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Looking for a little input from other parents

Prison Mike

Staff Sergeant
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 4, 2011
340
34
Wilmington, NC
For the people here with kids, you surely understand where I'm coming from on this and maybe I can get a little insight from others here with kids.

Growing up, I was introduced to weapons at a very early age beginning first with a slingshot and eventually upgrading to an old Red Ryder bb gun and eventually shot my first .22 pistol at age 5 which resulted in a small scar on my chin. Oh well, it was a valuable lesson learned to not hold the thing so close to my face. I remember growing up playing cowboys and Indians, cops, etc. and as kids we knew the difference in right and wrong and we knew not to ever actually point a real firearm at someone. It was just common sense added in with a little reinforcement from my father. Well here is where I am clueless as to what society is feeding our next generation and if anyone thinks I'm overreacting, say so.

My son is four years old and is in that "creative" phase in his youth and loves to build things with blocks and such. Being as I was raised hunting, fishing and learning the proper ways to handle firearms, I see it only fit to pass on what I've learned to my children. My son has seen my rifles, pistols and shotguns and has maybe even touched them a few times. So with that being said, my son is very creative when it comes to building blocks and has recently taken up the gunsmithing hobby and builds almost any kind of weapon you can imagine with blocks. And with every weapon coming complete with its very own scope, I must say he is pretty awesome at building guns out of blocks. My wife and I think it's pretty funny and we teach him not to ever point a weapon, real or fake, at another person. Well when I picked my son up from daycare yesterday, the teacher informed me that my son had been building weapons out of blocks and that we needed to try to work with him on this "issue" at home. To which I responded "what issue?" I'm not sure if that was the correct response but the point of my post is "what the hell happened to society!?" My son cant even build a toy gun out of blocks without it being frowned upon? Any child can throw on a laser tag vest, go out and pretend to shoot each other with Their laser gun, but building a toy gun is somehow irresponsible. I just dont get it. What happened to learning things the hard way and if you mess up you pay for it when you get home? I completely understand that times are changing and things will never be as they once were but I should be able to trust my own son to know the difference between toy guns and real guns. Sorry, i just got a little irritated with the whole situation and thought I would post what happened here just to see what kind of responses I would get about it. *rant off*
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

My boy has been shooting since 5 is turning 7 and knows proper saftey but still plays cops and robers with the other boys at day care. They go looking for bull snakes and collect chicken eggs every morning to. My opinion he did nothing wrong was playing as little ones should. I would be pissed off to if i got a stupid comment from the day care provider like you did. makes me happy to be in sodak we have not been hit with hyper sensitivity so bad here yet.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

my 5 year old shoots a .22 bolt gun and just got him a MK3 pistol to learn on. I say keep what your doing, keep him informed and aware of safety and ignore the latte drinking hippy teacher
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I've been teaching my daughter firearms rules & safety, and now she's started shooting a .22 rifle. We started with Airsoft, shooting targets in the garage - good opportunity to learn about eye safety, gun handling, etc. I agree with you - kids will be kids, and that won't change. But I also think it's important for everyone to understand how to be around firearms safely. I would mostly ignore the daycare provider's comment, but it could also be a teaching opportunity with your son. We can't just do whatever we want in public - we have to be savvy about that, too. Again, I'm not siding with the teacher, but just suggesting that you talk to your son about it so he knows what's going on.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Let me go a little further.

Not sure how things are in your area, but what happens when this little guy goes to school? Or do you plan on 'home-schooling' him?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but small children get suspended for "x" days for drawing a PICTURE of a firearm.

No, I don't think it's right. But no, I don't think you yourself are going to change that, either. Yet your child WILL grow and need to attend these 'higher learning facilities'. (tongue in cheek, of course)
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Like it or not, the world you and I grew up in is long gone. We live in a pussified version the U.S. we knew where you're jackbooted into conformity and submission..

