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

[Anonymous]

If there are guns in their house?

PLEASE NO DEBATE ON GUN CONTROL OR GUN OWNERSHIP! I am going to ask/find out before I let my son play at someone’s home.

We just moved to a new area and I don’t know anyone. DS is almost six.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Just come out and ask them. If this is so important to you, why beat around the bush? "Do you have any guns in your home?"

[Anonymous]

Don’t let your child have a play date in a home in which you’re unsure of the hosts’ view on firearms.

[Anonymous]

Just ask. Speak up for your kid if it bothers you.

[Anonymous]

“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?”

[Anonymous]

“Hi, just wondering if you have firearms at home and if so, do you keep them locked up and secure?”

As a gun owner, I’d have no problem explaining how I lock my firearm, but we don’t host play dates (when you ask “why doesn’t XX reciprocate”, this is why)

[Anonymous]

We are a LEO family and surprisingly, we’ve never been asked the question. I’m always prepared to explain that they are stored away for safe keeping. I think gun owners anticipate and expect this. Simply ask. Are there guns. If you get a yes, follow up with a question on whether or not they are safely stored. If you can’t trust that their “yes” is honest, you probably shouldn’t leave your kids there anyway.

[Anonymous]

We have tons of guns (rifles and shotguns). Just ask. Ours are all locked up and unloaded. We do have a handgun in a safe that’s also unloaded. I’d love to tell you about dhs training and tours in Afghanistan (contractor, not military)

[Anonymous]

We have many guns in our house and I’m fine with you asking about them. If you decide that our home isn’t safe for your son to have a play date, I’d suggest we do the park or a similar outing. While I wouldn’t be offended, I wouldn’t go out of my way either to pursue a close friendship unless the kids were really drawn toward one another and I’d hope that we could figure out how to make it work.

I’ve made this case here before but it bears repeating. The people you have to worry about aren’t those who are open and honest about firearms. I know multiple families where the mom is against firearms in the home but the dad has one or two or 10 up in a closet somewhere. DH works in the firearms industry so many dads like to chat with him about guns and shooting in general. I can think of several instances where there’s a gun happy dad bragging about his latest purchase married to an anti gun mom who has no clue what’s hiding in the closet. Our kids aren’t allowed at these homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have tons of guns (rifles and shotguns). Just ask. Ours are all locked up and unloaded. We do have a handgun in a safe that’s also unloaded. I’d love to tell you about dhs training and tours in Afghanistan (contractor, not military)

Do you have separate safes for the guns and the ammunition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a LEO family and surprisingly, we’ve never been asked the question. I’m always prepared to explain that they are stored away for safe keeping. I think gun owners anticipate and expect this. Simply ask. Are there guns. If you get a yes, follow up with a question on whether or not they are safely stored. If you can’t trust that their “yes” is honest, you probably shouldn’t leave your kids there anyway.

Yup. Military husband and LEO wife. We have guns in the house, securely stored. My kids know not to even touch the lock box.

It’s your kids I don’t trust in my home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have tons of guns (rifles and shotguns). Just ask. Ours are all locked up and unloaded. We do have a handgun in a safe that’s also unloaded. I’d love to tell you about dhs training and tours in Afghanistan (contractor, not military)

Do you have separate safes for the guns and the ammunition?

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

I've asked. A lot of people have been surprised and told me I'm the first person to ever ask, but they've all answered and the playdate did go forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have tons of guns (rifles and shotguns). Just ask. Ours are all locked up and unloaded. We do have a handgun in a safe that’s also unloaded. I’d love to tell you about dhs training and tours in Afghanistan (contractor, not military)

Do you have separate safes for the guns and the ammunition?

What’s with the eye roll? My friend is an FBI agent, and this is how he secures his firearms and ammunition. I hate guns and have no problem whatsoever with my kids being at his house.