Well - just introduced my kids to guns

[Garet Jax]

No shooting.

Sat them down and gave them the safety talk. Let them touch the guns, the magazines and the bullets (all separately of course).

They are 8 and 5.

 

[jonnyl]

Good start!!!

 

[Rough_Rider]

Awesome! I used the NRA's Eddie Eagle info when I had the talk with my kids ( http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/ ).

*** Just a note of caution to all: If you are a single father be VERY careful when talking to and showing your children firearms!!! Here in the liberal state of Maryland a single mom can file a temporary Protective Order against you for just having firearms near your children.

Don't think it can happen? It happened to me a year ago in Howard county. If your Ex-Wife is evil enough she can easily find a liberal judge who will grant her a temporary Protective Order for anything she makes up about you and your guns.

And, Maryland State law now states that if you have a Temporary Protective order against you the Sheriffs must come and confiscate all your firearms and ammunition at the time the PO is served.

Be careful and know your rights!

 

[rj1974]

Also make it very clear not to tell thier buddys in school or the teachers that "daddy lets me play with his guns" .

 

[Garet Jax]

Awesome! I used the NRA's Eddie Eagle info when I had the talk with my kids ( http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/ ).

*** Just a note of caution to all: If you are a single father be VERY careful when talking to and showing your children firearms!!! Here in the liberal state of Maryland a single mom can file a temporary Protective Order against you for just having firearms near your children.

Don't think it can happen? It happened to me a year ago in Howard county. If your Ex-Wife is evil enough she can easily find a liberal judge who will grant her a temporary Protective Order for anything she makes up about you and your guns.

And, Maryland State law now states that if you have a Temporary Protective order against you the Sheriffs must come and confiscate all your firearms and ammunition at the time the PO is served.

Be careful and know your rights!

I am lucky enough not to be in this situation - sorry to hear that you are.

My wife and I talked to the kids together.

 

[Garet Jax]

Also make it very clear not to tell thier buddys in school or the teachers that "daddy lets me play with his guns" .

We started out by saying that this was a topic they should keep to the family. Will re-iterate that again - thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Kman]

That's how we started in our house. Explain how they work in detail and the kids get more interested in the "science" than shooting. Taking the mystery out of it is good...I think.

 

[hvymax]

Well you waited long enough. I had my kids through the hunter safety course at 8. With kids I like the posters from the NRA or NSSF. Always start with the safety rules then move on to parts of the guns then sight pictures. Then pull out the large cardboard box with cutout and target hangers and start to teach them marksmanship with softairs. Since you have been so delinquent you owe them a select fire model so once they can reliably hit their target they can have some fun. If your backyard allows you can set up a bb range or if you have chosen a decent place to live a real range including skeet throwers. I must say I like the schools where I live. After the silencer shoot my 3rd grade daughter was telling everybody about the Uzi and AK machineguns she got to shoot. I had to tell her about herself because it was an AR machinegun not an AK.(thanks SCAR) and my 12yr old took videos of himself at the fall shoot going all full auto with a Uzi and AR as well as touching off a Barrett.

 

[Minuteman]

Awesome! I used the NRA's Eddie Eagle info when I had the talk with my kids ( http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/ ).

*** Just a note of caution to all: If you are a single father be VERY careful when talking to and showing your children firearms!!! Here in the liberal state of Maryland a single mom can file a temporary Protective Order against you for just having firearms near your children.

Don't think it can happen? It happened to me a year ago in Howard county. If your Ex-Wife is evil enough she can easily find a liberal judge who will grant her a temporary Protective Order for anything she makes up about you and your guns.

And, Maryland State law now states that if you have a Temporary Protective order against you the Sheriffs must come and confiscate all your firearms and ammunition at the time the PO is served.

Be careful and know your rights!

Good point, thanks for sharing. It is a sad reality that there are people that are either so ignorant of firearms, so biased against them, or so untrusting of themselves and others; that they should feel this way. I applaud the OP for taking away the mystery about firearms and giving them a safety lesson very early as did most Americans once did, and fewer do now today.

Also make it very clear not to tell thier buddys in school or the teachers that "daddy lets me play with his guns" .

Good point, again a sad example of the demonization of firearms. A very well respected coworker related a similar story to me about his son a few months ago. Sad state of affairs when a parent feels compelled to tell their child, that its best they not even mention guns at school.

 

[Rough_Rider]

Anthony,
I didn't mean to "hijack" your thread. I just need to chime in with those words of caution.

After the 7 day temporary PO period when I finally got my day in court and was able to explain the truth to the judge who agreed that I did not endanger my children with firearms. My ex-wife had made the absurd statement that I had "pointed a gun" at my son. What happened was that I was holding an unloaded hunting rifle and my young son stepped in front of the muzzle to look at the scope and I told him that as a rule you should never step in front of the muzzle of a firearm that someone is holding.

Just want everyone here to be aware that it takes absolutely zero evidence or truth for someone to file a temporary protective order against you, especially if you own firearms. And once that PO is filed it has a very good chance of being approved by the liberal judges here in Maryland. And, on top of all the hassle, grief and expenses this causes the temporary Protective Order stays on your permanent record and can not be removed!

I am 100% in favor of firearms education for children and I applaud those of you who have taken the responsibility to do so.

 

[Beefcube]

Three kids here ( 22, 15 ,13) they have seen guns since they could crawl. I guess the constant seeing and the caution used kept them from being the kids on those bullcrap 20/20 shows whose never seen a gun than is placed in a room with one and a camera and they go right to it.

 

[jaypark]

8 and 5? you kidding? they should be doing explosive breech and hostage rescue takedowns by now

 

[august1410]

I started my daughter off at 7. Now, at 10, she keeps wanting to take all of my guns for her very own.

I don't mind sharing, but she's gonna have to pitch in for ammo soon.

 

[Garet Jax]

8 and 5? you kidding? they should be doing explosive breech and hostage rescue takedowns by now

They are 8 and 5 months - not years

Give me some credit

 

[BlueHeeler]

That's how we started in our house. Explain how they work in detail and the kids get more interested in the "science" than shooting. Taking the mystery out of it is good...I think.

+1

If the kid knows the mechanism that removes the mystery and knowledge adds to safety. Even explaining how the cartridge works is pretty cool.

 

[futureseabee]

They are 8 and 5 months - not years

Give me some credit

your poor wife.

 

[QuebecoisWolf]

Three kids here ( 22, 15 ,13) they have seen guns since they could crawl. I guess the constant seeing and the caution used kept them from being the kids on those bullcrap 20/20 shows whose never seen a gun than is placed in a room with one and a camera and they go right to it.

That's okay. 20/20 will film them and use the same narration because a horrifyingly large number of people can't tell the difference between "playing with a gun" and "making a safe weapon."