No one has ever been harmed, maimed, or killed by a nerf gun.

My 10 year old still loves nerf guns. He runs around with them in our yard - it gets him exercise. My only rule is that he can't point it at anyone, but can shoot at targets; if he's playing with friends, no aiming high, near face. We have a zillion, and I hate guns, am totally anti-gun.

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

Oy vey. Why don't you just have him castrated and make him wear a pink dress?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

Im pretty sure nerf instructions are not teaching your child those phrases or gestures. So, where is he learning that from?

+1

Looking ahead: will you tell your teens to wait til marriage for sex and hope that's the end of it?

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

Im pretty sure nerf instructions are not teaching your child those phrases or gestures. So, where is he learning that from?

I bought my daughter her own Nerf gun when she was 3, because she was using her older brother's.

1. Buy Nerf guns or waterguns, depending on season.
2. Send kids outside.
3. Tell them not to shoot directly in faces.
4. Tell them not to cross the road.
5. Monitor water consumption, if using waterguns.

Voila, whole afternoons taken care of.

So silly. I hate guns but would never forbid a child from playing with them. I know from working with children that when you forbid things they become super-appealing, plus they will begin lying to avoid getting in trouble for playing with the desired item. For example, if you don't buy guns they may make one out of Legos. Then when you call them on it they'll say "it's not a gun it's a ( insert lie)."

I played with "guns" throughout my childhood and grew up into a nonviolent, productive citizen who hates guns. Gun play is normal.

I am not sure what you mean by gun culture but I don't think your child risks becoming a mass murderer by owning a nerf gun. I have a son and I have been very open with him about how real guns are not toys and can kill people. I have educated him about never handling a real gun and if a friend shows him a real gun to immediately tell an adult. If he isn't sure one way or another leave immediately and go tell an adult. As a kid, I had very realistic looking toy guns (none of this orange tip stuff) and I played war almost every day. Low and behold, I am now grown and don't even own a fire arm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

That's hilarious. So you don't approve of guns but instead of teaching your son that they are bad, you are going to wait for him to get tired of them, then throw it away. That's weak (and passive) parenting!

Yes, this! OP, TELL your kid that he cannot carry the gun in his pants, and NOT to say 'cock it' and 'bullets' in your home. Because those are the rules in YOUR family. You have the right to not have that going on in your home.

My boys had nerf guns, but I would not have allowed what your ds is doing, either.

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

I did the same thing as a kid. I was also taught how to use real guns at a very early age. I had my own gun around 14. I hunted often.

I ended up going to college, getting a nice job, having a family, and not killing a bunch of people.

Why? Because I was raised by good parents.

Now go ahead and box your kid away from the real world and see what happens. You are going to raise a mentally unstable child because you are paranoid.

If it helps, my ex bought my 5-year-old a pink rifle. No, seriously. And we are well-educated non-rednecks with white-collar jobs.

He did agree to not give it to her until I said it was ok. She's 6 now and I'm not ok with it yet, but eventually I'll have to be, I guess. (Ex is former military and owns weapons, as do his dad and mine.)

Anonymous wrote:This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

That's hilarious. So you don't approve of guns but instead of teaching your son that they are bad, you are going to wait for him to get tired of them, then throw it away. That's weak (and passive) parenting!

This is how gun culture starts. My 4 yr old is using phrases like "cock it" and "bullets". He's also walking around the house with the gun in his pants. And he's target shooting. I HATE it. In about a week or so when he doesn't carry it around 24/7 I'm going to throw it away.

Obviously a troll thread.

If not, OP needs to get back on her meds.