Friday, December 17, 2010

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** 

18 comments:

  1. Loved the story and you are so right about boys and guns! Our guys used their sister's "K" that hung on her wall for her name - they figured if you turn it sidways it's lock and load time!! It seem like this period goes the why of biting and temper tantums. I'm proud to say at the age of 27 my boys do neither!! Hang in there!!

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  2. I am right there with you. I was forbidding guns in the house. I live in Texas by the way. I was against guns completely, until my step-son became 4 and now almost 5. You can't avoid it. It is fighting and guns and killing and it blows my mind, but they are children and it is the lessons that we teach them.

    When he wants to play guns with me I tell I don't play guns because I don't like them. It is hard b/c I want to play with him but I just don't condone guns so I would be going against myself if I played guns with him.

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  3. My daughter had no idea what a gun was until she started kindergarten. She might play guns at school....but as soon as she tried it at home......I put my foot down. BUT....but she is the oldest 'kid' in the family...and her exposure to kids has been limited. So...........we've been 'lucky' in making guns not allowed in our house rule. Anyway, I know what you mean about falling off the high horse. I've fallen many times.

    Your kids are adorable and I love your kitchen.

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  4. Oh, the places you will go... Our children will never fail to educate us and reinvent us into a brighter, bolder, better version of who we are to become. It's a great ride, if you don't get shot (best to arm yourself) in the crossfire.

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  5. PS: Love the footage of my favorite youngsters (gangsters?) engaged in a shootout.

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  6. I love the smell of grenade launchers, but I'm allergic to the pollen. You crack me up!

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  7. *LOVE* the YouTube "footage" and also *LOVE* the topic! I was the exact same way as you- no guns and no barbies was my mantra pre-kids. But today (3 kids and many, many barbies and light sabers and water guns, etc later) I've realized that it's not about not allowing the toys. It's about teaching the kids the difference between real and pretend and why guns are dangerous, blah blah blah and being the ones to open up that convo with them. This was an excellent topic!!

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  8. Yup, boys love guns. Even big boys.

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  9. I have to say I have been out numbered in my family with guns and boys. I grew up in a family that used guns to hunt. I knew it as a sport. If I hadn't grown up with it I would not understand it. My son (15 now) did the same thing your boys do with anything that would point like a gun. He then went through the hunter's safety course at twelve years old and has enjoyed hunting with both of his grandfathers, brother, uncle and dad ever since. He enjoys this sport and looks forward to spending 8 plus hours in the woods each deer season since then. This year he shot his second deer. He was happy to donate the meat to a family in need. I too, did not want my son playing with guns!

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  10. Ah yes .. the guns. "A long time ago, before I had children, I was a really good mother. " is one of the best lines ever. Totally.Agree.
    With my son it is not that much guns but swords. Lightsabers or swords and I am actually happy that he tries to think about it and always tells me "they used these swords for real a long time ago, but that really hurts, I wouldn't want that". Still. Fighting is a much bigger part of it than I thought ...

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  11. We love lightsabers and swords around these parts too!! All you can ask is that they understand the differnce between real and make-believe:)

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  12. Love that he donated the meat - what a wonderful gift!! I didn't even know you could do that - LOOVE it!!

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  13. Thanks for the props on the topic but I have to give credit to Mom-Nom.Com

    True story about the difference between real and pretend - I have trouble knowing the difference sometimes so that makes it so much tougher to teach the little ones:)

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  14. I love the "grenede laucher = a flower"

    Love you too!

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  15. That is great that you have had luck with your house rule...it's great when a plan come together:)

    I love my kitchen too:) I think my kids are pretty fab too:)

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  16. I imagine it would be a pretty tough trick to go "gunless" in the Longhorn State:)

    Thanks for reading:)

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  17. I think about "the boys" all the time when my own boys play guns:)

    I will be SO happy if my kids turn out anything like yours!!

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