Nerf guns

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

I don't like them. Lots of DSs friends have them. Lots of parents I know are happy about them.

DP has ordered them for the 3 DSs without telling me. I am v unhappy. DS1 has ADHD and has impulse issues. He is not able to stop doing something when he's 'in the zone'

DSs know he has ordered them.

MN jury do you have them?

[LashesandLipstick]

I have ADHD and play with nerf guns. Nerf guns are great

[OnionsAndApples]

My son has ADHD and we have nerf guns. If it is all getting too out of control they go back in the box. They do need to be closely supervised!

Alice, 'they learn quick' re impulse control not really applicable with ADHD which is essentially impulse control issue!

[SingingSands]

We have loads here, DS and DD. And about 3 bullets left out of the seemingly 100s I've bought over the years. Kids love them, I don't like them in the house because the running/leaping about does more damage than the bullets. Same rules as others - not close range, not near the face. I understand the getting overexcited, but this also happens when mine are playing footy, tag rugby etc.

[Sparklingbrook]

We have a ton of Nerf Guns, plus the Nerf Shelter. Nerf wars is the best fun ever.

NOT AT THE FACE though.

[Rainicorn]

I really get the impulse issue, DS2 has autism and doesn't think when he gets over excited, or in most situations. Sadly he is the one who doesn't like nerf guns or any for of weapon, so can't offer any advice.

[PatriciaHolm]

We have about 8...

Garden only, no shooting at faces. They do do as they told regarding them though. They have great fun having huge games when all their cousins are here.

[WeAllHaveWings]

I've had one shot at point blank range in the eye (tip: don't look down barrel and pull the trigger trying work out where the stuck bullet is) and didn't cry (maybe the wine had numbed it...). Had to go to opticians next day as painful and got anti-b drops (it was a nerf tag bullet and the Velcro end had left lots of visible little scratches on eyeball).

They are great fun and my eye has been the only injury.

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

It was an upping the ante situation where he escalated the weaponry picked up a stick in the heat of the moment

[HMF1]

Only toy my teenage sons still play with we have loads but the bullets are a pain you find them everywhere. Nerf water pistols are the business though.

[SweepTheHalls]

We all have them (adults too!). Everyone loves house war!

[CrapBag]

DS asked for one for Christmas last year, he was about to turn 7.

Great Christmas day was had with adults shooting down wind up penguins that came out of crackers.

He doesn't actually play with it that much but I didn't see a problem with him having it. He knows not to shoot people in the fact though, in fact he doesn't shoot people, but targets or army men or something instead. Would that work OP?

[Valsoldknickers]

We have a complete arsenal. Only rule is no headshots (so as to avoid eye injury)!

When DS's are at school and I am avoiding housework bored I have been known to dig out empty cans from the recycling bin and line them up and shoot the bastards in the back garden (releases my inner Annie Oakley)

With a few ground rules your DC's could have lots of fun with them.

[CQ]

Rules for Nerf in our house:

Safety glasses.
No aiming at face/neck.
No shooting Mum.
No shooting the dog.
No shooting in the kitchen.

Any hint of these rules being broken and it's game over.

Hours and hours of shrieking fun - all ages.

[ragged]

We have them & the DC have managed on occasion to hugely annoy me with them.

Who is your DS1 going to shoot? You, a sibling, your DP? Might a chance for your DP to have fun & help teach your DS1 good social limits?

[chloesmumtoo]

Dd had so much fun playing out with friends nerf guns that we were very tempted to let her buy her own- despite some reservations.
Prior to purchasing any herself, her friend came over to our house and unfortunately bought nerf guns.
Within minutes of the friend arriving, whilst I was totally unaware and innocently eating my lunch up at the table. My dd picked up the nerf gun and shot it straight towards me. My front tooth took the full pelt . It was awful, I spent the afternoon the quietest I had ever been. Many visits to the mirror checking the poor tooth.
Pain continued so I had to visit the dentist and he found on x ray that I had a very traumatized front tooth and just had to cross my fingers it would be ok. Very upsetting when you have looked after your teeth and the thought of loosing a front one was devastating. It took such a force. Still a year and a half on I am still getting occasional discomfort and nerve pain and believe the tooth will die eventually.
This put me right off nerf guns I am afraid. Shudder at the thought!!!
But I would rather it be me than dd so lesson learnt and no nerf guns here.

[dementedma]

Ds has loads of them. The little tiny one is excellent fun.

[CPtart]

We have them. Last time DS2 had friends over they are the only thing they would turn the x box off for, and spent hours making up games with them.

[meglet]

we have some. All the kids in the street tear around out the front having nerf battles.

I quite like playing with them when I can get my hands on a gun.

[Kitsandkids]

I don't have them for my children because I don't think they yet understand the concept of shooting the bullets as part of a 'tag' type game instead of to try and hurt people. At the moment they know that guns are weapons and hurt people and so they're not allowed to play with them- I just think it would confuse things if I let them play with Nerf guns.

I have had issues with my 2 hurting others in the past- they are quite impulsive. They are quite immature at 6 and 7 and are sometimes more like 3 or 4 year olds in the way they play and interact with others. I think they would easily get carried away and fire at someone's face.

My 6 year old got given a Nerf gun by a friend for his birthday this year. It says age 8+ on the packaging, so I said the mum must have made a mistake and we would put it away until he is older. When he gets to 8 I will judge whether I think he is mature enough to play with it. I am hoping though that he will have forgotten about it by then!

[Sconejamcream]

when they arrive test each one out on your dh - i hope they are the automatic ones!!!!

[Plomino]

We have them here with very similar rules as most people . Last weekend we had a combination of the DC's and various mates between 8 and 19, and ended up with the 19 yr old and his mates being comprehensively beaten by my 8 yr old and his mates , with their velociraptor tendencies . Our town's sports taster day included nerf wars !

[IKeepChangingMyName]

They're great fun. I don't think they're any different for impulse issues than a handy stick.

Very clear rule about not shooting at face. We've played for a three or four years (starting with tiny not-powerful ones), with a variety of friends and only had one even nearly-accident.

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Ha scone good idea.

I know I sound an old hippy but I really don't like normalising a gun in the home. I'd feel even more strongly about it if we were in the US, so it's not so close to reality. Still.

I do get the fun bit though. I spend so much time trying to stop fighting though as it is- it's giving me the fear.

[Sparklingbrook]

I think children do realise that a bright orange and blue plastic gun that fires polystyrene bullets is very far removed from the real thing.

When I was growing up Db had a plastic silver revolver in a holster with his cowboy outfit-far more realistic, it took caps that made a 'bang'. But we knew it was pretend.

[Eigg]

I have a no guns (or anything else with bullets rule).

Everyone is aware that this is an absolute line in the sand for me.

A friend (who disagrees with my stance) bought a Nerf gun for my DS. Apparently she thought I'd 'have to give in'.

She was wrong. Gift was politely returned.