The gun debate… I’ll save you the political argument because I believe it looks different for every home. Jeff Johnston of the NRA Family states that the best time to introduce guns is when your child expresses an interest in them because, “children who are interested in a subject are capable of learning more quickly”. However, children who grow up in a home with guns as hobbies or interests such as hunting or building or collecting will usually express an interest in guns much earlier than those that are not around it.
My father was a gunsmith in the military for the United States Marine Corps. Oohrah. He opened up a gun shop in New Mexico (named after his princess, of course!) and worked at the White Sands Missile Range. He also has a short list of other jobs that also adds to his resume of official badass. He was my Hero. Still is. So naturally I was insanely curious about his guns.
My love is a lover of guns. Collecting guns. Shooting guns. Building guns. You name it. He comes from a small family of hunters and collectors. So naturally my son is equally passionate about the most delicate and untouchable items in our home. He was introduced to guns around 5 years old. That is NOT to say that he was pulling the trigger by kindergarten!
Even if you are one of those parents who do not want your kids growing up with guns, you should be educating your children about them as soon as possible. Did you know that about half of the homes across America house a gun? Unfortunately you cannot be there 24 hour a day 7 days a week with both eyes on your kid with out blinking an eye. You NEVER know when they might come across one. Now or later.
A great place to start is The Eddie Eagle Program, developed to help parents and law enforcement and teachers introduce gun safety awareness to prevent accidents. Watch the video with your kids. eddieeagle.nra.org. Teaching our kids about everything possible is our job! Email your thoughts on this post, I’d love to hear them!
