Introducing firearms to your children

I'm surprised to see so many folks suggesting such high ages.

My son shot my 10/22 when he was 18 months old. As soon as he could talk, every time he mentioned a gun, for instance if we were in Bass Pro or he saw my carry gun when I was getting dressed, we started rehearsing the 4 Rules. My girl is not nearly as interested but she too shoots the 10/22. She's 5 now and he's 7. Both can tell me the 4 Rules, though not always in the technical wording, and both will tell me what they'd do if they (or friends they are with) found a gun, there wasn't an adult handling it or even if the adult was being dangerous.

I strongly believe that waiting to teach them is dangerous. You may not expose your child to firearms until "X" age but there's no saying what they might run into at a slumber/birthday party or who knows what else.

They need to be prepared.

It's much harder to prepare them when it's an abstract topic than when they're actually shooting/handling a gun.
 
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As soon as they start sharing !!!

I'm surprised to see so many folks suggesting such high ages.
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I started all my kids and Grand-kids, shooting, rubber-band guns. Can't remember their age but not long after "They" wanted to start sharing. They learned the four basic rules and once in awhile, they got their fingers bit. Just part of the learning curve and when they are young, they learn pretty fast. Last week, my oldest Daughter even brought up the time she almost shot our Zebra Finch and yes, she was aiming at it. ...... :eek:

Be Safe !!!
 
For safety, start as soon as they are old enough to talk. Here is the program we used: http://www.corneredcat.com/article/kids-and-guns/the-first-lesson/

To decide whether your child is old enough to go to the range with you, see here: http://www.corneredcat.com/article/kids-and-guns/is-your-child-ready-for-the-range/

When you take your child to the range for the first time, here's the idea: http://www.corneredcat.com/article/kids-and-guns/the-first-trip-to-the-range/

My credentials: five healthy and happy young men, who managed to survive their childhood. Speaking as a mom, I firmly believe that it is a miracle when any male child lives to adulthood. ;)

Stay safe and have fun!

pax
 
My dad let me shoot his Winchester 69A at his brother's farm when I was 7, with very vigilant supervision, of course. It was a great way to start learning about guns.

Dad is 88 now, in failing health, and he recently gave me that rifle. It is going to go to one of my daughters when it is my turn to pass it along, and hopefully thence to more generations.
 
I am pretty much with CWKahrFan. It's hard to set a specific age cause all kids are different and they grow up differently, but even someone who doesn't own a gun needs to teach their children about guns or they run the risk that their kid might wind up in a gun accident while visiting other homes.

Think of it this way, how old was your first kid when you realized it was time to teach them not to reach for the pot and pan handles on the stove, and that the stove top could be very hot?

Most parents can reply with an age, but I would bet that in almost every case it wasn't the child's age that prompted them to start the lesson, it was seeing their child reaching on tip-toe for the edge of the oven.

I would say that not long after the oven lesson you should be moving on to the gun lesson. They need to be shown what guns are, what they are for, and that even though they are too young now to learn more about them, that they will get to learn how to shoot later when they are older.
 
I introduced my daughter to shooting at 10. Bought her a cricket and she likes shooting it occasionally. I introduced her to shooting a bow at 8. She likes shooting the bow better than her rifle. One problem that she seems to have with the rifle, that she doesn't seem to have with the bow is that she is right handed but left-eye dominant when she shoots her rifle. I've tried to get her to use her right eye, or shoot left handed, but nope - not going to happen. She's actually pretty good with her bow.
 
I understand that children in that age group find the "Hunger Games" a popular read. I am told that the heroine is an archer and that the current generation of kids interest in archery has gone way up as a result.

Best of luck,

Wes
 
I understand that children in that age group find the "Hunger Games" a popular read. I am told that the heroine is an archer and that the current generation of kids interest in archery has gone way up as a result.
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Yes, Hunger Games, Mulan and Brave - my kid likes them all!:)
 
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