Anonymous wrote:+1 get over yourself OP. And the sanctimonious tidbit about how your son looked at you with disappointment is what really put this post over the top. Next time just put a note on the birthday invitations that only Kumon workbooks will be accepted as gifts.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guest went out of their way to choose this gift. Given divergent opinions, as witnessed by this thread, it was a poor choice. Trying to make a statement. That's rude.

What?!? I must have normal run of the mill friends because no one I know who gave a nerf gun to another kid IN THE NAME OF FUN is going out of their way to make a statement.

The only one going out of their way to make a statement on an anonymous board is OP. I can smell her smugness from here.

I agree. It's a Nerf gun for goodness sake. It's a FOAM toy.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who had a brother growing up should know that boys will turn anything into guns, and that possessing a nerf gun or squirt gun as a kid is not inherently a bad thing. These are not gateway guns.

Exactly. I think they are the opposite of gateway guns. I think the kids whose parents didn't try to shame them out of this behavior grow up to be the most well adjusted. The boys who start out hiding their interest in guns from their parents maintain that mentality through adolescence.

Anonymous wrote:DS had his 6 th birthday party with a small group of friends from school. One of them gave him a toy gun with bullets. Our family philosophy is not to give anything related to guns to our children. DS opened his gifts towards the end of the party and when he found this we looked at each other with huge disappointment. It was very difficult to say Thank You for such crap. With so many educational gift options out there, I honestly wonder why people have wrong idea of giving a gun to a 6 y o.

Say thank you because it's the right thing to do for any gift given. Explain later at home to Larlo that this is not an acceptable toy in your household and why and let him know it's going away. Make him feel great that he received so many thoughtful gifts. And then even later (when he is happily playing with something else), discreetly throw the toy gun away.
And no, you don't get to dictate what kind of gift people give your kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guest went out of their way to choose this gift. Given divergent opinions, as witnessed by this thread, it was a poor choice. Trying to make a statement. That's rude.

Have you looked in a toy store? The majority of boy's toys aimed at the younger ES age are nerf guns, combat, weapons, super heroes, etc.. No one is making a statement. Get real.

+1

Shun the family. Cut them off your list.

FYI. I graciously sent a Thank You note to every guest early this morning as I'm a good follower of correct etiquette. My post was intended to know what drives certain parents to give that kind of toy.

Well, it's a pretty normal toy, assuming that it is a nerf gun or something of that ilk. I'm not sure that I would give a stranger's child a realistic-looking toy gun replica, but it would never occur to me that something that barely resembles the real thing would ever be considered to be inappropriate.

I think that the others have covered this well--write (or have your son write) a thank-you note for the gift and, if it offends you, get rid of it and buy your son a replacement gift, with an explanation of why the toy gun is not appropriate in your house.

DH and I have no interest in guns, have never fired guns, and have not been shown how to handle guns safely. We should not be allowed near (real) guns, which is fine because we don't want them in our house. But nerf guns, water guns, etc. don't fit into that category, are not dangerous, and are pretty normal toys. Do the anti-toy-gun people not allow their kids to play "cowboys and indians"? I am not saying that they are wrong to not want toy guns at home, but I don't really see the reason for the outrage at a gift.

Anonymous wrote:Guest went out of their way to choose this gift. Given divergent opinions, as witnessed by this thread, it was a poor choice. Trying to make a statement. That's rude.

Have you looked in a toy store? The majority of boy's toys aimed at the younger ES age are nerf guns, combat, weapons, super heroes, etc.. No one is making a statement. Get real.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do all of you non toy gun people also are:

Non nerf
Non lightsaber
Non archery
Non crossbow
Non pirate swords
Non marvel movies
Non Lego movies or video games
Non Super Smash Bros or other Mario games.

What about:
super soakers
Water balloons

Yes, and laser tag sets, laser tag parties, paintball parties when they get into their teens. Do anti-gun people ban all of these too?

I assume all these people have children under the age of 5. I'm as pro-gun-control as they come, but banning an elementary school student from owning a squirt gun is lunacy.

It was the child's 6th birthday so I doubt everyone is under the age of 5. If you are going to ban nerf guns what is the difference between that and a water gun? And what is the difference between a 5yr old or 8yr old playing with it. Both can be taught the difference.

No one that is anti-nerf has responded if they are anti all these other options? And for how long are they going to enforce this rule?

Anonymous wrote:Guest went out of their way to choose this gift. Given divergent opinions, as witnessed by this thread, it was a poor choice. Trying to make a statement. That's rude.

What?!? I must have normal run of the mill friends because no one I know who gave a nerf gun to another kid IN THE NAME OF FUN is going out of their way to make a statement.

The only one going out of their way to make a statement on an anonymous board is OP. I can smell her smugness from here.

Guest went out of their way to choose this gift. Given divergent opinions, as witnessed by this thread, it was a poor choice. Trying to make a statement. That's rude.

Anyone who had a brother growing up should know that boys will turn anything into guns, and that possessing a nerf gun or squirt gun as a kid is not inherently a bad thing. These are not gateway guns.