to be shocked at my DD being taught multiplication by using pretend shooting with finger guns

[MrsPurple]

My DD1,who is 5 and in year 1, was teaching me how they do ten times table at school and she said they play shoot out with their fingers as guns.

I asked her to show me and she pointed (fingers as gun) at me asked a question related to ten times table and who ever didn't answer got shot .

In this day and age with all the gun crime, AIBU to be upset about this?

We have always tried to instill go values in our children,but this has shocked me. I want to go and talk to the teacher about it, but don't want to look too over protective. I think IMO it is wrong to use this style of teaching, but wondered what others thoughts are on this, or is it a standard teaching practice?

Guess you didn't google the same things I did then, I saw enough. The problem doesn't also have to be later on either, guns are inherently violent and so it encourages that also.

Ok, tell me what you googled. Because I put in toy gun crime. And got lots about 'toy guns being mistaken for real guns' which isn't the issue. And video games.

Desi look at America then, where guns are legal to an extent, far more gun crimes than the UK has even considering population differences. I don't believe that banning hand guns made a difference to the crime per sey, just the way it was going at that time anyway.

life.familyeducation.com/games/safety/36340.html?page=2&detoured=1 one link and what I googled was "toy guns related to violence" plus others. I saw enough.

But Jodie, if as you say, 'playing with toy guns as a child makes you more likely to commit gun crime' then that flies in the face of the statistics - if it is increasing. As I don't believe that 30 years ago ANY parent would stop their children playing with toy guns. We certainly all had cap guns. Because they made a good bang. And we could play cowboys and indians with our wigwam.

And I think there is a HUGE difference in a child's perception of a water pistol and a huge realistic looking gun, that is designed to look like a real one. One is clearly a toy, and for use in imaginary play, one is more like the real thing, and the boundaries are blurred.

Well that article basically says what I was saying - educate your children, and make sure that if you do get them guns that they are the water pistol type, not realistic ones.

I didn't say it made them more likely to commit crime, it could though and it also makes them think of guns in a worse way. Guns shouldn't be toys they are weapons that can kill someone. I never had guns as a child nor cap guns. I think you're wrong, a child doesn't perceive a difference between one gun over another, they're all ok as they've been allowed to play with them.

No it says to make sure they don't look like real guns at all, plenty of water pistols do.

Yes, but that's a different argument, Jodie.

The OP is suggesting that the imaginary banging of 'finger' hand-guns may result in a disposition towards guns in later life.

There is simply no evidence for this.

In fact, up until very recently, all boys (in particular) went whooping around playing at cowboys and injuns, with sound effects, maybe plastic guns, maybe imaginary guns.

This was commonplace during a time when actually shooting people was rare.

Yes, the ease with which American kids can acquire guns is a factor, but it's not the whole story. The US is a pretty dull place in many respects. There are underlying issues at play.

I have absolutely no problem with my son playing with imaginary guns, or Spiderman missile guns, and cowboy imitation guns.

It's what boys do .. and if I had a girl, I wouldn't mind her doing it either.

That's an opinion piece surely Jodie, rather than a properly controlled study?

Absolutely desi - there's no evidence in there at all.

(Sorry, that was for TFM).

Desi - I agree, statistically gun crime has risen recently, but children have always played with imaginary/toy guns.

My ds1 built a lego gun out of 2 bricks when he was 3. Picked it up and said bang. Then built a house. I really wasn't too worried that he was headed off into a life of gun crime. He's now saving the planet with the aid of a sonic screwdriver

Hi the opening thread was merely me being shocked at the teaching aid my DD has be using to teach her multiplication.

I am upset because the finger guns and shoot outs, which inciuates that you are shot be be out. are unsuitable for a 5 year old.

I did not relate it to gun crime in later life.

Desi that's true but it all counts towards a child thinking guns are acceptable, who knows how a child would interpret that.

TFM - Yes it is, I'll try and find something more concrete tomorrow. We all there are articles supporting both sides of every discussion anyway and I was asked what I googled for so I linked it

I don't necessarily think that children will grow up with a higher tendenacy towards gun crime but I do think it desensitises them towards it.

No, that came from someone else MrsP!

with you JodieO, it is a sad fact that the world has gone this way due to gun crime, however to use guns as fun or a teaching aid is not agood platform for children to be brought up on.

sorry still learning the ropes with mumsnet but what does hiding mean/

Something interesting is that at my school the boys did CCF, so they all learned to shoot, and not 1 of them has gone on to gun crime. I'm sure it is about education, and being able to talk about guns etc with your children.

isn't CCF wear they do like army style training etc?

Oh MrsP you are making me squirm. My post was tongue in cheek and it has all gone deadly serious since, so I am in an sort of way now.

Sorry, I didn't know you were sort of newish.

It's that sort of thing, yes. I'm not really a fan of it tbh, but it was very much part of the school.

Having said that, I don't think I would want ds1 doing CCF (sailing etc is fun, but the whole 'military ethos'). But the boys who did it all said it was really beneficial.

I doubt that lily tbh, I'm sure plenty of people talk to their children and educate them, that doesn't mean they will think any differently. Also, you don't know if it makes general violence easier for them as if guns are ok (and guns are violent generally) then maybe something lesser is ok, thinking of how a child or teen may assume.

Children and teens are so impressionable that this type of teaching scares me. It doesn't matter how many times you think you've taught your child what is the right thing it doesn't mean they will do it if they've been taught differently. It's a wide issus actually and not limited to guns.

Did the teacher teach them to shoot to kill then?

That's total rubbish Jodie, that "plenty of people talk to their children and educate them, that doesn't mean they will think any differently". That's all we can do as parents. Even if as a parent we banned all mention of guns, there are still external influences, not all controllable. So the ONLY way we can influence the children is by education and talking.