Grandma wants to give 3 yr old a water gun

[Anonymous]

No, but it may be possible your 5 year old will (remember the 5 year old who went to his friends house, played with his friends gun and killed himself?). I am pro-gun safety and will be teaching my daughter about guns and gun safety.

I also plan to let her use a watergun and let her know the difference between a toy and a real gun.

Yes, I know of many cases like that. That is why we don't have guns in the house. That is also why my children know guns (of any sort) are NOT toys and are not to be touched.

I'm confused about how you think allowing children to play with toy guns helps them learn gun safety. Running around indoors and outdoors shooting things with a toy gun teaches them what, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a different view of this, as a young child repeatedly squirted me and my special needs daughter with her squirt gun at the pool this weekend. It's not a "gun play" issue. Whether you have your child play with guns is a private issue between you and your child. But when you give a child a squirt gun, you involve other people because a squirt gun -- ready for it? -- squirts other people. You need to know the child has the ability and discretion to use or not use the thing in the right situation. I don't think a three year old has that. Sorry.

That's another issue, imo. Last year a boy kept throwing cupfuls of water into smaller kid's faces and laughing. No water gun involved.

Squirt guns don't have to squirt people. They can squirt things. They can squirt water. You can teach them to only squirt people who also have a squirt gun and want to play, and to only squirt legs or arms or some other body part.

Like guns don't have to kill people. Only people who have guns chose to kill people? Kind of like that?

The former pp made it sound like squirt guns are only for squirting people. But that's not the only thing to do with them and obviously there are more ways to get water into people's faces.

Guns kill people if they are used to shoot people. Knives kill people if used to stab people - and so do pens.

Honestly avoiding the topic of guns, prohibiting gun play, calling them something else besides guns, and never teaching your child about them isn't going to do much for developing gun safety awareness. And as several other people noted (including myself) that type of play helps children sort out the complex world of good/bad, develop empathy, etc.

Would I keep real guns in my house? No. I did grow up with guns in the house (and my grandfather had guns). I played along side my brother in "playing guns" though. We knew the difference between real guns and toy guns and the dangers of real guns. We had a healthy awareness and respect for them. We knew if we ever found a real gun not to touch it and to tell an adult.

[Anonymous]

I was anti-gun. I was also anti-juice at one point. I've chilled out on most of these things. My son has a few water guns. And he has one toy gun that he got at the dollar store in an FBI kit. He loves that FBI set, and comes up with very elaborate scenarios involving bad guys, calling for back up and mirandizing the cat. I always tell him not to point the gun at anyone, and we talk about guns and how real guns are powerful and dangerous. My family (Texans!) are big, big gun owners, and I've asked my dad to take my son to the shooting range when he's older. I want my son to know what a real gun looks like and feels like vs a toy gun. When my son isn't playing with his toy gun or making pretend bombs (and no we don't allow toy bombs in the house), he's quite sweet and empathetic.

[Anonymous]

Honestly avoiding the topic of guns, prohibiting gun play, calling them something else besides guns, and never teaching your child about them isn't going to do much for developing gun safety awareness. And as several other people noted (including myself) that type of play helps children sort out the complex world of good/bad, develop empathy, etc.

You are twisting the point to justify your own logic.

People are anti gun play because they want to teach their children that guns are not toys. Guns are not something to be played with. Toy guns, real guns, all guns. Not to be played with, they are dangerous and can hurt people. The people following this logic are actually teaching their children gun saftey.

Now if you want to allow your child to interact with real guns and teach him how to shoot a real gun, that is your business. But my children know not to touch guns. That is the #1 rule of gun safety. Guns are not toys. I don't know why that is lost on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In our house there is no gun play of any sort and no princess talk. Them's the rules.

Sorry, but this is more likely to cause homicidial behavior than water guns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly avoiding the topic of guns, prohibiting gun play, calling them something else besides guns, and never teaching your child about them isn't going to do much for developing gun safety awareness. And as several other people noted (including myself) that type of play helps children sort out the complex world of good/bad, develop empathy, etc.

You are twisting the point to justify your own logic.

People are anti gun play because they want to teach their children that guns are not toys. Guns are not something to be played with. Toy guns, real guns, all guns. Not to be played with, they are dangerous and can hurt people. The people following this logic are actually teaching their children gun saftey.

Now if you want to allow your child to interact with real guns and teach him how to shoot a real gun, that is your business. But my children know not to touch guns. That is the #1 rule of gun safety. Guns are not toys. I don't know why that is lost on you.

It's amazing the sheer number of kids that grew up playing guns (meaning ALL little boys - even the ones with the anti-gun-play parents) who grew up respecting that guns can hurt people and are not to be played with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly avoiding the topic of guns, prohibiting gun play, calling them something else besides guns, and never teaching your child about them isn't going to do much for developing gun safety awareness. And as several other people noted (including myself) that type of play helps children sort out the complex world of good/bad, develop empathy, etc.

You are twisting the point to justify your own logic.

People are anti gun play because they want to teach their children that guns are not toys. Guns are not something to be played with. Toy guns, real guns, all guns. Not to be played with, they are dangerous and can hurt people. The people following this logic are actually teaching their children gun saftey.

Now if you want to allow your child to interact with real guns and teach him how to shoot a real gun, that is your business. But my children know not to touch guns. That is the #1 rule of gun safety. Guns are not toys. I don't know why that is lost on you.

Those are points that I've seen people bring up. Of course everyone's approach may be different - but I find it stupid to give a child a water gun, call it a "squirter" and expect that somehow to teach them that guns are not toys (a rose by another name...?). I also think that forcing children to not participate in gun play does nothing more then make guns even more interesting and fascinating (which tends to happen with prohibited subjects and items). And again, I think that gun play, just like wrestling, is a normal part of play and a normal part of development.

Children are not stupid. They can learn the difference between a toy gun and a real gun (ever notice that toy guns have huge orange things on the end and are plastic?), and they can learn that real guns can hurt people and they should never touch one or play with one.

[Anonymous]

OP, you know if you let Grandma give you 3-yr old this water gun, he is well on his way to joining a violent street gang and ending up in prison. Why are you even asking?

[Anonymous]

Just wait till your boys are 10, 12, 14, folks. I started out like you. Then came laser tag. And paint ball. And airsoft. What kind of birthday party is your 11 year old son going to want? A clown who brings goody bags? Guess again. Toy guns that are age appropriate are totally harmless, and it is much healthier recreation to be outside playing make believe war games in the woods than inside playing video games, which is also what your boys will likely be attracted to, no matter how much you read them great books and play them great music and buy them art supplies (like I did).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was anti-gun. I was also anti-juice at one point. I've chilled out on most of these things. My son has a few water guns. And he has one toy gun that he got at the dollar store in an FBI kit. He loves that FBI set, and comes up with very elaborate scenarios involving bad guys, calling for back up and mirandizing the cat. I always tell him not to point the gun at anyone, and we talk about guns and how real guns are powerful and dangerous. My family (Texans!) are big, big gun owners, and I've asked my dad to take my son to the shooting range when he's older. I want my son to know what a real gun looks like and feels like vs a toy gun. When my son isn't playing with his toy gun or making pretend bombs (and no we don't allow toy bombs in the house), he's quite sweet and empathetic.

Mirandizing the cat!!!!! LOL!!!!!