you must have them, then make sure nobody else can possibly get to them, to avoid such terrible tragedies.

doozer1345 · March 2016

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Actually if I wasn't allowed to have guns I couldn't protect myself or family from the people who have them illegally as it is. More times than not it's the people in America that don't have their guns legally that cause the most problems.

valerie4786 · March 2016

My husband is a gun collector and has a concealed carry license and he stores all his in a large gun safe. We also have a fingerprint safe by the bed with both our fingerprints programmed into it, should the need arise that we'd need it. What's nice about the fingerprint safe is that yoj can program numerous prints into it and it will notify you if an unprogrammed print tried to access the safe. There is usually a handgun laying around our house (unloaded) that he forgot to put away, which drives me nuts, but my husband is very aware that his days of leaving guns around are limited and gun safety is a priority to him. He is also a believer in teaching gun safety at a young age so our child knows that guns aren't toys and always should be treated as if they're loaded. He also locks up the ammo in a separate cabinet.

JessicaB0627 · March 2016

ETA Oops, didn't mean to post anything here

Pascal86 · March 2016

Yeah - @ayeshaohara and @mumbolino - let's just say I'm not into guns at all, and it's hard for me to hold back when I hear about people and their guns. BUT, I am quite sure I'm not going to change any minds about owning guns on this thread, in which case I think that conversations about gun safety and best storage plans is wonderful, and do not want to disrupt it with general gun debate. I also fall in the camp of the "nobody should own guns" opinion, but in our country, a lot of people DO own guns, so even though I don't like them, it makes sense that people are allowed to respond to that by deciding for themselves if they should have guns as well, and very smart to make plans as to how to keep their family safe from both outside threats and their own weapons.

kp90 · March 2016

We have yet to figure this out yet also as most of our guns are in drawers or even laying in the open where we could easily grab them if needed while in the house. I have my CCW but don't carry it on me unless I'm alone or traveling somewhere far. When LO is here I plan to get a holster that attaches to the car but doubt I will actually carry it on my especially when LO gets bigger. Heard too many horror stories so I'll have to do some thinking with SO and come up with our specific plan. As far as for the home though I like the idea of those finger print safes or ones with a quick access code that can mount to the bed or a nightstand for easy access.

lalala2004 · March 2016

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Not all Americans love guns. I hate them and they make me uncomfortable. I will never own one.

However, we truly have a constitutional right to own them, and unless our country decides to completely throw out the Constitution (unlikely) guns are a reality here.

Personally I'd rather be shot and killed than shoot someone else, even in self-defense. I'm somewhat of a pacifist at heart, though....

swflJD · March 2016

I have a concealed carry permit, and I carry a small handgun (holstered in my purse) nearly everywhere I go. When I'm somewhere I can't carry it, it stays in a locked compartment in my car. At night, it stays out on my nightstand. DH has a shotgun and a couple of hunting rifles in his closet. None of our guns stay locked when we are at home. Since this is our first child and we never have any other children at our house, this hasn't been an issue for us until now. We don't have any safes yet, but we plan to buy a large safe for the shotgun and rifles and a small, quick access fingerprint-access safe to keep on my nightstand for my handgun. We live in a great neighborhood, but I just feel better knowing it's within arm's length when I'm sleeping - especially when DH travels for work. My dad hunts, and he has always kept a small arsenal of various handguns, rifles, etc. in a safe in my parents' basement. My sisters and I learned how to handle his guns safely and responsibly - with his supervision - from a very young age, and my son will learn to do the same. Handling guns safely is like second nature to me, so I guess that's why it seems so strange to me how uncomfortable some people are around them.

PYLWhammy · March 2016

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

I don't like guns either, but hey, these mamas have the right to have 'em. Just be safe and LOCK THEM UP! When I was really young (I'm talking 7-8 years old), my friend took me into her parents' room and showed me the gun they kept in the nightstand. I still shudder to think what could have happened...

proudparent2b · March 2016

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Not everyone who responds to this post actually owns guns. There is a horrible misconception abroad that all Americans own guns and it really isn't true. I'd say that less than 1% of the people I know have ever handled a gun, and the percentage who actually own one is way lower.

ayeshaohara · March 2016

proudparent2b said:

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Not everyone who responds to this post actually owns guns. There is a horrible misconception abroad that all Americans own guns and it really isn't true. I'd say that less than 1% of the people I know have ever handled a gun, and the percentage who actually own one is way lower.

