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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think children shouldn't have toy guns?

182 replies

trianglesaregood · 08/05/2013 13:55

At the park this morning and noticed some pre-school age boys playing, quite aggressively, with toy guns. One looked like some sort of machine gun complete with toy ammo! I was a bit shocked as I didn't think anyone gave their kids these kind of toys anymore; none of my friends do and I wouldn't think it appropriate for my children. Am I living in a bubble? Wondered what others thought?

OP posts:
KittensandKids · 08/05/2013 14:08

I have never bought DSs them but other family members do, Nerf guns, I just wait and collect the bullets. No big deal tbh DS2 makes guns from sticks etc. He doesn't want anything much gun related on TV. He made a bow and arrow last week.

My brothers had a real bow and arrow until they made a hole in the bedroom door, they had air pistols too, but used bit of potato to shoot my head, I detested my brothers having lethal weapons but it was that or pepper in my eyes. Now they buy my DSs the guns.

VonHerrBurton · 08/05/2013 14:09

Well, you wouldn't like to be around me and my ds/all his friends at the park :)

He has always played with toy guns, nerf foam bullet guns, potato pellet guns - any type, since he was school age, as have his circle of friends. They're 9/10 yo now and still play with them, amongst other things, but they still all get together and go to the field, build dens, climb trees and pretend to shoot eachother.

If you walked passed with a dog, pushchair, older person they would stop and get out of your way. None of them are aggressive, angry, rude or bullies.

Fakebook · 08/05/2013 14:09

I wouldn't mind. I remember my dd aged 2 coming home from nursery one day and pointing her finger at me saying "pyoo pyoo pyoo". They'll make up pretend guns out of anything. Dd has water guns and foam rocket launching guns. I don't think she's going to go around shooting people in the future.

Booboobedoo · 08/05/2013 14:09

We have a sizeable weapon stockpile at my house. DS (6) doesn't really play with them any more, but DD (2.5) loves them.

I think most kids need to get it out of their systems.

squoosh · 08/05/2013 14:10

I used to love my toy dagger with retractable 'blade'. Manys a happy murder I perpetrated with that.

aldiwhore · 08/05/2013 14:12

I had one of those squoosh!! Awesome serial killing memories of childhood and 'stupid' dolls.

I should add that I find the thought of actually harming someone pretty abhorant.

5madthings · 08/05/2013 14:12

squoosh the madthings have some of those Grin

Need guns are fun, my boys have lots of toy guns, every time they do hook a duck at the fair they choose a toy gun as their prize. They have a pretend baton and handcuffs etc as well [shrug]

VonHerrBurton · 08/05/2013 14:16

do you include water guns in your gun ban,op? I can't imagine a summer without 20 kids, boys and girls, squealing with delight having water gun battles....

MustTidyUpMustTidyUp · 08/05/2013 14:17

Thought I would care but I don't.

HorryIsUpduffed · 08/05/2013 14:18

I don't like guns that look like guns, and the DCs don't own any of any kind (though they do have wooden swords to play knights).

But bright plastic supersoaker shape guns wouldn't bother me particularly.

valiumredhead · 08/05/2013 14:19

No different from swords, archery sets etc imo. They just make them out of lego as someone said earlier or use plastic toy carrots in this house!

SconeInSixtySeconds · 08/05/2013 14:19

I didn't buy ds guns either - we had a lot of sticks around the house which were guns/swords/light sabres instead.

Until he went to a jumble sale with his own, saved, money. And bought, oh yes, a fucking toy gun. Sigh.

Original poster
trianglesaregood · 08/05/2013 14:20

I've never noticed my DS making pretend guns from lego etc nor has he ever asked for a toy gun but he is fond of swishing around pretend light sabres which somehow doesn't seem as threatening. We don't have wooden archery sets though.

OP posts:
SconeInSixtySeconds · 08/05/2013 14:21

How old is he triangles?

Ellenora5 · 08/05/2013 14:23

My ds1 first gun was a banana. The fruit bowl was always empty of bananas so I went and bought him a gun.

DreamsTurnToGoldDust · 08/05/2013 14:24

I did care when ds was a baby and I was never going to buy any weapon for him, I hated any weapon and dc had a good mix of toys, dolls etc , then he started nursery and became fanatical with star wars, we have an arsenal of guns, swords, light sabers, blasters etc made from anything and everything. Pow pow pow, hands up and is screamed through the house Sad, hes still a lovely little boy, its just that they play it at school alongisde batman, spiderman etc.

He still will only go to sleep with piglet cuddling him though, so alls not lost.

MogTheForgetfulCat · 08/05/2013 14:25

I have 3 DSs and we don't have much in the way of toy guns. I wouldn't buy guns that look like real guns, but we do have water pistols and super-soakers, and I wouldn't object to some sort of colourful Nerf-type gun - probably wouldn't buy them one, but would allow them to buy with their own money (but have not yet had to be tested on this).

We do have wooden and foam swords and cutlasses, and an archery set. Also light-sabres. They are adept at making almost anything - Lego, pencils, sticks, pieces of toast (yes, really) into guns, though, so the instinct for weaponry seems to be built-in, to a certain extent - they've never seen anything on TV/film that they shouldn't have, so it didn't come from that...

DreamsTurnToGoldDust · 08/05/2013 14:26

triangle, do you know how deadly the light saber is? Grin

LadyBeagleEyes · 08/05/2013 14:28

What's the difference between a toy gun and a toy sword though.
A sword is basically just a glorified knife isn't it?
And in the movies a light sabre is still a lethal weapon that kills people.

haggisaggis · 08/05/2013 14:29

WHen ds was little think we had a no guns rule too. Then he grew...in his last year of primary he and his friends (boys and girls) used to run round the village having "gun games". Really just a glorified game of hide and seek. They all had fun, no-one got hurt and they were having lots of exercise.

LondonJax · 08/05/2013 14:29

DS doesn't have guns but, as soon as he started school, he'd be picking up twigs or building guns (and 'bomber planes') with Lego. At that stage the most violent thing he saw on TV was Justin's House! But two of his friends in Foundation loved 'army' games and he picked up the idea (along with half the girls and boys in his class).

The good thing is that it's given us a chance to talk about when guns aren't good in real life - to which his stock reply is 'I know mum, but this is fiction' (6years going on 60...)

MustTidyUpMustTidyUp · 08/05/2013 14:31

But remember if you get struck down with a light sabre you will only become more powerful....

JackieTheFart · 08/05/2013 14:32

I don't like the toys that look like real guns but other than that I am not bothered.

I am more bothered by children 'pretending' to kick one another - yes DSS, I mean you!!

squeakytoy · 08/05/2013 14:35

I have never understood why there is a problem with children playing with TOYS because that is all they are.

Children who play with toy guns do not automatically grow up to go around shooting people..

VerySmallSqueak · 08/05/2013 14:35

No toy guns allowed here.

When they are older though they will learn to shoot.