Boys playing with toy guns

[Ouluckyduck]

harmless or not? What rules apply in your house? Will you even allow them, if not, why not, what are your concerns?

Six year old ds loves guns and playing cowboys, and I struggle to see the harm. Interestingly the people I mix with in the uk don't seem yo mind, but back home in Germany people are horrified.

Thinking about it, I am quite violent towards snails, mind.

'I am OK with 'fantasy' guns but hate to see realistic weapons as toys. This is one instance where red and yellow plastic is better than black metal

If it's any help my now 12, 15 and 17 year old ds's loved playing with guns when they were little and if it wasn't a gun it was a light saber being swished around. . The only one they couldn't have was a spud gun as I was afraid they really would take each other's eyes out but nothing wrong with a pretend gun. YANBU to let your child play with one.

Me too Rhubarb, me too.

No problems with them here. Like mayaswell said - guns don't kill people, people kill people. You could apply the same theory to using anything that could be used as a weapon - how far is it going to go? Banning plastic knives? Toy hammers?

I was obsessed with being a teenage mutant ninja turtle as a kid, I haven't donned a shell and an eye mask and tried to ninja kick anyone to death. Yet.

spammertime

I don't like guns. Or any toys that encourage violence, although DS has ASD so things have to be clear cut for him.

It doesn't bother me when other peoples kids are allowed guns. I don't give it a second thought.

My BFs kids mums don't let them have guns. I was stood in the pound shop for 30 minutes at the weekend in a stand off with a non verbal 3 year old over him wanting a toy gun. It's up to the parents really.

My sons have been obsessed with toy guns for years. I find it a bit off putting, but truly don't think there's any harm in it. One of them is just a very good marksman - always wins soft toys at the fair, brilliant at archery, and he is the sweetest, snuggliest least violent kid I know. His interest is in the sport of it, not in killing anything. An uncle offered to take him grouse shooting and was turned down flat. So, I'd let them do it. I'd rather they charged around the garden squirting water at each other all summer long than sat vegging at a computer.

Rubarb and May shame on you for the snails. Cross face I mean it.

I would let my children have toy guns if they wanted.

I worked in a school where the Head had banned any sort of toy gun, including (and the reception children I was with tried everything) ones made from twigs, lego, sticklebricks, slices of toast..... It was pretty much impossible to stop the children playing "guns".

And it was ALL boys. Never saw the girls play guns, ever.

I allow water pistols though!

A school I worked at banned gun play, kids weren't allowed to make guns out of Lego. The kids quickly realised that they could get away with it if they said they had made a water pistol

ds played with them, he is a well adjusted adult now.
can't see the reasons behind banning toys like that. imo makes the parents sound a bit silly

Yes racing heart, I would ban TV and computer games first!! :)

Girls play with toy guns too... I loved my capgun, water pistols, and loads more different types. I have never shot anyone or hurt them, and doubt I ever would. Nor do I know anyone else who has either.

It's Nerftastic round here most days. It's good fun, and all the exercise running up and down the stairs and round the garden.

Sorry Edmund. I promise to stop shooting snails forthwith.

Three socks of you don't see the reason try being whacked in the face with a light sabre by a child who doesn't know when to stop

Sorry SirEdmund.

In a double standards way I let them have freedom in the compost heap, but despatch them quickly under my boot when found elsewhere.

I don't expect to go to heaven, and they are undoubtedly winning the fight.

I don't particularly like DS1 playing with guns, because he's only 4 and I can't find a way to explain to him that real ones aren't nice. DH is completely opposed to guns, but DS1 makes them out of stickle-brix anyhow.

We're on holiday on the IOW at the moment. If anyone has been to the cowboy village at Blackgang Chine, it's full of children hurtling around shooting each other with cap guns. Boys loved it.

Also agree that it doesn't work.
I didn't let DS1 have any guns when he was little, but he made them out of lego, random sticks, bananas - in fact, anything vaguely gun shaped.

I really should have known better as I remember using my Dad's walking stick as a shotgun when I used to pretend to be Calamity Jane when I was a child!

i made a conscious decision not to let ds have them - he made one out of a biscuit - rich tea finger

Toy guns are fine in my opinion, but never point a gun even in fun

I did the whole "no guns" thing when my DS was little, thinking that made me a responsible parent.

He just made some himself - as someone else said up thread - with lego & cardboard etc.

He's now the most placid young man imaginable.

I think it's entirely harmless & a healthy part of playtime.

Yesendo great fun was had for ages there!

Blimmin expensive though, take your own weapons if you're going!