Since starting nursery, ds is "pretenting"to shoot people. Not sure how to handle this.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Ds has been at nursery 1.00 - 3.30 for about 3 weeks. Since starting, he's taken to running about "shooting" (making a gun shape with his fingers) me, dh, ds2. Its not all the time, but enough to be noticeable. A couple of nights ago he said "I'm going to shoot you Mummy" and then made the "gun like" noises and pointed his fingers at me.

I am TOTALLY ignoring it, just walking off and doing something else etc, which on the whole works and he gets bored with the idea.

There's a parent's evening coming up and I'm wondering whether to mention this sudden change in his behaviour, or should I let it lie. I really don't know.

suedonim at the mummy. Have you read the Horrid Henry story on this very subject?

Interesting thread - I half expected everyone to say 'no way, absolutely not' so quite relieved to see that's not the case.

I've not had this yet with my ds's (eldest one 3.5 and goes to nursery 4 mornings) so not sure what I'd do. I know I wouldn't like them to have toy guns but like others have said, if they made them out of lego it's somehow not as bad (?). If it got too out of hand I'd definitely be actively discouraging it.

Growing up, both my brothers did this and although we didn't have proper fake guns (iyswim) we had lightsabres and probably made guns out of sticks. My youngest brother I remember was really into shooting etc and he hasn't ended up violent at all (none of us have I hasten to add!). In fact, he's grown up to be a protector from all things evil - a policeman (NOT armed though has chased a few people who have been armed with guns )

Both my brothers pretend they are 'hard' but I know for a fact would run a mile from confrontation! Wimps !

anyone seen the Peter Kay sketch about pretend gun noises in teh playground?

ah, memories. my best toy when i was about 5 was a sword with green and red plastic jewels in the handle (sure there's a proper word for 'handle', i should ring english heritage)

i did love it. i have technicolor memory of having it stuck in my belt while 'riding' a horse at my grandparents' farm. pure heaven.

i also have tehnicolor memory of getting back to our house after the long return journey from somerset, and my father frenziedly breaking it across his knee, presumably because i'd been brandishing it in an overly wild fashion

i have never let him forget it. i always bring it up at christmas

it was my best toy, have i said that already?

btw i am a LADY and quite peaceful really nowadays

Marina, dd has some of the Horrid Henry books but not that one!! Shall have to look out for it.

Btw, I've just been 'killed' by a small, cutlass-wielding boy, when I collected dd2 from school!!

Krocket - ah yes, hilarious!! Aren't there only 3 noises and one of them is crap!?

For years and years my stepdaughter loved her toy swords and fought endless battles with her dad (from about age 4 to age 9-ish maybe longer). Now she's 13 and representing her club at fencing and has just won a trophy. So it's not all bad. These boys might end up at the Olympics...

..and the girls might end up as Gangland Queens

Baked potato, my dh used to be a sword-fighter and he suggests pommel might be the word you are looking for?
I am going to be liberal-pinko about guns (if only to get revenge for my childhood where I wasn't allowed an Action Man even though I only wanted him to marry Sindy) but with dh's hobbies including sword-fighting and archery there's no way I can keep the house weapon-free. Maybe ds will grow up to reject them because it's something boring his dad does, like John Peel's kids asking him to keep the music down?