I don't doubt that we have a totally misrepresented idea of what it's like...the media is great at skewing that sort of thing for sure. its reassuring to hear your comments!!!

amberraysofdawn · March 2016

proudparent2b said:

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Not everyone who responds to this post actually owns guns. There is a horrible misconception abroad that all Americans own guns and it really isn't true. I'd say that less than 1% of the people I know have ever handled a gun, and the percentage who actually own one is way lower.

Truth. Also, just because they're in the house doesn't mean we are all happy to have them, either. My husband is the one who owns them, not me. I've also never been able to get comfortable handling them - and this is coming from someone who used to teach basic riflery at summer camp. Just never have been able to get over that queasy feeling that comes when I'm holding one. I know the ins & out and how to use them, but I don't like it.

(I don't have an issue with other people having them, so long as they understand the gravity of owning such a powerful weapon, are responsible with it, and actually know how to use them properly. I just don't ever want one for myself.)

Give me a plain old bow & arrow, though, and I'll Katniss my way out of any situation. I feel much more in control with those. And I'm a way better aim.

dsmith211 · March 2016

amberraysofdawn said:

proudparent2b said:

ayeshaohara said:

I'm sorry but as an Australian where my country has a no gun policy and now living in Canada that endorses the same policies I'm totally blown away by this thread. We all know that Americans love guns but holy hell I really had no concept of how many people own and carry them. It scares the crap outta me. Just think, if no one was allowed to own them, maybe you wouldn't feel like you had to have one! I dunno because I've never been exposed to it. Very very eye opening thread for me!!!

Not everyone who responds to this post actually owns guns. There is a horrible misconception abroad that all Americans own guns and it really isn't true. I'd say that less than 1% of the people I know have ever handled a gun, and the percentage who actually own one is way lower.

Truth. Also, just because they're in the house doesn't mean we are all happy to have them, either. My husband is the one who owns them, not me. I've also never been able to get comfortable handling them - and this is coming from someone who used to teach basic riflery at summer camp. Just never have been able to get over that queasy feeling that comes when I'm holding one. I know the ins & out and how to use them, but I don't like it.

(I don't have an issue with other people having them, so long as they understand the gravity of owning such a powerful weapon, are responsible with it, and actually know how to use them properly. I just don't ever want one for myself.)

Give me a plain old bow & arrow, though, and I'll Katniss my way out of any situation. I feel much more in control with those. And I'm a way better aim.

This. I had stipulations on them being in our house, being that DH took classes to handle them and having a safe to store them in. I tend to get nervous around them myself, but I completely respect them and the people who take the care in owning them responsibly. The majority of people I know do no own a gun however.

laurenmdrn16 · March 2016

amberraysofdawn said:

Give me a plain old bow & arrow, though, and I'll Katniss my way out of any situation. I feel much more in control with those. And I'm a way better aim.

I have actually told MH that I would feel so much more comfortable having a cross-bow or switchblade by the bed. I would rather stab someone than shoot them. Huh, now that I wrote it "out loud", I am thinking this might not be something I want to readily admit...

Anyways, he is so anti-gun and such a pacifist, but he could literally tear someone's head off with his bare (bear!) hands. He is ridiculously strong and I wouldn't doubt he could keep me and our family safe just by Hulking out and laying a mano-a-mano smack down on an armed assailant. I studied jujitsu and other assorted martial arts for many years after I was raped and have actually disarmed a gun-man using pressure points and small-circle bars and locks. Even the toughest and most determined armed robber will submit to your will if you know how to break all their fingers slowly and painfully. Again, maybe I shouldn't be typing this...

