Do you/Would you let your child play with toy guns?

[xxxjessxxx]

Nope, not had my girl yet but I don't agree with letting children play with guns, my mum was the same too. If my daughter asked for one I would let her, but I would never buy one or influence one.

 

[Tegans Mama]

No. We don't play with guns in this house. If someone buys her a toy that has a gun in it I will take the gun out (we bought a playmobil zoo thing that had guns and I just took them away before she saw them). I don't agree with children playing with guns, and the Xbox etc is never on when she's around

 

[smelly07]

Yes,

I have two daughters and my youngest loves power rangers (the pink one of course) she uses sticks as swords to have play fights etc i dont discourage it at all.

and NOW in childcare you are not suppose to discourage imaginative play in anyway, and on a training course i went on recently, these sort of games are actually beneficial to children and apparently even more so to boys, as females we will NEVER fully understand the way males think/feel/learn and evidence shows that boys also learn differently, and are different lets face it, and it shouldnt be discouraged.

Children who play cops and robbers, or cowboys and indians, or power rangers or ben10 etc etc wont grow up with 'issues' because of this or make them violent etc

 

[highhopes19]

No I wouldn't go out purposely and buy Isabelle a toy gun... If she asked for one I would get her one but she only ever has to point it at anyone and I'd take it off her and it'd never be seen again!

 

[sabby52]

Dec plays guns and army all the time, he has several guns and several water guns. I don't see the harm in it.

 

[charlotte-xo]

I'd let him play with them.

Xx

 

[Boothh]

I always said I wouldn't and I still wouldn't let him have anything realistic looking but Jesse loves playing with guns,
He loves spider man and we buy him the spiderman magazine which has a toy gun taped to the front of each issue, he has water guns too!
We've never encouraged it he just likes them, same with trains, he loves them too and I've actively tried to avoid him liking them lol.

 

[rosie272]

We've not came across this yet, but I'll probably let him play with water pistols when he's older but I'm not going out of my way to buy him guns/swords etc.. he loves playing pirates but uses the mop (to mop the decks)

 

[alchemy]

Nope. DH wasn't allowed either because his family had a lot of real guns in the house and he and his brother were taught from Day One that guns were not toys and my folks didn't believe in guns in the house. Both of us played with squirt guns when we were older, but the ones that were obviously toys.

Our kid will never want to play with guns after we brainwash them into loving Star Wars as much as we do - lightsabers only 'round these parts

 

[vaniilla]

Nope, we'll try and keep them away as long as possible until he decides if he wants one or not, and even then I wouldn't get a realistic one and more like a water gun.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Nah, I don't like them. I don't necessarily believe they will cause 'issues' but I don't want to see him playing with them and I've already expressed that to family and friends (who generally agree) so he won't be bought any.

 

[Lellow]

When he asks for one or makes one, i wont discourage it, but i certainly wont be spending my pennies on them without reason.

 

[Hayley90]

Im not overly keen on the idea, but Harrison's daddy is an infantry soldier, he likes the idea of playing 'wars' with him.

Can safely say not all kids who play guns get up to Murder when they are older, but i still dont really like them.

 

[Loveya]

Yes,

I have two daughters and my youngest loves power rangers (the pink one of course) she uses sticks as swords to have play fights etc i dont discourage it at all.

and NOW in childcare you are not suppose to discourage imaginative play in anyway, and on a training course i went on recently, these sort of games are actually beneficial to children and apparently even more so to boys, as females we will NEVER fully understand the way males think/feel/learn and evidence shows that boys also learn differently, and are different lets face it, and it shouldnt be discouraged.

Children who play cops and robbers, or cowboys and indians, or power rangers or ben10 etc etc wont grow up with 'issues' because of this or make them violent etc

This is a rather interesting point of view to me as I agree that the children making guns out of lego is them being imaginative. They obviously watch ben 10 or have heard of it cos they will often say something about being ben 10 and shouting aliens and monster. Never have I heard them say "I'm going to kill you" it's always something about them being monsters and having to shoot them.

Unfortunately if not everyone agrees with letting them play pretend guns and as a nursery we have to be on the safe side.

There are some interesting things here in this thread.

 

[Nats21]

Here it is, there is somthing disturbing about see a young child scream die like that.
I think I would stop him if he was getting worked up and agressive like that but if he was just running around making bang bang noises then I think thats just kids playing the same sort of game they have been playing since guns where invented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2USczC4BiT0

I find that video quite shocking, the way the kid holds the gun is quite scary and I agree with it being quite disturbing him shouting 'die' at the iggle piggle doll of all things xx

 

[StarrySkies]

Well, my eldest two play with them but that was mainly because my OH's step dad was in the Royal marines. They knew what he was and took an interest and used to play shooting games with him! They don't play with them very often anymore though!

My eldest was very fond of him but sadly he died a couple of years ago, he'd spend literally ages chatting about anything milatary (within reason of course), I never saw it as a problem at the time really tbh.

x

 

[Vicyi]

I don't allow guns in our house. Mills did seem rather keen on the toy guns on a play date recently. I didn't make a fuss and let her play with them but i won't be buying one anytime soon!!
We do have water 'pistols' though if thats included. They kids don't 'shoot' people or anything with them though? x

 

[CarlyP]

I said No, I have never bought DS a toy gun, I just don't like them, but, he makes them out of stickle bricks anyway!

 

[Harveysmum369]

Was talking to my HV about this yesterday,and she said she never had them in her house for her boys-However,as all boys do,they made 'guns' with lego and sticks etc..but she said she never actively encouraged it..

I know Harvey prob will in future,but like my HV I won't go out and buy him one and wouldn't expect the family to either.xx

 

[Vicyi]

I don't think its all about guns though. I do think that children will 'kill' someone/be 'killed' at some point in their childhood. As i said i've never bought my 2 a gun or anything similar but my DD still plays a game with her school friends in which she/they are the princess/queen and she goes into the forest/cave/woods and a dragon/monster etc will 'kill' her and she will 'deaded' until the king/prince comes to rescue her. x