Will you let your child play with toy guns?

[Nibblenic]

To me, the child in that video has seen something alot more violent than something he shoud have been shown at his age.


I think it depends on how the child has seen that wepon be used.

I'd put good money that it was daddy/mummy playing Xbox or PS3 18 rated games infront of him.

 

[smokey]

To me, the child in that video has seen something alot more violent than something he shoud have been shown at his age.

If my son wants to dress up as a cowboy with a gun then he can have one. Thats one of the fun things as a child. . A police man has a batton and hat so is So should that be banned to. I would never allow Mathew to be subjected to violent programs/films/video games where he can see them used in that manor.

In the summer if your child asks for a water gun, would you say no? It's still a gun and it shoots (yes water i know) but it should be fun.

I think it depends on how the child has seen that wepon be used.

Exactly this was why I never had a problem befor about the idea of him playing with toy guns, it was just this video made me think twice about it but its clear that this child has been encouraged probably by a parent who thinks its funny, and adult or older childhas probably even shown them what to do so again it all biols down to the views and morals you rais them to have.

 

[smokey]

To me, the child in that video has seen something alot more violent than something he shoud have been shown at his age.


I think it depends on how the child has seen that wepon be used.

I'd put good money that it was daddy/mummy playing Xbox or PS3 18 rated games infront of him.

Now youv made me paranoid about what OH is playing on the ps3 all weekend (although I need a good reason to make him stop) Brian couldnt realy care less about what is on the screen he barely even ooks atit when playing with his toys but you just dont know what they are absorbing without you realising I suppose.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

You cant really stop who they talk to at school though, we cant be in front of our kids 24/7. I hate toy guns but if my lad uses a stick or something pretending its a gun at school copying the other kids, not much I can do!

 

[cleckner04]

Well, I think toy guns are okay as long as they aren't realistic. So like nerf guns that shoot styrofoam balls or discs are okay IMO. But rifle guns and handgun toys that look real, I don't agree with those. We own airsoft guns and paintball guns and DH has a few hunting guns back home(shotguns). My children will grow up with guns being around them. It's just a fact of life when you have hunters in the family. But in moderation IYKWIM. DH doesn't play shooting games if he plays video games so that's one thing that won't be seen.

 

[Laura2919]

One afternoon my niece pulled out a pink toy gun from the toybox and started pointing it at people and going pow pow, my dad watches westerns so I can only say she got it from there but my brother went mad. He hates kids playing with toy guns and believes that they shouldnt be allowed to be sold.
I dont know if its teaching children guns are ok but I wouldnt wanna take the risk.

 

[billy2mm]

no way would any child of mine ever play with guns or pretend to play with them.

i think they would to outlawed tbh.

we have age restrictions on violent films and computer games but yet toddlers are allowed to play with the weapons featured in these films and games?! totally wrong imo.

 

[redpoppy]

I'm not really bothered. I won't be running out to buy any child a gun but I won't be horrified if they start making them out of lego either.

I would worry if a very young child started re-enacting violent scenes but I know fomr having nephews that as young as 5 or 6 they become quite strangely obsessed with death and blood and things where you sit there thinking "this boy comes for a stable and happy home with protective parents so WHERE ON EARTH has he got a story into his head where someone walks into a room and everyone dies and the blood goes everywhere on the walls?"

I played quite a few violent/bloody computer games as a child and I suppose the difference is that I never came across a gun till I was 28 years old and it was at a wedding in Pakistan. The thought that younger children may come into contact with guns and think it new and novel or even worse cool and exciting is where the problem lies.

So I don't have an opinion yet. Although we'll definitely be having water guns I imagine.

 

[twinkle1975]

If/when we have kids I won't be running out to buy them a gun. However I heard a speaker at a conference talking about boys development the other day & she said that gun play was a stage most boys go through - if they don't have toy guns they make them out of lego, no lego - they use their fingers. If we 'shut down' that play & make a big fuss about it then the stage actually lasts longer because its a taboo. Just an interesting thought!

 

[peanut56]

Guns terrify me. I had someone pull a gun on me at a bar several years ago and ever since then I can't stomach even the thought of guns.
If my children use their hands or sticks or something to play guns, there's not much I can do...but I definitely won't be buying toy guns (except for things like nerf guns) for them.

