how to teach children why you keep guns

6

6pt5by55

Inactive
Greetings,

I have three children ages 6, 4, and 1.

Before the first of the year I purchased a modest collection of firearms (lots of reasons). Included in the lot are two revolvers for carry (wife and myself), a small pocket 32acp, a high power rifle, and a shotgun. My dad gave me the 22 he hadn't had the bolt in since well before I was born.

The older two children are obedient and get the gun safety drill on a somewhat regular basis (a la Jeff Cooper's four rules plus don't ever, ever touch these unless mommy or daddy invite you to). So I'm not worried about safety.

What I am worried about is the recurring questions and role playing about guns and why we have them. I finally told them it was for protecting the family against evil people who could be made to stop attacking us if we presented a gun, or God forbid, actually shot them.

I'm sure y'all know why we have the guns, and also why I don't really want to explain gov't gone bad/genocide, rape, etc. etc.

How do I explain this all without causing greater worry and destroying their innocence any more? And, sort of settle the issue for a few years. All the while still adding to the collection?

We try to shelter them in a good way, sort of like we have them wear seatbelts. Yet, they aren't oblivious to certain parts of life like the fact that the meat they like to eat was once a living animal.

Neither my wife's or my parents encourage our gun ownership, in fact the opposite. Likewise our pastor. So, I am hoping to draw on some of y'all's experience in this matter.

Thanks in advance.
Mark
 
You can't change your inlaws, but you sure can get a new Pastor! That would be the first thing I did. You really don't need to explain anything to them. They will pick it up. Don't make a big production out of firearm ownership. Make it a normal every day thing. When they are 8 buy them their own BB gun, spend lots of time in the back yard "range". My kids have never asked why I own or carry guns. I've never been exposed in public by one of my kids either. Don't worry about the philisophical reasons, or explaining anything to them right now. They will pick up alot by osmosis.
Your friend, Arrell
 
Run, don't walk, to find a new pastor. I simply can't understand any "Christian" that does not see what the 2nd Ammendment does for them. A pastor who has an anti-gun slant could not possibly care an\bout his religion that much...or he needs a high school history class.

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Frontsight!
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Why is everybody all boud up about the AK-47? YEAH, I GOT ONE, WHAT'S IT TO YA?!
 
Tough question with a lot of possible answers. Here's my two cents.

Conversation with my four year old son yesterday:

"Mommy, are we s'posed to point guns at people?"

"Nope. Not ever."

"Not even when we play? Do we point guns at people then?"

"Not even when you play. I don't want you pretending to point a toy gun at someone, because then when you get bigger and you have a real gun you might forget the rule."

Thoughtful quiet for a few minutes.

"Mommy, are bad guys people?"

:D :o *stammer stammer*

I finally told him, "Yes, bad guys are people. But kids really don't have any way of knowing who a bad guy is. So kids can never ever ever point a gun at someone, even when you are playing with a pretend gun. Grownups sometimes have to decide if someone is a bad guy. And even grownups aren't allowed to shoot a bad guy unless the bad guy is about to hurt or kill someone."

He seemed to understand okay.

Moral of the story is, you aren't going to teach them everything you want to tell them in one easy lesson. It's a process and a lot of it will have to be grown into anyway.

And I second what the other folks have said: you might want to find yourself a new pastor. Or at least keep a low profile about your gun ownership with him and other members of the congregation. You don't need folks at church undermining what you are teaching the kids at home; home and church are supposed to work together at the kids' moral educations.

Whether or not you change churches, you might want to instruct the children "we do not discuss our guns with anyone who doesn't live in this house." That includes your in-laws, your pastor, your neighbors, and your kids' friends. You don't want the neighbor kids begging your kids to show them your guns. You don't want the neighbor kids' parents deciding your family is wacky and shunning your kids. And you don't want the kids' grandparents undermining you when you're not around.

Hope this helps some.

pax

"You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers." -- John Plomp
 
I don't have kids yet, but always wondered what my hubby and I would say to them. You know in this day and age they are hearing it from all sides: school, church, the doctor's office (that questionaire (sp?) _really_ bothers me), TV,.....

I agree with pax, it is probably a good idea to let your children know that they shouldn't discuss Mommy's and Daddy's business with any one else.

