Kids & Guns

The learning center where my children attend daycare has a very strict "No Guns" policy.  No toy guns, no Nerf guns, no toys made into guns, no finger guns,  NO GUNS. 

No problem. 

When I found out that I was having a baby I was unsure of everything except for this one point.  My child would NOT play with guns. 

I am vehemently opposed to guns, scared of them in fact.  I have only ever seen one gun up close and it sent chills down my spine. 

Guns make me nervous, people who carry them make me nervous, card carrying members of the NRA and the people who sing about them make me nervous.

I don't kill spiders or stink bugs but rather, release them out the window.  I have never been hunting and I am somewhat baffled by the sport that is very prevalent in the Central Pennsylvania area where I have lived all of my life.   

I am one of "those" people.  A liberal type who tree hugs and PETA supports. I adopt animals and make cash donations to no-kill shelters.  

"No guns." the school said.  "No problem." I said.

And then I had two sons. 

The world is their rifle range and anything is fair game.  My daughter has even joined in, using her tiny fingers as a itty bitty hand gun.  They run around our house making shooting sounds.  They shoot at anything and anyone - I tried to forbid the shooting of people but this was met with puzzled looks. 

"What else would we shoot at?"

Good point.

I have given up the ghost.  Boys will be boys and they will like guns.  They will fold a Barbie in half and use that if needed tor fashion a pint sized AK 47

I can eliminate the "toys" but I can't change the inherent nature of my children and truly, who am I to try?

Guns are a part of our world.  Not a part that I particularly love, but a part nonetheless.  Better for my children to have a respectful understanding rather than an innate fear, right?

A long time ago, before I had children, I was a really good mother.  I had ideas about how things should be.  I sat on my high horse and judged the pants off of people for things like having children who pretended to shoot at people, children who let swear words slip, and children who didn't wear hats in the winter.   

It was a long fall from the top of that horse. 

And so, I will pick myslef up and dust myself off.  I will wrap the Nerf Vulcan EBF in festive holiday paper, a gift for both my oldest and middle monkeys. 

And I will pledge to remember that those in glass houses should not judge people about kids and guns.

**This post was inspired by the brilliant writing of Mom-Nom.Com**