Black Toy Gun - Would You Be Offended

[jamesk0001]

DD is a junior doctor had just finished her shift at A&E and was waiting for the bus.

A young (about 5 years old) girl comes up to her and points a black toy gun in her face and pulls the trigger - it has caps and "bangs".

DD is livid given she has just dealt with knife wounds in A&E and the recent events in London. She politely tells the mother that the girl's actions are not acceptable.

She says the girl is lucky not to be hurt because her first response was to defend herself as the first thing she saw was the gun in her face. Luckily she realised it was a toy because of the small orange lid in the barrel.

Thoughts please....?

I agree Bertrand

“A young (about 5 years old) girl comes up to her and points a black toy gun in her face and pulls the trigger - it has caps and "bangs".”

I mean- you don’t need the rest of the story, or even most of this sentence. A child has a toy gun. They shouldn’t. Ever. Enough said.

Just to be clear, I have once said I was okay with children playing with toy guns, I just think it's a little OTT to be offended or feel the need to defend themselves.

I think most people grew up playing cops and robbers, Indians and Cowboys and guns were widely played with, not everyone who did this has went on to be violent or whatever. Children will always role play these games, even without toy guns, they make them with Lego and all sorts. They don't understand the seriousness, they are just playing.

The mother is a complete fool.

Yes, if children don't have toy guns they make them out of lego. In my house, the front mast of the playmobil pirate ship is often used as a dressing up clothes gun.

I'm not a banner of toy guns, because I pick my battles. I've never willingly allowed any into the house, but I didn't confiscate the nerf guns bought for Christmas.

I talk about guns with the kids. They don't point them in people's faces, they only shoot people who are armed and playing the game (also applies to water pistols). The guns never leave the house, never come downstairs, and get quietly removed when visiting children don't know how to play safely. We are clear about guns being nasty dangerous weapons which ought not to exist.

The chances of freaking somebody out in the street are high. It wasn't the little girl's fault, but her mother should have thought this through.

I'd much prefer my kids play with toy guns made out of Lego or sticks or whatever. They are as far as possible from realistic and can stop being guns at the end of the day.

I mean, I'd prefer they didn't at all, but a lot of people say "well they'll make them out of Lego anyway" as if that's just as bad, and I don't think it is.

Catkin, I agree. That's why we don't have realistic toy guns. Lego is kind of fine, although I discourage it. Nerf guns are a pain, and I hate them, but at least they are orange and blue and don't look even vaguely realistic.

The front mast of the playmobil pirate ship is horribly realistic, and it gives me the willies when I see my 5 year old pointing it at his big brother. But... there's no major harm done. .. he's not pointing it at strangers outside of the house.

Children need to play through things that bother them. Our job as adults is to give them that space while helping them to make sense of things.

I know the toy guns debate has been going on for years, and I have been working and playing with children for years. I think it's easier to educate children about this if you accept their play and then help then moderate it.

"I think it's easier to educate children about this if you accept their play and then help then moderate it."

I don't agree, actually. I think there is some play which should not be accepted. I never used to tolerate "killing games".

Do people feel the same about swords, bow and arrows, lightsabers and any other weapon toys? Or is it just guns?

Watching and listening properly to children play is scary, death can appear in their play a lot, even if they are just playing with figures.

Nope, just guns.

And specifically, just toy guns that need closer inspection to show they’re toys and not real. DF would never knock a nerf gun from a child’s hand, or a toy sword, lightsaber, bow or arrow.

Yes I would say similar approach to more archaic weapons. Only difference being a sword is more of a close up weapon so more likely to be obviously toy by the time it's close enough to alarm.