Polite and respectful way to ask the parents hosting a play date

[Anonymous]

I always ask-usually through text or email as part of setting up the play date logistics. No one has ever been offended, and I always tell them that we do not own any firearms. One of my friend’s husband is a police officer so I know they have firearms in their house without asking them. We don’t live near each other so our kids don’t see each other often, and they’ve never been to my friends house. But I would absolute check to see how weapons are stored if we were ever to visit them with our kids.

[Anonymous]

This question doesn’t make sense to me.
Are you not going to let your child go if there are guns? Or are you not letting them go unless they are secure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Hi Sally. Larlo is excited about his play date with Pierpont on Saturday. Before he comes over, I need to check in with you about a safety issue. Are there any firearms in your home?”

This. I also always have the first play date at my house and always volunteer the information to the parent, “we don’t have any firearms in our home”. I have not met one person who hasn’t immediately responded back “oh, neither do we”. When it comes time for DS to go to a friends house, I always ask again.

No one has ever been offended or had a problem with my question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This question doesn’t make sense to me.
Are you not going to let your child go if there are guns? Or are you not letting them go unless they are secure?

Not the issue. This is not a discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question doesn’t make sense to me.
Are you not going to let your child go if there are guns? Or are you not letting them go unless they are secure?

Not the issue. This is not a discussion.

Np I’d be consider too. Are they asking guns or asking if they’re locked up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question doesn’t make sense to me.
Are you not going to let your child go if there are guns? Or are you not letting them go unless they are secure?

Not the issue. This is not a discussion.

Np I’d be consider too. Are they asking guns or asking if they’re locked up?

Not the question posed by OP. The question is “how do you ask if there are firearms in the home”. If you want to ask about firearm storage, start your own thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Hi Sally. Larlo is excited about his play date with Pierpont on Saturday. Before he comes over, I need to check in with you about a safety issue. Are there any firearms in your home?”

This. I also always have the first play date at my house and always volunteer the information to the parent, “we don’t have any firearms in our home”. I have not met one person who hasn’t immediately responded back “oh, neither do we”. When it comes time for DS to go to a friends house, I always ask again.

No one has ever been offended or had a problem with my question. [/quote

But what are you looking for? If there are firearms what do you want us to say? I’d hate to think my kids couldn’t have firearms because their parents have firearms. We’re all about firearm safety. Dh does tours overseas and needs to be familiar with firearms for his own safety. He also hunts with his dad and grandpa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Hi Sally. Larlo is excited about his play date with Pierpont on Saturday. Before he comes over, I need to check in with you about a safety issue. Are there any firearms in your home?”

This. I also always have the first play date at my house and always volunteer the information to the parent, “we don’t have any firearms in our home”. I have not met one person who hasn’t immediately responded back “oh, neither do we”. When it comes time for DS to go to a friends house, I always ask again.

No one has ever been offended or had a problem with my question.

But what are you looking for? If there are firearms what do you want us to say? I’d hate to think my kids couldn’t have firearms because their parents have firearms. We’re all about firearm safety. Dh does tours overseas and needs to be familiar with firearms for his own safety. He also hunts with his dad and grandpa.

[Anonymous]

OP is asking how to politely ask if there are firearms in the home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Hi Sally. Larlo is excited about his play date with Pierpont on Saturday. Before he comes over, I need to check in with you about a safety issue. Are there any firearms in your home?”

This. I also always have the first play date at my house and always volunteer the information to the parent, “we don’t have any firearms in our home”. I have not met one person who hasn’t immediately responded back “oh, neither do we”. When it comes time for DS to go to a friends house, I always ask again.

No one has ever been offended or had a problem with my question. [/quote

But what are you looking for? If there are firearms what do you want us to say? I’d hate to think my kids couldn’t have firearms because their parents have firearms. We’re all about firearm safety. Dh does tours overseas and needs to be familiar with firearms for his own safety. He also hunts with his dad and grandpa.

OP and the rest of us asking the question want to know if you have firearms in your home. In your case, your answer would be yes.

[Anonymous]

My DH is a LEO. We have guns. Surprisingly, no one has ever asked. I guess they assume we are responsible gun owners. I wouldn’t be at all offended if you asked me. And I would be happy to show you where and how they are stored.

[Anonymous]

You just ask, OP. It’s not the most comfortable question but it is the most important question. I have never had a parent even look offended or taken aback.

[Anonymous]

Kinda seems like a pointless question to me. Anyone who owns guns and stores them properly will say so. Anyone who has a loaded 357 in her bedside drawer will lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask away, but I am going to lie to you and say no, don't have any.

This. My wife actually told me years ago not to tell her if I ever did buy a gun. For the longest time, she didn’t know that I’d followed through. The kids don’t know they’re in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kinda seems like a pointless question to me. Anyone who owns guns and stores them properly will say so. Anyone who has a loaded 357 in her bedside drawer will lie.

That has not been my experience at all. A parent told me straight out that she carried a loaded gun in her purse and my brother-in-law in Georgia always discloses that he has a loaded firearm in his home.

Ask, OP. And do everything you can to get to know the parents of your child’s friends.