AIBU...Nerf gun for 4 year olds

[esloquehay]

AIBU to have bought my nearly 4 year olds. My ex says I am, that they are dangerous.
My children will never use it unsupervised, and is to be aimed away from people and animals.
I see nothing wrong with them having one, but though I'd put it to Mumsnet. 😬

Sorry, that should say AIBU to have bought them a Nerf gun!

My 4yo has a small one

It's a parenting thing. You supervise. You put down rules about never pointing at faces. (Or mum's bum!) And it's fun. Your ex is looking for faults. There are some great family fun nerf gun battles on YouTube it's fun to watch too.

Get them a target and teach them to only shoot at it.

I don't think its unreasonable for a parent to not want a young child playing with toy guns. Did you discuss whether you were both happy for 4 year olds to have them before you bought them?

I don't think they are dangerous per se but some people just don't like to encourage that sort of play and they are his children as much as yours, so I'd say it warrants a discussion between you before giving it.

My four year old has a few and has always been super sensible with them. Except this Christmas day when he was overexcited and shot while I was still standing his dinosaur target up. NERF bullet right to the eye from point blank range. Unbelievably painful and I was scared it had done damage. So YANBU but learn from my mistakes and don't give them the gun until the target is set up

Put it this way. The NERF manufacturer recommended age range is generally over 8 for their guns. So 4 is arguably quite young to be starting on them and he is entitled to a view about whether that's what he wants his kids playing with.

There is a reason they have an 8+ age rating as younger children don’t understand/forget the seriousness of pointing at other people’s faces/animals. The darts will hurt and do damage if you are hit in the eye. Your choice but I would never allow these to be used without direct supervision and only at a target rather than random shooting. Someone gave my then-3yo one and it has been stored in the loft ever since until DC can be sensible.

I used to work for the company that manufactures these and they are absolutely not intended for the use of under 8’s for the above reasons alone, but obviously it’s parental choice.

Sorry to be a party pooper but it’s just my opinion

They look dangerous for a 4 year old. Does it have an age suggestion on it?

That aside I hate toy guns.

@DeepaBeesKit, he doesn't get involved with any decisions - not for lack of trying on my part. He sees them once a month for a few hours, doesn't have them to stay etc.

It occured to me just now, actually, that his elder sons had Nerf guns when they were 4, and I'm now wondering whether he's agin them as our DC are girls. 🤔

Used with supervision and pointed at targets I would say was okay but could I suggest you get the googles to be on the safe side. My son accidentally shot me in the eye with one and I couldn't see out of it for several hours, was worried it had done permanent damage.

Tbf nerf guns are only really fun if you use them for nerf gun wars and 4 year olds are a few years too young for those.

I'd question the difference in view for a boy vs girl. Is it possible that his elder sons mother allowed the nerf gun and he would have preferred not to?

YANBU. Kids love them.

My 9yo old had them, so of course my 4yo has access. He really can’t get his head around not shooting them at people’s heads etc. Very stressful even when supervising. Definitely improved with getting a lights and sounds target, there’s a row of them that fall down and keeps score etc so I would recommend getting one!

My 4yo has 10-15 of them, also 2 nerf crossbows and the nerf scooter which fires bullets. Everyone knows he loves them so he tends to get loads bought as presents. He has nerf wars with the 8yo next door and it’s been a non issue.

I think it's fine, but please get them some safely glasses or get them to wear their swimming goggles while they play them. That's the only rule in our house. No glasses: no guns.

We let DS have one when he was three, adding to the collection over the years. The reason was prior to that we had a blanket van on all guns and he was becoming quite obsessed with the idea of playing with them (gun fingers shooting people. Everything became related to guns.) So we bought him them in the hopes that by allowing it it would temper the obsession. It did. The obsession has died right down and now at 4.5 he knows not to point it in people's faces/at animals. They have always been used with adult supervision. Sometimes banning things, in our case, makes the thing more converted. Allowing it takes away the glamour. Saying that I would draw the line at any other type of guns above NERF, other than water guns, at least until he's an adult.

YANBA.
They are fun. You need to start collecting them until you have enough for some war games. After having them for over a decade we still use them every few months. Youngest here is 14, oldest 43. Longest lasting toy ever, never getting boring. Can help with some serious workout.