I plan on teaching my kids (2) all about firearms but I also actively discourage anyone from giving them anything toy-gun related because how can you give a child a toy meant to emulate something that they're supposed to respect and have them respect the real thing after using a said toy? I know I had toy guns and didn't shoot up a school or anything (my school even had it's own shooting range) but the world is WAY different now and I'm going to be on the safe-side.

I have two safes and plan on keeping everything locked up only to be taken out to go shooting and then back in the safe out of their reach. Honestly with society the way it is I wonder if it's even worth passing this 'hobby' down to my kids.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

My sons been shooting and hunting since he was 4. He's now 6 has his own shotgun. 22 Rifle and shoots my .308. I even built him a .223 until he decided he could hang with the big boys and run the .308.

I let both my children play with toy guns and shoot each other including me and my wife with nurf guns. In fact we have nurf gun wars all the time. My son knows the difference between real and fake guns. It's called teaching your children responsibility and a young age.

I'm only 26 years old. My father gave me a Swiss army knife at 4 years old and told me to hit the woods. I carried that little knife for God knows how long. I started shooting at 4 and killing nuisance birds somewhere around that time with a pellet gun. I started killing squirrels at who knows what age with a .22, and deer hunting by 12.

I refuse to raise my children any different than how I grew up. I do not bother to concern myself with what people think. However this is WV, it might be a little bit different.

I can only tell you that the first time a teacher pops off at the mouth will be the last time. I have zero problems putting my kids in private school where I know they will be treated with respect and actually given a education.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Start 'em off early. Education is the key for the safe and respectful use of firearms.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Started my kids off VERY early. My youngest was getting help shooting my target air pistol at 3 1/2. She helped me reload shotgun rounds at 5. My two oldest were shooting 9mm and .45 at 7 and 9. Enough with history here is how you handle miss goodie two shoes.
Never be on the defense you will just get a post up your ass.
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You need to go on the offense. Tell her "yes I am very proud of him he wants to be a military war hero". "You don't have anything against our military and all they do for our country do you?" "Boy I hope not that would be very un-American" Let the bitch stew for a bit. Throw out all the buzz words. If you set her straight the first time she will back off. If you show weakness they will pounce.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Keep emphasizing that he should never point ANY gun, real, fake, or imagined, at anyone, ever. Other than that, keep doin' what you're doin'.

That said, some schools in some districts see ANY kind of gun-related behavior in children as bad, and will seek to punish him in school. If that ever happens, put an army of lawyers up their asses.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I have pretty much lucked out so far with my kids. My biological sons are 6 and almost 2 and I am legal guardian of my younger brother who is 14. My youngest son is still too young for guns. Oldest sone started shooting airsoft and airguns at age 3 and at 5 he inherited my old .22 and this past 6th birthday he got his very own 10/22. Anyways, needless to say he knows his fair share about guns and talks about them amongst his friends both at school and home. No incidents have happened where he has gotten in trouble for talking about guns or drawing them. The only trouble he has gotten into was typical kid stuff making fun of a girl because of her name.

I am fortunate that the teachers actually allow the kids to be kids and not be treated like sociopaths all because they talk about guns. I know lots of parents see home schooling as the simple solution, but I am dead set against anything that denies a child from having a social life and to mingle with kids their own age.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Threads like this make me value living in Sodak even more. Our teachers dont freak out about talking about shooting sports or guns. hell my boys kindergarden teacher asked him how he liked his .22 he won at the local du banquet.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

maser - if you are educated, home-schooling is the best method of educating your children...

weapon safety is an integral part of that education...

I do not agree with the fear of force on force training engagements that provide real-time feedback... i.e. kids playing guns, war, cowboys and indians, nerf guns, or even laser tag (though it is just gay)... most of us grew up playing those games and never entered our public schools with loaded weapons and the intent to kill or maim innocent people... I have done far worse, and I give some credit to a background playing these games to success in my current profession...

