Reply to 7 year old received nerf gun for birthday!

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

By giving toy guns to little boys you are starting a real problem. Please don't worry about me, I've been using my time to create enriching opportunities for young and not so young people around the world. Children are happy playing with simple toys, learning to make friends by sharing those simple toys, not pretending to shoot each other. [/quote]

NP here.  You're being ridiculous.  [/quote]

I had assumed PP was being facetious?

Regardless, I am very, very strongly anti-gun (DH worked for an anti-gun group for years), and now that I have three high school boys, I can tell you that it is just about impossible to prevent children--mostly boys, in my observation--from playing pretend with guns. We did not buy our child toy guns, but once the Star Wars phases began, what do you do with the "blasters"? What do you do when all their little friends come over with their Star Wars figures and weapons? As the boys grew older, there were laser-tag parties, Nerf-gun parties, pool parties wtih water guns, etc., etc. And, yes, we had a couple of our boys chew guns out of toast. When we went for walks in the park, sticks became guns.

And yet, I am 100% positive that my boys are very strongly anti-gun. They have no desire to shoot a real gun, and think that legislation allowing guns on public places is stupid.

Don't over simplify the toy guns->gun lovers. Do you believe that by giving your kid a doctor's kit that they'll suddenly not be afraid of shots? Or that by giving a boy a doll he'll really love babies? Honestly, by protesting too much, your kids will end up hiding their play from you.

We decided after a few years that while we wouldn't buy toy guns--and explained why--, we would allow them as part of an action figure, when friends brought them over (or purchased them as a gift, e.g., Nerf gun present), and when they were part of a party theme (e.g., laser tag). We didn't interfere with bread or sticks as guns, unless there was imminent danger involved (which, honestly, happened more when they used sticks as swords--another play-theme that you won't be able to squash entirely).

[/quote]

I just want to compliment you--it's awesome to hear from reasonable people with nuanced viewpoints.  DCUM (and society) needs more people like you.

Signed,

A parent with a very different view of guns, but (I hope) a similarly grounded approach to parenting[/quote]

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