Toy Guns

[Ericblack]

I have never let my son play with guns although he'll obviously use a stick or straw to pretend he's got one. I just semi-stormed outside to our back green and took a gun away from him that one of the boys upstairs was playing with. Is this pointless? I hate the fact that pretending to kill each other is a favourite game but I don't want to be too arsey about it either.

I hate to see kids with guns. However as I mentioned on this thread my dh had two brothers. They were banned from having guns so used to bite their toast into gun shapes to play with. Unavoidable, sadly.

I don't think you can stop them and I don't neccessarily think it does any damage. Most boys grow up playing games of cowboys and indians etc but it dosn,t mean they grow up to be gun toting gansters.

I'm with you ericblack - I don't suppose you can stop them pretending they've got a gun (ie stick or straw or toast!!) but you don't have to actually let them have one either. Guns of any variety were never allowed in our house when I was growing up and I hope to do the same. Of course DS is only just two so who knows how easy/hard this will be in a few years...

The only thing I'm torn about is that water guns are so much fun! So do you let them have a water gun as long as they're not pretending to kill people with it?

btw, pinkmagic1, I'm sure you're right that it doesn't actually do any real damage (and I'm sure your boys won't grow up to be gangsters!) but society has such a cavalier attitude towards violence these days that the least we can do is set a bit of an example at home. That's just my opinion anyway.

The water gun thing is absolutely a problem, sugarmag! Really good fun. My son doesn't make the pow pow noises he uses with guns he has fashioned from Kid K'Nex when squirting water at people. He's more likely to be giggling manically. What I hate are the kids guns that, although clearly toys, look intentionally realistic. When did these things become thought of as suitable toys for children? Rhetorical question unless someone actually knows.

I wouldn't buy them guns but if they make ones with lego i would let them play, it will be something else tommorrow. I hate the really realistic ones. All the toy stalls at the markets sell them and some are more like replicas than toys. Thats why I am going to make a fortune on my gun free toy stall.

I don't have a problem with toy guns if they stay at home.

One child came into my work today (Clarks - please don't condemn me :D) with a toy gun and proceeded to shoot all the customers while his parents did nothing. Fine if you wanna give ur kid a gun but DON'T let them run riot in places where some people may not be so happy with your choice is my opinion

hopes that made some sense

Carla

the shoot was supposed to have tiny stars round it not be in bold - doh!

Oh dear, my two have just got hold of their first toy gun today.

They found it in a bag of props I bought home from a stage production, they have no idea what it is, although dd does have a water pistol which she has great fun soaking us with. She finds the clicking of the trigger fascinating but hasn't asked what it is supposed to be.

I'm going to have to find it and hide it I think.