I can attest for my family and my children, they are intelligent enough to understand nerf gun versus real weapon live-fire engagements.... and by the way, target identification and discrimination is not an issue thanks to this force on force training...
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

My critters are only six weeks old but I'll start teaching them to shoot when they turn four, same as it was for me. I think much along the lines of Boone even though I am considerably older.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I think you need to move out of California.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

You should have asked what caliber they were, or what kind of accuracy he was getting with them.

Then you might tell her that you yourself are a gun enthusiast and that there isn't anything wrong with that.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kurt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Threads like this make me value living in Sodak even more. Our teachers dont freak out about talking about shooting sports or guns. hell my boys kindergarden teacher asked him how he liked his .22 he won at the local du banquet. </div></div>

Sadly, not all Sodak is like that.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

When my father went to school he would bring his rifle with him. All the boys would hunt after school so they kept them in the closet while they learned reading, writing, and arithmetics.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I don't see a problem with what he's doing. I'm sure society doesn't like it but kids will be kids. My little girl is 3 and seen a pink cricket at walmart and said it was made for her. The wife doesn't want me to get it for her but she'll have it for her 4th birthday or before. We grew up in a house with 10 guns and no gun safe. Always had a loaded 22 around for snakes. I think I was hunting snakes on the creek at 7 with no adult supervision. We were taught at a very early age not to use real guns as toys and would get a whipping if we touched them without permission. We did still have nerf and water gun fights with our parents.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

My boy (7) has been shooting since he was 3, I got him a cricket EX17hmr a year or two back, and he loves it, and is a pretty good shot. I think the kind of shit the op brought up needs to be disspelled from our cuntry, tell these morons how stupid their thinking is. Neither of my children have ever seen the inside of a daycare, for these kind of reasons.
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Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Hey coldbore you need to set your Photobucket account to private. It's a n00b mistake, but if you care about your kids as much as I care about mine, you will follow that advice and remember not to post their pics on public sites such as this.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I starting taking my kids out at 4, girls and boy. Started with a 22lr rifle then a pistol. By 6 the oldest girl was shooting a 92FS and 223's. By 9 she had her own 243 and was shooting a 41mag, 40 and 45 pistols. Took her first turkey at 9, another at 11 as well as 2 whitetails. Got another turkey, a whitetail and a ram at 12. The boy has a similar record. The other girl likes to shoot but won't hunt. Education is the key. A couple pics...
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Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Motivate it, Encourage it, and Value it from the earliest age possible. My boys could say 9mm or 45 before they could say Gramma or Grampa. Thier first rifles were bb guns at age 5 and their first 22's were at age 10. Before they can and could handle any rifle or other weapon, they must recite, fully, the firearms safety rules sans bs or attitude. The only issue I have now is for the middle one...he loves to blast out a full magazine in either the AR or the little Tec 22 as fast as he can into teh target. 22, np for the brass, but that AR brass is expensive! Trying to collect it from a public range where some worker is trying to sweep my brass up into their barrel
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Maser</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hey coldbore you need to set your Photobucket account to private. It's a n00b mistake, but if you care about your kids as much as I care about mine, you will follow that advice and remember not to post their pics on public sites such as this. </div></div>

I hate being a dick, but taking advise about kids from an adult child who's a proud gamer who goes by binky boy? Thanks but I'll pass.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

This is how accidents happen. I hate to hear crap like this, they preach tolerance and are the most intolerant close minded people on the planet. If you dont teach the children and demonise a firearm children will want to play with them even more. I know my children will never touch a firearm or knife without the go ahead of one of us, my son is four and builds some amazing things (mostly guns) out of just about anything. With that said he understands saftey first and can almost tell you how to build an AR from parts, I am a very proud father.

Kudos to all the great fathers and mothers that teach children how to act, how to contribute to society, and firearm saftey.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Thanks for all of the good input from everyone. Alot of very good points! On a more positive note, what sorts of rifles would everyone recommend for a good first bolt action for my son?
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

Cricket single shot. Takes some effort, but my boy took to one like a fish to water. Make sure you use reactive targets (cheap sodas, not tannerite... although that was fun too), keep it fun. Couple of years of that and I bought him a Browning BL22 lever action, got an insane deal on one at a local gunstore sales event one year. They're a couple hundred and a lifetime investment.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

I started taking my daughter shooting at 4, but back in 1987 society wasn't quite as <span style="text-decoration: line-through">politically correct</span> pussified.

