allow toy gun play or no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been fighting this battle with my 6 year old for over a year now. I was firmly in the camp of NO GUN PLAY whatsoever: no toy guns, no water guns, no Nerf guns, nothing. I would reprimand him even if he played with a stick that he was pretending was a gun. But I'm exhausted from his relentless interest in it. I'm at the point of wondering if I'm making it even more of a forbidden fruit situation and the more I say "no, that's not allowed, that's not appropriate, we can't even say that word gun" etc is he wanting to do it even more?
Anyone who has dealt with a child with this extreme interest, please share your story! How did you get them past it? Did you stick to your guns (no pun intended) or did you let them get it out of their system? How long did that take? I'm really at a loss how to proceed. Thank you.

You're child needs to know about guns-you don't want them curious about it and finding one at a friends house and grabbing the forbidden fruit and shooting themselves. Teach them about guns, gun safety, and if they ever see one they are to leave it and tell an adult ASAP.

Would love to see what you base your opinion on, that kids who have never seen a gun are more likely to play with one if they find one. My opinion is the opposite.

[Anonymous]

We try to find a middle ground but it is tough. For my 7YO, we don't allow toy guns in our house. I was mugged at gunpoint several years ago where the gun was shown to me and then placed in my back. Toy guns are a trigger for me and seeing a kid point a toy gun is not funny or fun to me. That being said, we allow him to play with nerf guns occasionally at the neighbors house. Nerf guns are fun and not meant to kill or injure or simulate that in my opinion. And we have had the talk about finding an adult immediately if he is shown a real gun or anything that could potentially be a real gun. And we talk about how real guns can hurt people.

[Anonymous]

Nerf guns are fine. This really changed my mind about how absurd and extreme many Americans are when it comes to even a harmless child’s toy:

[Anonymous]

I’m fine with water guns. I’m fine with sticks being used as guns. What are you going to do, not allow any sticks in your backyard?

My kids are more like “pew pew!” with the sticks and they sound like lasers. If they were holding the stick to a kids forehead and going “BOOM I shot you!” I’d be a little more alarmed for sure.