7 year old received nerf gun for birthday!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No, that's a cop out! Totally do something real with your time. Stop picking on little boys. You are just too lazy to do anything real so you take out your misguided logic on the young.

[Anonymous]

I won't give them as a gift because I once ran across a rabid anti-nerf gun parent (we had not gifted one, the mother out of nowhere started ranting about nerf guns) though I am often tempted because nerf guns are tons of fun. Prior to that it never even occurred to me that such a ubiquitous item would inspire such rage. My brother and I had them as kids and my 6 year old girl has one that someone gave her.

Then again, we had blow up pirate swords at my daughter's pirate party, which I'm sure someone probably judged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son had a birthday party this weekend where he received a nurf gun. My hope was that my son wouldn't know what it was(we don't have any toy guns) and we could exchange it for something else. He however knew exactly what it was and loved it, much to my surprise and would be very upset if we made him return it. Do I let him play with it and hope he forgets about it or do I need to stand my ground and tell him this is not a safe toy and have him return it for something else.

All this indecision and anxiety from parents these days...geezus.
It's your house and you're the parent and they're the child so you get make the rules and if they don't like it, tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No. The problem comes in not teaching properly about guns. Real guns. No training, no respect for the weapon. No clue what they really do. A real gun is NOT a toy, and does not belong in the hands of someone not trained to handle it. A real gun is never stored with the ammunition, etc.

But... that doesn't go well with they hysteria over guns. A nerf gun doesn't teach kids to be a mass murderer. Exposure to nerf guns doesn't teach a kid to kill people.

Did nobody ever play cops and robbers? Or war games? Maybe not anymore.

I was in Army cadets. I learned how to handle a weapon. My kids were given that same option. If they want to so much as shoot a gopher on their grandmother's farm, they need to take the safety course first.

[Anonymous]

PP here. We don't own weapons of any kind. But dh can fire a rifle and so can I. Both of my kids played with nerf guns. One is pretty damn accurate with a bow and arrow.

No inclination of violence in any of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. We don't own weapons of any kind. But dh can fire a rifle and so can I. Both of my kids played with nerf guns. One is pretty damn accurate with a bow and arrow.

No inclination of violence in any of us.

My favorite story about this came from a very liberal friend who had planned to "ban" guns. She also found that the boys turned sticks and their fingers into pretend guns at the park and then one morning her son chewed his pancake into a gun and "shot her." She decided this was not a battle worth having. I've never shot a gun in my life, but nerf guns are pretty fun and I'd rather my 10 year old have a big nerf war with a friend than play video games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No, that's a cop out! Totally do something real with your time. Stop picking on little boys. You are just too lazy to do anything real so you take out your misguided logic on the young.

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally would be fine with it if someone gave my kid that toy. But *I* wouldn't give a toy gun as a birthday gift because I don't know how the other family feels about guns and I'm respectful of the fact that other families have different policies and opinions. In the same vein I wouldn't give a religious book or a Nativity set as a gift. I'm sure it would be fine with some people, but it wouldn't be with others. And there are so many other neutral, fun gifts out there anyway!

+1. I find all of the hysteria about Nerf guns laughable.

However, as a matter of common courtesy, I'd not give a Nerf gun as a gift.

Similarly, if you don't want your child playing with Nerf guns (and you let me know), I'll gladly put them away before your kid visits our house.

Life can be so very easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No, that's a cop out! Totally do something real with your time. Stop picking on little boys. You are just too lazy to do anything real so you take out your misguided logic on the young.

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other.

NP here. You're being ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other.

NP here. You're being ridiculous.

I had assumed PP was being facetious?

Regardless, I am very, very strongly anti-gun (DH worked for an anti-gun group for years), and now that I have three high school boys, I can tell you that it is just about impossible to prevent children--mostly boys, in my observation--from playing pretend with guns. We did not buy our child toy guns, but once the Star Wars phases began, what do you do with the "blasters"? What do you do when all their little friends come over with their Star Wars figures and weapons? As the boys grew older, there were laser-tag parties, Nerf-gun parties, pool parties wtih water guns, etc., etc. And, yes, we had a couple of our boys chew guns out of toast. When we went for walks in the park, sticks became guns.

And yet, I am 100% positive that my boys are very strongly anti-gun. They have no desire to shoot a real gun, and think that legislation allowing guns on public places is stupid.