I'd tell my kid that in the presence of a <span style="text-decoration: line-through">socialist</span> teacher he should call his creations "tools".

Tell the teacher it's a hot glue gun, a tie-wrap tensioning tool, an infrared thermometer, or a cordless drill. "Oh noooooo, that's not a <span style="font-style: italic">firearm</span>!" "He likes to build Lego <span style="font-style: italic">tools</span>."
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Maser</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hey coldbore you need to set your Photobucket account to private. It's a n00b mistake, but if you care about your kids as much as I care about mine, you will follow that advice and remember not to post their pics on public sites such as this. </div></div>

You're now giving parenting advice out Mr. Hardcore Gamer/Alcoholic? WOW!
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

You live in Sam Diego, that's the problem. Don't think I am bashing you personally, I was born in San Diego, (Chula Vista actually). It's not a gun happy place. Haven't takin my 6 yo old to it, given him the basics but honestly, I just don't think he is ready to go to a real trigger yet, but soon.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MANIMAL</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I completely understand that times are changing and things will never be as they once were </div></div>

Times are changing because we allow lunacy like this to go unchallenged. Your response of "What issue?" was absolutely correct and the burden of proof should rest on this "educator" to explain the issue. If pressed, I doubt she could have offered a coherent response

I have two sons with another baby on the way. I have every intention of raising them around firearms and instilling in them my values and a healthy respect for the responsibility of firearms ownership. My boys have a small arsenal of toy guns (like I did growing up) and my five-year old even built a scaled down toy copy of a 1903 with me for a father/son project last year. Like a previous poster stated, my family has had a lot of fun having Nerf gun wars but the mood is very different when the gun safe is open. Stories such as yours are one of the reasons my children are home schooled.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coldboremiracle</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I hate being a dick, but taking advise about kids from an adult child who's a proud gamer who goes by binky boy? Thanks but I'll pass.</div></div>

Oh SNAP! I will however confess to enjoying an occasional Xbox binge though.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

A child that understands hunting understands death and the relationship that the firearm can have on any living creature. Had I shot and killed person when I was 11 years old in the town in which I grew up and my lawyer would have tried to get me off on the fact that I was too young to understand the cause and effect, the jury would have tarred and feathered him and have him dis-barred.

The old Crosby, Stills and Nash song, "Teach Your Children Well".
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THEBLACKBISHOP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You live in Sam Diego, that's the problem. Don't think I am bashing you personally, I was born in San Diego, (Chula Vista actually). It's not a gun happy place. Haven't takin my 6 yo old to it, given him the basics but honestly, I just don't think he is ready to go to a real trigger yet, but soon.</div></div>
Oh come on Chula Juana has lots of guns. Eric Holder sells them by the hundreds right across the border.
Anyways I think San Diego is a pretty firearm friendly place. Lots of military here.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Anyways I think San Diego is a pretty firearm friendly place. Lots of military here. </div></div>

You're right, San Diego really isn't that bad. It's the fools in Sacramento that are ruining the state.
 
Re: Looking for a little input from other parents

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: spamassassain</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We can't just do whatever we want in public - we have to be savvy about that, too. Again, I'm not siding with the teacher, but just suggesting that you talk to your son about it so he knows what's going on. </div></div>

Very well put. Your children will run into all kinds of people in life. Might as well be prepared.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MANIMAL</div><div class="ubbcode-body">On a more positive note, what sorts of rifles would everyone recommend for a good first bolt action for my son? </div></div>

.22LR
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And when you graduate to something bigger make sure you discuss recoil <span style="text-decoration: underline">before</span> he shoots it.