 

[sequeena]

I had a pretend gun as a child. It was wooden and I got it at a Country Western place (it had lifesize saloons and other things which was cool) and I never remember being violent. Obviously I would pretend to shoot but it was never lie that little boy in the video

So I don't know how I feel about it.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I'm sure I've commented on similar topics before so apologies to anyone that has heard me before .

I come from a law enforcement family. I've always been taught that guns are not toys and if I did see a gun to tell an adult. I believe it's important to educate children on the harm guns could do. If they know that guns are dangerous and what they could do, it raises the likelihood that they will come tell an adult if they see one. As for toy guns, Nerf (the foam ones) guns don't bother me. Being a preschool teacher, I've seen little boys make guns out of legos. It's part of child development to explore. Because of the area I worked in we tried to discourage this and instead encouraged them to use "water squirters" instead.

Saying that, I learned to shoot when I was 16 under my father's supervision. I used to shoot air rifle competitively. I became a rifle instructor through the Boy Scout program in California. I've taught children as young as 5 to use BB guns. There are rules in scouting that the boys are not allowed to use anything higher caliber until they reach a certain age. I have run rifle ranges and safety briefings. It's all about being aware of everything going on around you. There are rules to abide by and there are always two or more adults on a range at one time. I can say that my son will most likely learn to shoot at an early age under my or my father's supervision. It's all about education. Accidents with firearms happen due to lack of education and supervision. I personally could not see my son or any future children we have growing up not exposed to firearms (my dad does Civil War reenacting and I do Mountain Man reenacting using black powder rifles).

I come from a different culture as well. I understand that firearms are not widely accepted in the UK. This is fine by me, but I appreciate those that do their research first and can accept the opinions of others when it comes to this controversal topic. I hope I haven't ruffled feathers with explaining my experience.

 

[ttc_lolly]

Probably... I am pretty sure I played with them when I was a child (I was more into dolls & barbies though!) and I have no interest in real guns or shooting people!!

Society is changing all the time & people like to look too deep into things IMO. I don't think the gun & knife crime stems from those kids being allowed to play with toy guns x

 

[PepsiChic]

im really undecided with this one, i can see where people say playing with a gun influences violence etc,

but think of it this way, if you gave a boy a toy gun and said go play his first response is going to be "what is it", it is then down to you to decide what to inform him about guns, do guns shoot? or do they kill? are they to protect yourself? or to go after bad guys?

we ultimately put the ideas in their head for their games and imagination by how we describe things to them.

(i hope that all makes sense)

I will not be allowing my son to have a real gun, nor to hunt. BUT i will have his dad take him to a shooting range and to attend a gun safety lesson. Because here in america at some point or another he may very well end up with a gun in his hand, as a teenager he may be at a friends house and his friend has a gun. I want him to know how to safely handle one to minimize something happening.

as for toy guns, yes he can have one if he asks for one, otherwise i wont buy him one, and if he asks then i will decide at the time what a gun is for. "guns are used in self-defense, never to purposely hurt someone"

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Actually, there are more listed gun accidents due to "self-defense." There have been cases of parents shooting their own children because the child was coming into the house late.

 

[PepsiChic]

Actually, there are more listed gun accidents due to "self-defense." There have been cases of parents shooting their own children because the child was coming into the house late.

but are you going to tell that to a child?

i would rather say "guns are for self defence"
then: "guns are for killing people"

 

[Chocciebutton]

I have nevr let my 2 boys now aged 15 and 6 have toy guns......I think it was different 35 years ago when my brother was little they would play cowboys and indians in the garden and I remember almost every boy having cowboy western style guns in holsters along with a cowboy outfit!........things have changed today however , gun crime was hardly ever in the papers back then and I feel today it is wrong to give these sort of toys to children
Back then we didnt also have all these violent video games that we have now and I am sure these have an affect on certain individuals later in life

 

[PepsiChic]

i guess you could also look at it this way...

people carry knifes on them, stab people, attack people, and threaten people with them...but do we allow our children to play with knifes?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Actually, there are more listed gun accidents due to "self-defense." There have been cases of parents shooting their own children because the child was coming into the house late.

but are you going to tell that to a child?

i would rather say "guns are for self defence"
then: "guns are for killing people"

But guns can hurt and kill people. I tell that to young children all the time. Why hide the truth? Guns used in the wrong manner can hurt and kill.

 

[Laura2919]

I tell my niece and I will tell the twins that guns hurt and can kill people. I dont see why I should lie to them.
Your gonna say its self defence but its not really true.