Do you let your dc have toy weapons?

[muldersspeedos]

I've always been against guns in particular and ds would like a nerf gun. I've explained to him that he won't be getting one but I wondered what others think about weapons as toys?

We tried to avoid having any toy weapons. They were given some as presents but they had little interest in them so we were able to get rid of them quickly.
I would ban all guns - toy and real. Not necessarily to have toy guns and real ones only cause problems

We allowed them.

My experience from my own children and working in nurseries that it doesn’t matter if you ban them or not, if they want to play with guns they will. They will make them out of Lego, Duplo etc or out of a stick. Of course when I was in the nursery we’d try to stop them and get them interested in something else but the next time the bricks were out they’d do it again.

Mine had nerf guns when they were younger, they're now teens and are both gentle caring boys.

My boys were born in 1978 & 1981 and I didn't buy them toy guns on principle, however they fashioned their own from Lego, cardboard tubes, etc. They also learned to shoot at school, using live rounds!

Back in the day, boys were given plastic swords - probably not done now.

I find it strange this assumption that "all" children play at fighting and guns.

The lack of toy ones in my house has never inspired my DS to make his own out of lego etc or pretend using fingers. I don't remember playing in this way as a child either (it definitely wouldnt have been allowed) and it being forbidden doesnt seem to have made it irresistible to me, I'm not the least interested.

In my experience violent people have issues with impulse control and conflict resolution. Playing with weapon toys has nothing to do with it.

I'm more concerned about DC losing their temper than I am about them playing nerf gun wars.

My grandparents would have been horrified if we had played with toy weapons as they spent the war under the German occupation with soldiers with guns threatening them daily.

@Parker231

We tried to avoid having any toy weapons. They were given some as presents but they had little interest in them so we were able to get rid of them quickly. I would ban all guns - toy and real. Not necessarily to have toy guns and real ones only cause problems

Not all guns cause problems. My 9 year old has his own shotgun and shoots with us regularly and has lessons. Both his father and I have shotgun licenses and it is obviously heavily controlled and supervised. It teaches them the power of a gun and to respect them and understand gun etiquette and safety. It teaches them self control, discipline, accuracy. We often shoot as a family and it is a great bonding experience and it is great fun competing between ourselves and improving our skill and gets us out in the fresh air. Done in the right way it is not a dangerous sport, in fact I would say something like skiing, rugby or horse riding is much more dangerous.

@Florin - a gun is used to shoot. I can’t see anything positive about that.

My 7yo has water pistols and nerf guns.

I think when he was tiny I was more bothered about what they represent but I seem to have chilled.

We all shoot in our household, target and clay pigeon, not game! My DD was proud as anything when she got her shotgun certificate. All of my kids have enormous respect for fire arms and would never point them at a person or animal.

[quote Parker231]@Florin - a gun is used to shoot. I can’t see anything positive about that.[/quote]
Yes the clay discs are very upset when they get shot out of the air
How is that different to archery for example?

I knew a girl get several injured by a javelin at school. And one by a discus. Didn't know anyone killed by a water pistol nerve gun or clay pigeon shooting.

Not sure anyone worries their kids doing athletics.

Also there's loads of positives for me and the kids, one of who is 18, playing with the nerf guns

Never bothered me in the slightest, my 5 DD has a couple of nerf guns and enjoys playing with them. I can't get my head around the mentality really, even young children know the difference between real and play.

I kind of think feeling relaxed about giving children toy weapons is a luxury of living somewhere peaceful where those weapons don't feel 'real'. It makes me uncomfortable.

I always remember being in a country that had a UN peacekeeping presence and seeing toy UN vehicles etc in the shops. Different playacting going on for the children there.

I know that there are studies relating how children who've experienced conflict may play-act the violence they've witnessed/experienced as part of their processing, but that's not the same as giving children without those experiences imitation weapons to pretend to kill each other. What purpose does that serve?

Done in the right way it is not a dangerous sport, in fact I would say something like skiing, rugby or horse riding is much more dangerous.

I think even fewer people go on a murderous, psychopathic mission in a shopping centre with a rugby ball or a horse though. Which is where most people's objection stem from.

@MeredithGreyishblue

Done in the right way it is not a dangerous sport, in fact I would say something like skiing, rugby or horse riding is much more dangerous.

I think even fewer people go on a murderous, psychopathic mission in a shopping centre with a rugby ball or a horse though. Which is where most people's objection stem from.

How many gun crimes are committed by people who have a gun license?-it’s extremely few as to get a gun licence you learn to respect guns and their power and go thorough checks. How many people are killed by their partner’s beating them to death or people killing people with kitchen knives each year?

No issue here. We have nerf gun and water pistol. I absolutely loved those caps guns as a kid.

No point getting angry with me about it! People don't like guns because they kill & maim other people and people are scared of the consequences of them. Comparing it to horse riding & rugby won't change that.

I have 8 ds's.. One is a solider.. None have gone on the rampage with a weapon.
They used anything from Lego to a stick for a gun.

None that looked like real guns but nerf guns were great fun if a nuisance, those little yellow foam balls got everywhere. Youngest had a thing for plastic swords after we had visited a medieval fair on holiday, you could take him to giant toy shop and give him his choice and he would ask to go to local equivalent of poundstretcher for a sword, he was cheap to please!

Oh and he's now a nurse so didn't do any harm😉

The boys all had Nerf guns but they weren't allowed to use the belt-fed, tripod mounted, Nerf machine gun as that is mine. Although, to be slightly more accurate they were allowed to use it in as much as they had to line up so that I could mow them down.

They weren't very interested in other guns although they've all shot targets with my air pistols and rifles which they enjoyed although none of them wanted to take on live targets so they didn't come rabbit shooting.

When they were old enough (about 8 or 9) they were given pocket knives for use in the woods when out with me. The eldest has since made his own knife under my guidance which he's really proud of.

It's fine. We even hired a hall for a Nerf war party, and as a family we have had Nerf and water gun fights. I used to be precious about it and not allow any of it in the house but they use stuff to hand instead - fingers, sticks, etc. As long as you have good discussions about guns. We will absolutely not be getting into air rifles though, or anything else real!

I think even fewer people go on a murderous, psychopathic mission in a shopping centre with a rugby ball or a horse though.
😂😂😂