Don't over simplify the toy guns->gun lovers. Do you believe that by giving your kid a doctor's kit that they'll suddenly not be afraid of shots? Or that by giving a boy a doll he'll really love babies? Honestly, by protesting too much, your kids will end up hiding their play from you.

We decided after a few years that while we wouldn't buy toy guns--and explained why--, we would allow them as part of an action figure, when friends brought them over (or purchased them as a gift, e.g., Nerf gun present), and when they were part of a party theme (e.g., laser tag). We didn't interfere with bread or sticks as guns, unless there was imminent danger involved (which, honestly, happened more when they used sticks as swords--another play-theme that you won't be able to squash entirely).

[Anonymous]

You and the goodie bag lady need to start a support group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No. The problem comes in not teaching properly about guns. Real guns. No training, no respect for the weapon. No clue what they really do. A real gun is NOT a toy, and does not belong in the hands of someone not trained to handle it. A real gun is never stored with the ammunition, etc.

But... that doesn't go well with they hysteria over guns. A nerf gun doesn't teach kids to be a mass murderer. Exposure to nerf guns doesn't teach a kid to kill people.

Did nobody ever play cops and robbers? Or war games? Maybe not anymore.

I was in Army cadets. I learned how to handle a weapon. My kids were given that same option. If they want to so much as shoot a gopher on their grandmother's farm, they need to take the safety course first.

Agree that the big issue is the proper use of weapons, but it comes down to parenting and part of that is about toys. We do not allow toy weapons except a few squirt guns. Our children have been to Walter Reed many times where they see the impact guns have. They get guns are not meant to be toys and are weapons. When they are old enough, they can learn properly to use a gun at a gun range and right now take fencing lessons. There is a time and place and teaching respect for guns includes not using them as toys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other.

NP here. You're being ridiculous.

I had assumed PP was being facetious?

Regardless, I am very, very strongly anti-gun (DH worked for an anti-gun group for years), and now that I have three high school boys, I can tell you that it is just about impossible to prevent children--mostly boys, in my observation--from playing pretend with guns. We did not buy our child toy guns, but once the Star Wars phases began, what do you do with the "blasters"? What do you do when all their little friends come over with their Star Wars figures and weapons? As the boys grew older, there were laser-tag parties, Nerf-gun parties, pool parties wtih water guns, etc., etc. And, yes, we had a couple of our boys chew guns out of toast. When we went for walks in the park, sticks became guns.

And yet, I am 100% positive that my boys are very strongly anti-gun. They have no desire to shoot a real gun, and think that legislation allowing guns on public places is stupid.

Don't over simplify the toy guns->gun lovers. Do you believe that by giving your kid a doctor's kit that they'll suddenly not be afraid of shots? Or that by giving a boy a doll he'll really love babies? Honestly, by protesting too much, your kids will end up hiding their play from you.

We decided after a few years that while we wouldn't buy toy guns--and explained why--, we would allow them as part of an action figure, when friends brought them over (or purchased them as a gift, e.g., Nerf gun present), and when they were part of a party theme (e.g., laser tag). We didn't interfere with bread or sticks as guns, unless there was imminent danger involved (which, honestly, happened more when they used sticks as swords--another play-theme that you won't be able to squash entirely).

I just want to compliment you--it's awesome to hear from reasonable people with nuanced viewpoints. DCUM (and society) needs more people like you.

Signed,

A parent with a very different view of guns, but (I hope) a similarly grounded approach to parenting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns are not toys. Masculinity doesn't increase using a gun.

You're an idiot. A little boy doesn't think like this.

My message is to fathers. You are the idiot who doesn't think.

What makes you think if Nerf guns are allowed real guns are? My DH is anti-gun. He thinks all guns should be illegal, including hunting. Your logic is flawed.

Go affect real change and work on our society's real gun problem. Picking on small boys with Nerf guns doesn't address the problem of real gun violence. Although picking on small boys is easier for you, I know.

One of the starting points with guns is when you buy a toy gun to your young child. A boy gets the message that it is ok to play with guns. You are teaching violence from early age. And that's a real problem.

No, that's a cop out! Totally do something real with your time. Stop picking on little boys. You are just too lazy to do anything real so you take out your misguided logic on the young.

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other.

Oh you have little kids. Come back and post when they get a little older. Right now the unpainted wood toys are fine. Things get more complex as your children grow up. But you're cute for hypothesizing the future!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You and the goodie bag lady need to start a support group.