I agree that it can be tough to imagine all the homes with guns, but as long as you are safe about it and do everything in your power to make sure that they cannot be stolen or mishandled by children or adults, it is your right. Like all rights, it comes with responsibility and I am very heartened to see that so many take those responsibilities seriously. Tote on , gun-mamas!

swflJD · March 2016

Just as an observation, I find it interesting that so many of you in the U.S. have said that you don't know anyone (or only know a few people) who actually own guns. I wonder if it's a regional thing (I grew up in the deep South where a lot of people hunted and nearly everyone I knew owned some type of gun.) or whether a lot of the people you know and interact with regularly carry guns or have them in their homes and you just don't know about it. Or maybe the people in your circles really don't have them. Most of my friends and co-workers probably have no idea that I carry a handgun daily because it stays locked in my car at work (per our corporate policies), and I don't go around talking about it unless the topic happens to come up. Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but it makes me wonder what the actual numbers are vs. what the perception of the actual numbers are...

kami09 · March 2016

My entire family owns guns. I don't just because I am scared of everything and would probably shoot by husband late at night thinking it was a robber. ANYWAY...if I was in a place where there was a shooting, I'd LOVE to have any of you carrying mommas there with me!

wamam027 · March 2016

swflJD said:

Just as an observation, I find it interesting that so many of you in the U.S. have said that you don't know anyone (or only know a few people) who actually own guns. I wonder if it's a regional thing (I grew up in the deep South where a lot of people hunted and nearly everyone I knew owned some type of gun.) or whether a lot of the people you know and interact with regularly carry guns or have them in their homes and you just don't know about it. Or maybe the people in your circles really don't have them. Most of my friends and co-workers probably have no idea that I carry a handgun daily because it stays locked in my car at work (per our corporate policies), and I don't go around talking about it unless the topic happens to come up. Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but it makes me wonder what the actual numbers are vs. what the perception of the actual numbers are...

Yep. Everyone in my hometown (well, obviously not EVERYONE but I'd bet money on 90% of the people in my hometown) own not just one, but several guns. It's a huge hunting town and very conservative. It's simply the norm, we were all raised around guns and were highly educated on them from a young age. I'm sure it's much different based on where people grew up.

Bltbear82 · March 2016

@swflJD I think it's totally regional. I've never touched a gun or actually seen one in person aside from cops walking around on the street. I've never even thought of owning one despite or maybe because of living in a major city. But I went to college in rural New England and a lot of my friends and their families grew up hunting and they were more local. Their exposure to firearms was much greater than mine. I actually don't think I even know anyone that personally owns a gun at this point in my life. That likely shapes my views on gun control, for better or worse.

laurenmdrn16 · March 2016

swflJD said:

Just as an observation, I find it interesting that so many of you in the U.S. have said that you don't know anyone (or only know a few people) who actually own guns. I wonder if it's a regional thing (I grew up in the deep South where a lot of people hunted and nearly everyone I knew owned some type of gun.) or whether a lot of the people you know and interact with regularly carry guns or have them in their homes and you just don't know about it. Or maybe the people in your circles really don't have them. Most of my friends and co-workers probably have no idea that I carry a handgun daily because it stays locked in my car at work (per our corporate policies), and I don't go around talking about it unless the topic happens to come up. Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but it makes me wonder what the actual numbers are vs. what the perception of the actual numbers are...

That is interesting. I know that I was recently surprised to find out that a very dear friend has a gun safe and carries. She had offered to baby sit my son and gave full-disclosure and even showed me the safe etc. I felt perfectly fine with my son being in the house, but MH blew his top when he found out. Which is again odd because we joke that his BFF from high school is our go-to during the zombie apocalypse because his entire basement is basically a full artillery bunker. I know that when my son's godfather's dad passed he was so stressed out about what to do with his gun collection since he didn't want them anywhere near his house, but he had some pretty valuable and rare guns. Right now they are in appropriate storage, but I can tell it makes my son's godfather super uneasy.

