7 year old received nerf gun for birthday!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not ask a parent if they are ok with it rather than getting it and causing an issue? I would not allow them in my home and if I find out my kid is playing with them in your home, they will not be going back. Its not ok given the world we live in.

In all seriousness, where do you live? We live inside the beltway in Bethesda and all the boys have nerf guns. I seriously don't know one family that bans them. I'm curious where all these families live that say no to Nerf guns.

[Anonymous]

"We have water guns, nerf guns, plastic bow and arrows, light sabers, pirate swords, and minecraft foam weapons. They also have tons of legos, science kits, sporting equipment, etc."

We lost the "no guns" battle a long time ago with my DS who is 7. We taught him proper behavior and etiquette, lectured him on safety, and forbade him from pointing the guns at people or animals. He has a ball with his friends who all have some version of a Nerf gun.

Because we allow such play, I would have no problems with him receiving one as a gift. Admittedly, however, I would not give either a Nerf gun or even a water gun as a gift unless I knew that the recipient had such toys already.

[Anonymous]

OP, you have to decide what you want. It's easy to have a stand on toy guns when your kid isn't thrilled about the one he has in his hand, but you need to decide if you really don't care, want to take it away, or just won't buy them yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OFFS
My 3 year old uses sticks as guns at the park. It's ingrained male behavior.

How? I'm not saying I don't agree, Imy genuinely curious. guns make me very uncomfortable, we aren't hunters and no one my kid is around has one for work or hunting so he has no idea what a gun is right now I don't think. 2 yrs 8 months. but I've been told they just figure it out. but seriously, how? just from kids at daycare who are familiar, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"We have water guns, nerf guns, plastic bow and arrows, light sabers, pirate swords, and minecraft foam weapons. They also have tons of legos, science kits, sporting equipment, etc."

We lost the "no guns" battle a long time ago with my DS who is 7. We taught him proper behavior and etiquette, lectured him on safety, and forbade him from pointing the guns at people or animals. He has a ball with his friends who all have some version of a Nerf gun.

Because we allow such play, I would have no problems with him receiving one as a gift. Admittedly, however, I would not give either a Nerf gun or even a water gun as a gift unless I knew that the recipient had such toys already.

+1. This is our family too. Like the PP, we do not give any form of toy weapon, including Nerf guns and water pistols, as gifts.

[Anonymous]

OFFS
My 3 year old uses sticks as guns at the park. It's ingrained male behavior.

How? I'm not saying I don't agree, Imy genuinely curious. guns make me very uncomfortable, we aren't hunters and no one my kid is around has one for work or hunting so he has no idea what a gun is right now I don't think. 2 yrs 8 months. but I've been told they just figure it out. but seriously, how? just from kids at daycare who are familiar, etc?

Probably from friends, daycare classmates, preschool classmates etc. with older siblings. I have an only and we have no guns, no one we know has guns, yet DS and his preschool classmates would run around the playground using their fingers as guns and pretending to shoot one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys are exactly like the Fundies you're so eager to sneer at. "OMG a gun!!!" "OMG, someone gave my DD a pair of pants!"

+1

It's a freaking Nerf gun. No one is going to get hurt playing with it. Nobody is going to mistake it for a real gun. Nerf guns don't lead to real guns. They aren't a gateway drug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe the amount of hand wringing by some of the uber-protective mommies around here. Toy guns are not a gateway drug to the real thing.

At 7, my kids had their first rifles. They were great shots. Thankfully, they made it through childhood without shooting anyone. I know. We got lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not ask a parent if they are ok with it rather than getting it and causing an issue? I would not allow them in my home and if I find out my kid is playing with them in your home, they will not be going back. Its not ok given the world we live in.

In all seriousness, where do you live? We live inside the beltway in Bethesda and all the boys have nerf guns. I seriously don't know one family that bans them. I'm curious where all these families live that say no to Nerf guns.

Yes, where do you live????

I'm in AU Park and my son and every.single.one of his friends play with Nerf guns. We're all liberal Democrats and our kids run from backyard to backyard shooting each other.

Where do you live where you have this anti Nerf-gun stance and still have friends?

[Anonymous]

Fyi- my mother wouldn't let my brother play with any toy guns. She would take away all of the little guns that came with action figures, she was that neurotic. He ended up becoming an artist and moving to Brooklyn.

I, her daughter, however, married someone who works for the NRA.

[Anonymous]

I don't like these Nerf guns but lots of boys that age have them and I wouldn't be surprised if my son got one for a present at that age. Let him play with it once then if you still don't want it around make sure it gets "misplaced."

[Anonymous]

do you guys really think that kids can't make the distinction between real guns and nerf guns? If that's not it, then what's the concern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be furious at the parent who thought this was an acceptable gift.

I'm sure you would

I bet you don't let your kids use butter knives either. Are they even allowed to cut their own food? I mean how could they possibly tell the difference between a butter knife and a machete?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be furious at the parent who thought this was an acceptable gift.

Oh good lord.

[Anonymous]

I'm anti gun and pro magic. As soon as he does something you don't like with it, make it disappear.