How old were your kids when you ..???..
First let them handle a firearm, not shoot it but just touch it.
For me I let mine handle (touch / hold) one when they were around 5 or 6.
I felt if they were to know there was not any big magical powers to this thing we all tell them to stay away from and not touch it might deter them from wanting to see what all the hype was about when i was not around.
after this (i have 3 girls 12,19,24, it may not work for boys) they didn't inquire about them ever.[^]
all 3 like to shoot and all have there own gun.
just wondering how someone else handle this with young kids[?]
For me I let mine handle (touch / hold) one when they were around 5 or 6.
I felt if they were to know there was not any big magical powers to this thing we all tell them to stay away from and not touch it might deter them from wanting to see what all the hype was about when i was not around.
after this (i have 3 girls 12,19,24, it may not work for boys) they didn't inquire about them ever.[^]
all 3 like to shoot and all have there own gun.
just wondering how someone else handle this with young kids[?]
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I was handling guns when I was about 4 or 5. My grandfather wanted to make sure I learned the rules, and gave them respect long before I was ever allowed to shoot one. 0 -
good post, I'm wondering this too. My daughter is only 2 but is already asking about them when she sees me with one. If you don;t mind me adding something...what about toy guns? I'm up in the air about them. Telling them they can play with toy guns but not real...how old 'til they can differentiate? 0 -
goldeneagle76 - I don't think they can. Therefore, no toy guns at our house.
Both of mine are allowed to hold a gun w/ my supervision (daughter is 7, son is 4), and the daughter just made her first trip to the range with me - she did well! But I've been ready to take her for 6 or so months now, and she finally decided that she was ready... she's been almost ready before, but always backed out before getting in the car to go...0 -
I had toys guns from as early as I could remember.... in our house we were allowed to play cowboys and indians pointing the toys at each other.... but then again I was well trained the difference between the toy and the real gun. I think the whole he did not know the difference between a toy and real gun is a cop out for bad parenting. If a child was taught right from a young age they would easily know the difference. 0 -
My daughter was about 4 or 5 when I let her hold one of my (unloaded) handgun's for the first time. She hasn't shown the curiosity with them that I had when I was her age. Her grade school had the local PD come over and give the Eddie Eagle program to her first grade class and that seemed to make an impression on her. Sometimes I would leave an unloaded gun where she would see it to see if she would leave it alone and tell me, like they teach in the program. She alway's told me. She's nine now and every now and then she'll ask if she can look at and hold one of my handgun's. I don't know if it's just my daughter or if it's a girl thing but she doesn't seem have the facination with firearms that I did when I was a kid. I'm taking her shooting this spring as soon as it warms up. 0 -
i have no kids but i was about 8 or 9 0 -
Our daughter was always told if she ever weas curious, to ask. She did ask to see and to touch. At the same time both my wife and explained things to her to take the mystery out of firearms. My daughter is now 6 1/2. She has been shooting her own 22 since she was 4 with adult supervision. Is extremely conscious of gun safety. As to toy guns, she has a couple that were handed down through the generations. One in particular was a pistol of my fathers. It just mahes a snap when the trigger is pulled. We stress to her there is no difference between the two. She is not allowed to point the toy at anything she does not intend to shoot, if she were to do that. The toy along with the real firearm would be taken away. It is difficult to teach that to her cousins. She told her one cousin several times not to point the gun at her. After several attempts at this and failing, she hauled off and slugged him and said that was the end of the game. My father-in-law took the water guns from his son and his sons friend and broke them when the friend pointed the water gun at his son. It may seem harsh, but they had been warned to never do that and even though it was the friend who disobeyed, both suffered the consequences.
It seemed like it was much easier to tell the difference between real and toy when I was a child, but I do believe if they are treated the same you will not have a situation in which somebody says "I thought it was a toy."0 -
1 Boy and 1 girl both started at age 3.
edit:
Here's a pic of me and my shooting buddy.
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My daughter's not yet three, and she's "helped" me clean my guns for over a year.
She seems to like the model 14 the best.
Girl's got taste.
And she's constantly getting safe handling instructions.0 -
between 2-3 y.o., for me my Grandfather let me handle/look at his single shot .22 Stevens Derringer when i was about 8 y.o. and my parents freaked 0 -
My kids (ages 7 & 10) have both been shooting for about 3 years now. They both probly got to touch a real gun about a year or so before that. Toy guns (ie: water guns, nerf guns, ect.) even before that.