Personally, I view having a gun safe like having a liquor cabinet or a secure stash of weed or a locked medication cabinet. I know how dangerous prescription meds, alcohol, drugs etc can be and while it is very different if a small child gets a hold of a gun versus a bottle of pills, you still need to be smart and be safe. While I am sometimes surprised by the people who carry, I am not as shocked when I find out people in my circle have guns in the house, mostly because I have been assaulted and our house has been broken into and robbed. I couldn't personally shoot someone, but I completely understand how justified someone would be if they were properly trained and had the appropriate licensure and equipment.

FTR, I live in a quiet neighborhood in a slightly more urban city just north of Boston where there are reports of stabbings and robberies a few blocks away on the regular. Also because I did a stint in the ER and third-rode on an ambulance, I have seen first hand how many gun shot wounds there are that we don't hear about on the news. With all that in mind, I wouldn't deny anyone the right to protect themselves. Goodness knows people who are using guns to hurt others won't stop whether or not everyone has the right to bear arms.

KidShrink · March 2016

@laurenmdrn16 : you're a serious badass and should be proud of yourself!

Like @ayeshaohara , I'm Canadian and this conversation just boggles my mind! But glad people are looking at ways to protect their kids from having access to guns. My in-laws are jewellers in Florida, and so they have a concealed weapon permit and FIL is a bit of a collectioner. I know that most arms in the house are locked/safe, but I feel like we'll need to have a conversation with them to be sure....

NB817 · March 2016

I was born and raised in MA and my family still lives there and I live in CT. Over the past 3 years most of my family has gotten their license to carry and conceal and carry almost everywhere. Even my 67 year old mother got hers and a handgun.
We did not grow up with guns but over the past several years they've decided to get them because they want to be able to protect themselves in a situation if it ever arises.
DH inherited his dad's shotguns last year when he passed away (he's from a farm town in the Midwest where most people own and carry). We have not brought the guns here to CT yet as DH is in the process of getting his gun license and wants me to do so also. Why? Simply because he wants me to be able to get a license before they change the laws making it impossible to do so. I hate that we feel we need to have guns to protect ourselves but as it was said before there are so many people that have them illegally and with intentions to do harm to others, so why not try to make sure they can't harm us?
And yes we have a safe for the guns that DH inherited.

LadySamLady · March 2016

swflJD said:

Just as an observation, I find it interesting that so many of you in the U.S. have said that you don't know anyone (or only know a few people) who actually own guns. I wonder if it's a regional thing (I grew up in the deep South where a lot of people hunted and nearly everyone I knew owned some type of gun.) or whether a lot of the people you know and interact with regularly carry guns or have them in their homes and you just don't know about it. Or maybe the people in your circles really don't have them. Most of my friends and co-workers probably have no idea that I carry a handgun daily because it stays locked in my car at work (per our corporate policies), and I don't go around talking about it unless the topic happens to come up. Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but it makes me wonder what the actual numbers are vs. what the perception of the actual numbers are...

I've also found this thread very interesting but I'm coming from the opposite perspective. I'm completely surprised by how many of you own and carry guns. I do suspect it is a regional thing and I wonder about the actual numbers too! I live in NYC and the only people I know who own guns work for the FBI and Secret Service (my friends are so much cooler than I am). My family lived in Maine when I was a teenager and guns were much more commonly owned (and discussed) there. Much to my pacifist mother's dismay, a family friend took me out to shoot skeet while we lived there but I haven't shot a gun since.

ayeshaohara · March 2016

laurenmdrn16 said:

swflJD said:

Just as an observation, I find it interesting that so many of you in the U.S. have said that you don't know anyone (or only know a few people) who actually own guns. I wonder if it's a regional thing (I grew up in the deep South where a lot of people hunted and nearly everyone I knew owned some type of gun.) or whether a lot of the people you know and interact with regularly carry guns or have them in their homes and you just don't know about it. Or maybe the people in your circles really don't have them. Most of my friends and co-workers probably have no idea that I carry a handgun daily because it stays locked in my car at work (per our corporate policies), and I don't go around talking about it unless the topic happens to come up. Maybe it's the sociologist in me, but it makes me wonder what the actual numbers are vs. what the perception of the actual numbers are...