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Kim

NRA Millenium Life Member
 
My father did an excellent job with us. I'm not even sure of how he did it as we always had loaded guns around the house, and were absolutely terrified of touching them without his supervision. When we were five years old, we would take our BB guns out with him in the woods, and he would enforce harshly every gun rule in the book. We even added some to it like never cross a fence or other obstacle without handing your gun to another. After we did the BB Gun thing, we did the .22 thing. Then came the shotguns, and for a learning aid, we had a grandfather who had blown most of his right foot off with a shotgun (by an accident too crazy to be believed, yet true), so seeing what was left of his foot really did a lot for our respect of guns. My dad always had a loaded pistol next to his bed, and we had unloaded shotguns and rifles in our rooms. We could have easily loaded them if need be, but we never did. We just kinda grew up with the knowledge that guns were fun, but were definately not toys.
I guess the way he did it, was to allow us supervised shooting time, and he enforced rules very strictly, and very harshly. To an outsider, he may have seemed mean at the time, but now my brother and I have a life-long love of firearms, and we still handle them safely. I will probably do the same with my kids.
 
PAX, your not going to let your male children play Cops and Robbers, Army, or Cowboys and Indians? Just try to keep them from it. How about the Three Musketeers, sword fighting? Kids have been killing kids (figuratively speaking of course) for ever. Kids make the transition from toys to the real thing pretty easily. Boys will always find away to practice the martial arts of war. Its a kind of instinctive thing I think. Don't forbid this kind of behavior, it's natural. Just think, if the WWII generation had been politically correct, where we would be right now.
Arrell
 
Kim... Amen. Grew up loke that too. [Except for the grandfather/shotgun thingy.] :)

I got my first .22 at the age of 6. Had been out shooting since I was knee-high to a short duck and si firearms and safety was a natural. Plated 'war games' as a kid....but I didn't start that till i was probably 9 or 10 so I knew it was play and not to use a real gun or such. Seems to be missing in todays youth.

As far as a new pastor. Amen to that too. I'm part of another forum that is mostly dedicated to conspiracy topics. However the topic of churches being brought into a oneworld religion has been discussed so it seems to me the pastor against guns could fall into those lines...be sure of what he is teaching.

"Whether or not you change churches, you might want to instruct the children "we do not discuss our guns with anyone who doesn't live in this house." That includes your in-laws, your pastor, your neighbors, and your kids' friends. You don't want the neighbor kids begging your kids to show them your guns. You don't want the neighbor kids' parents deciding your family is wacky and shunning your kids. And you don't want the kids' grandparents undermining you when you're not around."

another excellent post. Also, except the firearms you carry on your person, I'd suggest keeping the rest locked up in a VERY secure place and, if possible, don't tell your kids where they are until you KNOW they are intelligent and mature enough for the responsibility.

I was sitting here the other day and two of my nephews came in and were 'shooting' at me with their 'guns'....bothered me because I know they have never shot and I also know neither of their parents have ever instructed them on firearms. These boys are three and five. I keep all of my firearms broken down and cable locked thru the bore so they cannot be accessed by adults or children. My carry pistol is kept in the holster out of sight and unless it's on my person it has no clip in it. The clip being carried in my pocket or under my pillow. Safety first.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>PAX, your not going to let your male children play Cops and Robbers, Army, or Cowboys and Indians? Just try to keep them from it. How about the Three Musketeers, sword fighting? Kids have been killing kids (figuratively speaking of course) for ever. Kids make the transition from toys to the real thing pretty easily. Boys will always find away to practice the martial arts of war. Its a kind of instinctive thing I think. Don't forbid this kind of behavior, it's natural. Just think, if the WWII generation had been politically correct, where we would be right now.
[/quote]

Oh, dear. I did sound like a soccer mom, didn't I? :)

Short answer: they rassle.

Long answer: we don't play at guns. Guns are serious and are reserved for serious time. They kill each other with light-sabers and lasers, swords and some kind of magic "phooOOOfff" thing that my youngest does with the tips of his fingers.

Final answer: I'm not a soccer mom! ;)

pax

"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly." -- Theodore Roosevelt
 
Pax,
I find this notion of not allowing your children to play guns silly. My opinion, dear. My kids shoot each other with play guns and if they can't find one they make one out of a stick or whatever is handy. I have a son that will shoot you with a toy truck if he can't find his gun. I killed my brother daily behind the barn on our farm in WVA when we were kids. We used to get guns for Christmas and birthdays. We used to reinact Gunsmoke, Davy Crocket, Bonanza, Star Trek, Combat (remember that one) We all wanted to go to Viet Nam, but it was all over by the time I graduated from HS. My family all turned out to be productive members of society. Playing guns is not going to make your kids "not know the difference". But I'm not going to tell you how to raise your kids. I applaud you on your attention to your children. It would appear that you take an interest in their development. Good job.
God's grace,
Arrell
 
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