But my kids have had exposure to guns their whole lives. I fully trust my kids around guns. They do know the difference between real and fake and are not allowed to point a fake gun at a person with the exception of water guns and the nurf guns (and with the nurf guns they are required to have on eye protection).
My kids also are now allowed to keep their guns in thier rooms. I have them on hooks on the wall. They know not to touch them without permission. But to be on the safe side I have removed the bolts from their guns and all ammo is stored and locked up.
But my kids also know that I do have loaded guns in my room and they are not to enter my room without permission. But there are times I have let my daughter on the computer here in my room and there has been a loaded gun sitting on the desk. But here again I trust my kids to not touch any guns I may have out because they have been taught.
I am a firm believer that if you start them early and take the mystery out of it for them that you really do not need to worry about it. To my kids a gun is just a fact of life that has allways been there and they do not even pay them any attention.0 -
I've never had children,But did have toy guns when i was a child. I have no idea when i touched/held my first gun, i would have to say 5-6, because my pop never had any handguns, as far as i know.I do know that i took and passed the Hunters Safety Course in NJ.at age 8.By age 9 i was CARRYING a .410 in the field, with my pop.He started taking me hunting, near the house, on our farm, when i was 5.At that age, i carried a "STICK", but did LOTS of "POW-POWing"[:D][;)] 0 -
My son had toy guns from a young age. I did tell him that if the gun projected anythiing out of the barrel, dart, plastic ball, bb, cork or anything else it was to never be pointed at an adult's or another child's face. He broke the rules only once. The plastic dart with a suction cup hit me in the forehead and stuck. I had to leave the room to keep from laughing because it was a serious situation but funny as all get out at the moment. After I composed myself I went back to his room and took his gun away. I then explained to him how he could have seriously hurt me or someone else by doing that.
When I was cleaning a firearm and he showed interest I'd give him the wooden buttstock or forearm or something that he could not loose or really screw up. I'd give him a rag and let him polish it. Seemed to make him happy and now him nor my 14 year old daughter show much interest in firearms but will shoot if given the opportunity. No sneaking around and handling dad's guns when I'm not there.
I started my son shooting a .22 revolver, with immediate hands on supervision, when he was four. Just enough to get him interested and to show that the loud bang is not all there is to the firing of a firearm. My daughter was a little older, maybe 8, before I started her to shooting a single shot .22 rifle, (Chipmunk).
Bode0 -
Three ladies 6, 10 and 16.
They started handle guns about age three while I would be cleaning mine. Started shooting at four to five years.
They all have their own now. Makes me proud that all three likes Winchester rifles better than any they have shot.0 -
My oldest son will be 3 in May. He has held my GP100 but doesn't really understand it yet. He asks me about my XD that I carry and I just say "It's daddy's gun. Don't touch." I'll probably take him to the range with me this summer. I think he watched me shoot last year as well.
I started shooting shortly after I turned 4. I remember shooting a scoped bolt .22 rifle. It must have been the summer before my older brother turned 7 because he didn't have his rifle yet.
I got my Ruger Single Six for my seventh birthday.
Dad had guns all over the house. I never touched one without him there until I was old enough to be allowed.0 -
quote:Originally posted by git_r_done
My kids (ages 7 & 10) have both been shooting for about 3 years now. They both probly got to touch a real gun about a year or so before that. Toy guns (ie: water guns, nerf guns, ect.) even before that.
But my kids have had exposure to guns their whole lives. I fully trust my kids around guns. They do know the difference between real and fake and are not allowed to point a fake gun at a person with the exception of water guns and the nurf guns (and with the nurf guns they are required to have on eye protection).
My kids also are now allowed to keep their guns in thier rooms. I have them on hooks on the wall. They know not to touch them without permission. But to be on the safe side I have removed the bolts from their guns and all ammo is stored and locked up.
But my kids also know that I do have loaded guns in my room and they are not to enter my room without permission. But there are times I have let my daughter on the computer here in my room and there has been a loaded gun sitting on the desk. But here again I trust my kids to not touch any guns I may have out because they have been taught.
I am a firm believer that if you start them early and take the mystery out of it for them that you really do not need to worry about it. To my kids a gun is just a fact of life that has allways been there and they do not even pay them any attention.
2 Girls + 4 Boys - I did it that way with them.
No problem with toy guns.