That is interesting. I know that I was recently surprised to find out that a very dear friend has a gun safe and carries. She had offered to baby sit my son and gave full-disclosure and even showed me the safe etc. I felt perfectly fine with my son being in the house, but MH blew his top when he found out. Which is again odd because we joke that his BFF from high school is our go-to during the zombie apocalypse because his entire basement is basically a full artillery bunker. I know that when my son's godfather's dad passed he was so stressed out about what to do with his gun collection since he didn't want them anywhere near his house, but he had some pretty valuable and rare guns. Right now they are in appropriate storage, but I can tell it makes my son's godfather super uneasy.

Personally, I view having a gun safe like having a liquor cabinet or a secure stash of weed or a locked medication cabinet. I know how dangerous prescription meds, alcohol, drugs etc can be and while it is very different if a small child gets a hold of a gun versus a bottle of pills, you still need to be smart and be safe. While I am sometimes surprised by the people who carry, I am not as shocked when I find out people in my circle have guns in the house, mostly because I have been assaulted and our house has been broken into and robbed. I couldn't personally shoot someone, but I completely understand how justified someone would be if they were properly trained and had the appropriate licensure and equipment.

FTR, I live in a quiet neighborhood in a slightly more urban city just north of Boston where there are reports of stabbings and robberies a few blocks away on the regular. Also because I did a stint in the ER and third-rode on an ambulance, I have seen first hand how many gun shot wounds there are that we don't hear about on the news. With all that in mind, I wouldn't deny anyone the right to protect themselves. Goodness knows people who are using guns to hurt others won't stop whether or not everyone has the right to bear arms.

Good point but I think the issue here is that they make play guns as toys...so kids can have difficulty distinguishing. I hate play guns/video games involving shooting etc because while I don't think it encourages violence in all kids, in the very impressionable and perhaps mentally unstable they can be quite detrimental. This is a fascinating discussion ladies. Not one I ever imagined on a pregnancy forum! I'm learning a lot though.

saraleigh2 · March 2016

I bought my first piece in college. I am short and at the time weighed 114lbs soaking wet (let's not talk about my current weight -lol), I worked nights and often came back to my appartment alone and late at night (I needed the job and the schedule fit w/my classes), my apartment wasn't the safest (poor/starving student budget). I had some experience w/guns from my upbringing and knew I needed more, I got training, practiced at the range and obtained my CCW.

I was vigilent, and accountable for my own safety: I parked in open areas that were well lit, I had my car keys in my hand vs fumbling in my purse, I wasn't on the phone getting in/out of my car, I carried a flashlight, Etc AND I carried a concealed weapon.

I was responsible for storing my piece safety- I bought a safe right off the bat and told my roommate I had a piece taught her gun safety and took her shooting with me. I was still the only person w/access to the safe since it was my piece and my responsibility!

I am so grateful that I never had to use my piece in the "wild" and hope I never do! But no one is going to hurt me, or my family, because I will stop them. And I thank god I live somewhere that I have the right to.

(Side note I love shooting for sport, target practice, IDPA & USPSA are really fun, I'm glad I have the right to enjoy those hobbies too).

& agree probably regional I grew up in the southwest but I would say all my family and half my friends parents had guns when I was growing up.

I couldn't agree more that toy guns are an important opportunity to start teaching gun safety- rule 1)NEVER point it at anything you don't intend to destroy!!

Edited cuz I had more to say (sorry it's long!)

arj14 · March 2016

My dad hunts, and has my whole life, but I've never known where the guns were if he wasn't prepping to go hunting or just back from it. Since DH & I live in the top half of the duplex my parents own, with them on the bottom, this thread has reminded me that I should probably find out where my dad keeps his gun.

My problem is a bit different in that DH is a sword collector. Not wallhangers, but functional, sharp swords. We're still not quite sure the best way / place to store them in is - right now they're in the closet in what will become baby's room, so obviously they can't stay there much longer.

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