Toy guns - Real Mum story on MoM

7 Comments

I am a mother to an almost 4 year old and 6 month old sons. I have chosen to NOT introduce violence into our household and this goes with smacking, toy guns, nerf guns, water pistols etc……… sometimes I feel as though I am the weird mum doing this and that maybe I am wrong………!! I know as my son gets older he is going to find nerf guns and guns alike possibly fun to play with, but as a 3 year old i feel he is too young to differentiate between fantasy and real and know the ramifications of guns that I have just chosen to keep these out of his life so far. As a parent i cringe when i see other kids playing and shooting with guns, i cringe when a child uses his hand to replica a gun and points it and says “im going to kill you” or “your dead”. I know that playing with guns doesn;t mean my son will become a criminal, i just don’t see the sense in letting them grow up quicker than they need to and bottom line is whether it is just for play, guns are weapons and in the wrong hands they do kill. I love that my son has this innocence about him, but am i sheltering him too much??! Maybe I am but i don’t want to raise a thug, i don’t want him to learn that weapons are ok and handling things like that is alright. Isn’t it my job to protect him and raise him to the best i can?!?

I know kids his age don’t understand the consequences of their actions, so wouldn’t that tell a parent they are then too young to understand certain gunplay is ok?? I also don’t want to de-sensitise my son when it comes to guns etc that to him they are nothing and just an every day part of life.

Posted by Kylie Smith, 3rd May 2013

7 Comments

- - mom73672 said
  - 29 Jul 2015
    9:35 am
Kids have always roll played with guns etc even using their finger as one but back in the day they were not also subjected to violent movies etc. The slackening of morals and what is shown on TV and internet is definitely having an impact on de sensitising and I think this is where you have to be more discerning when teaching children.

- - mom70050 said
  - 17 Jun 2015
    9:23 am
Like with many things we encounter with our children I think this subject will always have those for and against. But it is up to each parent to weigh out the pros and cons for their child/children and go from there. Ultimately it will be only you teaching them the ramifications of their actions so it’s best to do it in a way that you are comfortable with, seems that’s just what you are doing.

- - Kell said
  - 08 Jun 2015
    1:09 pm
That is great Advice Fruit wood .

- - mom94125 said
  - 07 Jun 2015
    6:16 pm
yes i suppose that this is either a for or against topic

- - fruitwood said
  - 26 Jun 2014
    10:49 pm
Our school recently had a Cowboy & Indian day & toy guns were popular. I’ve found it’s better to talk about different things, than try to hide kids from them. At the end of the day, they are going to come accross these things either at school or at a friends house. It’s better to be involved rather than have it done behind your back so to speak.
- mom57522 replied
  
  28 Dec 2014 , 10:04 pm
  I really like the advice you have given.
- - yyon4699 said
  - 31 Mar 2014
    4:20 pm
did you get the chance to read the article about toy guns? Have a go. you might get what you are looking for