Doug0 -
Besides what everybody else has said, I keep several long guns in a glass front case in my bedroom. That way my kids see the guns everyday, seeing guns are just as common to my kids as watching a TV. 0 -
My son who is now 7 got to experience firearms up close and personal when he was 3. He was with us at a party out at a buddy's farm and watched while we shot clays. I am not sure when I actually let him hold a firearm but I know it was before he was 5. My PT 99 to be specific. He has just started firing them himself.
I will add that we do not have toy guns in the house. I got him a bb gun last year and he and his cousins have some airsoft pistols. I would rather him fire the real thing and have the healthy fear that instills than run around with some screwed up idea in his head from playing games .
See this thread http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2848590 -
In NY State a youth must be 12 years of age before they can handle a firearm. All my girls took their Hunters Education Course when the turned 12, and I took them out and let the shoot soon afterwards.
Trinity +++0 -
quote:Originally posted by TrinityScrimshaw
In NY State a youth must be 12 years of age before they can handle a firearm. All my girls took their Hunters Education Course when the turned 12, and I took them out and let the shoot soon afterwards.
Trinity +++
[:0]they have to be 12 even with the parent?[:(]
i guess it is better then 180 -
Six,Six,Six,Six and Six 0 -
I had a game I played w/daughters and their friends.
They'd come thru while I was cleaning a gun or something. Occasionally (usually one of the friends as my girls soon grew wise) would take interest. Watch, ask questions.
I'd tell them all about it. What it was, where/when made etc.
Then I'd hold out to them and ask if they wanted to touch it.
When they'd reach for it, I'd say "NO!" and snatch it back.
[:D]0 -
I raised three kids and required every one, including the wife, to load and shoot a rifle, pistol and shotgun. Demonstrated the lethal aspects of the bullits to them. Took fear and curisoty and replaced it with respect, safety and proper knowledge. I wouldn't do it but I knew I could place a loaded gun on the kitchen table, go to the movie leaving the kids alone at home and they would never touch the gun. Any gun they did touch they were always taught to check it first thing to see if it was loaded and always point it in the air where an accidental discharge would not hurt anything, just in case. They were taught to treat every gun as if it were loaded regardless of the situation. Before my daughter left for college with her own car I made her completely change a tire by herself with my superrvision but hands off. You should have heard her griping and grunting while trying not to get dirty. Wow, what a show. She is 36 now and brags to her 3 kids about how she changed her own tires when she was a teenager. One of my boys took to guns and the other doesn't want anything to do with them but I know he could use one safely if he had to. Remove the fear and curiosity with proper education, very close supervision and hands on approach. It is good to make it fun but serious business too. Kids like to shoot thing like baloons, bowling pins, or anything that shows and reacts to the impact as a reward for the shot. At one of family reunions in Tennesee I show up with my shotguns, 4 or 5 boxes of clay pigeons, lots of shells and under good parent supervision get all the kids together for an afternoon shoot. Some are not hardly big enough to hold the gun but everyone helps and we have a ball safely and teach these kids safety. All the Dad's are very good hunters and they love it for their kids. The grownups have serious shoot offs too. Wives even take some shots sometimes. It has become a yearly tradition and they really look forward to good ole Uncle Dick showing up with his guns and clays. I take young kids out to teach them fishing and make sure I get them into a pond that has plenty of fast catching fishing to make sure they don't get bored. They get bored quick if they don't catch a fish, usually a blue gill, on almost every cast. It sure is fun to see one snag into a big ole Large mouth bass or large cat fish. The looks on their face! 0 -
Shooting at 6/7 and hunting by 10. 0 -
I guess I started with a cork gun then a BB gun. When I was five I moved up to a 22, and started hunting squirrels, alone. Dad took me duck hunting when I was 7 with my own 12 guage. The stock was cut down, extra pad, and hand loaded light powered shells.
Would love to start all over again, oh what a life it was, pretty proud to bring home a squirrel or two.0 -
As soon as my kids could walk, I would sometimes strap a holstered revolver to their side and let them play. Of course it would be unloaded.
My grandkids were playing with a derringer I had as soon as they could sit up on their own.
My kids and grandkids have been around firearms all their life and have always been able to handle them if I was around. I usually have a handgun, loaded on the nightstand, and they don't touch them. I have done this to take the curiosity out of guns. They are so use to seeing them, and they know what a firearm is capable of doing that they just don't touch them, unless I say OK. I've always taught them firearms safety as they grew.
Today, my kids are very responsible with firearms. Feb. 14th, my granddaughter will be turning 5. She'll be getting her first rifle then, a pink Crickett.0
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