how to teach young kids about guns

[T77911S]

i have a single female friend with 2 young boys, 6 and 8.
I take her shooting and she is very good at shooting but wants to get her CWP.
I am quite concerned about her boys. they are very much all boy, that is they are into everything and wild.
she says they don't go into her purse but I know better.

so, I am considering teaching her boys about guns, safety and the especially the dangers.
i have taught her and my wife about shooting. both are very good and both are very conscience of safety. even when a hot shell went down my wife's shirt she kept the gun pointed down range. same with my friend except it did not go down her shirt,..

kids are a different story.
i know one of the main reasons kids shoot other kids is they don't realize the gun is loaded. i have an idea about a way to stress this but i am sure it will be criticized greatly so i will wait to say.

i would really like to teach them to not even touch a gun and the dangers if they do. any ideas.

i am ok with her getting her CWP but how long before she would get a gun i don't know. i am trying to keep her away from keeping a loaded gun around that is not locked up. she i trust the boys i don't.

[Seahawk]

There is a lot to unpack in your OP, well written, since a lot of ground was covered.

We have taught, and teach, a lot of 10 to 30 year-olds how to shoot here on the farm. We have a bunch more coming for our Friday After Thanksgiving shoot here. Both my kids shot a the 7/8 range.

I'll probably get blasted as well by the gun gurus here, but teaching a child about guns is not a one day, load and shoot exercise.

See if they like it. Take them to an abbreviated range day with all the right gear and see if they even enjoy the experience. Some don't and that is 100% ok. They don't get to shoot, only watch. I have also taken a lot of folks on their first helo ride and never, ever made them feel uncomfortable. That is key. Make them feel safe and relaxed. Holster the testosterone.

Small caliber guns to start. I like .22 revolvers. After their first range day (again, they don't shoot) we do a table top on how to load and unload the revolver, always emphasizing safety and how to be safe - those are two different things.

We do it with spent shells and just walk through the gun, grip to tip as they say....demystify the weapon, let them hold it and practice safety. Guns are objects, explain in simple terms how a gun works.

Videos are great as well.

Only then do we let them plink, with a very experienced wing man at their side the entire time.

The rest is as hard but easier in a weird way...kids call us all the time to come back and shoot.

[pwd72s]

https://eddieeagle.nra.org/

[berettafan]

Pass. If she’s dumb enough to think they would not look for the gun to play with it she’s not ready for ownership.

[rfuerst911sc]

Teaching kids about guns and safety is the same as teaching about power tools . General safety guide lines with specific proper handling . They have to be taught how quickly things can go bad . And the mom needs to be taught when at home the gun/s stay in a gun safe no if's/ands or buts . There are plenty of small finger print ID hand gun safes that can be opened in 2 seconds if need be. Mom also has to understand how quickly things can go bad leaving a loaded weapon in a purse or around the house .

[GH85Carrera]

My brother and I grew up in the Leave it to Beaver era. We KNEW for sure dad had a 9 MM automatic. We knew where he kept it. We did look at it on the top shelf of the closet, but did NOT touch it for fear dad would appear and wear out his belt on our butts. I never did tough that gun until I was an adult and dad and I went to the range to poke holes in paper.

An automatic is a good gun for kids in the house, and it has to be racked back and most kids are not strong enough. However she need to be able to load one in the chamber.

She for sure needs a gun safe, and 100% positive way to keep her kids away from the gun.

[PorscheGAL]

I think teaching the boys over many sessions is a good idea. There are a great number of safes that fit under car seats, glove boxes and consoles that would be easy to utilize. A safe at home is also something to be used. Speaking from experience: it is not difficult to get in the habit of Removing from purse and locking up every night when you come home. Big enough safe and she could just put the whole purse in. At least until the kids are older and more responsible

[Teutonics]

Another thought is to take them hunting (anything.... squirrel, bird, whatever) and have them really learn that guns can kill... especially if they pull the trigger themselves.

I know the first time I hunted at a young age (I think I was 8 or 9), it taught me a healthy respect for the power of guns and loss of life of the hunted animal.

[targa911S]

Man...as a gun guy i would agree with every single statement here. Actually killing something is very sobering. but the the essentials are well...essential.

[Tobra]

Maybe start out with BB gun and work up to rimfire

That Eddie Eagle link Paul posted has a lot of good info

This is not a one day thing. She need to get the boys up to speed before she brings a weapon into the house

[Noah930]

Even of your friend doesn't buy a gun, as long as you have her blessing, it's not a bad idea to teach those boys about gun safety. You never know where those boys (or their friends) will find an unsecured firearm.

She's naiave to think those boys will never go into her purse.

[targa911S]

I started my grand boys with a Crosman pump pistol. I made them memorize the ten rules of gun safety before they could shoot. If they couldn't recite them they didn't shoot. After that I gave them both their own Daisy Red Rider for Christmas. They are very good shooters now and obey strict rules at Poppas house. I have a really good rule...If you kill something you have to eat it.. not one bird squirrel or chipmunk has died since.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Paul (Seahawk) pretty well nailed it. My kids all shot for the first time at about 5 with a small single shot .22LR rifle that I bought specifically for the purpose. My boys and I still shoot regularly, my daughter has shot but is largely indifferent. My kids know guns well, are safe and proficient, and there is zero novelty to them. I am a firm believer that exposure and education eliminates the novelty.

With all of that said....my guns are all locked up. I would never leave a gun unlocked where a kid (or thief) could reach it.

[Jeff Higgins]

I know what worked for me when I was little, and what worked for my boys when they were little. Puppy said it above - eliminate the novelty of it all. I had ready access to my dad's guns any time I wanted - no one had gun safes or anything at all like that back then. Hell, they were in his nightstand, in his toolbox, in his closet - all over the house. Some loaded, most not. And I knew any time I wanted to look at or handle one, all I had to do was ask.

All of this was pretty similar with my boys, with the exception that I do keep them (the guns, not the boys, although I considered them at times) in a safe. Same idea, though - they could handle them any time they wanted, all they had to do was ask. Guns were such a part of their lives that the whole mystery was gone before they were in kindergarten.

All of that is, of course, far more difficult with other peoples' children. It has to be a part of their lives on the same level as their own toys, with the only difference being an adult has to be present when they want to check them out. That's just around the house. In addition, frequent range time, preferably with their own guns (I started mine at six years old with their own single shot "Chipmunk" .22 rifles). That part might be very difficult with your friend, however.

Gun ownership takes commitment, and she has to understand that. Not just for her own safety and for the safety of her own children, but also due to today's legal environment. There are likely storage/access requirements she will be obligated to meet under state law. Unless you can bring her to understand the seriousness of all of this, and the commitment required of her, I would discourage her in any way you can.

[wayner]

I think to make kids safe around guns, they have to fire a gun.
All of the other warnings and education fail to overcome either a lack of respect for their power, or curiosity.

All of the safety training plus experiencing firing one in a controlled environment

[HardDrive]

This whole thread scares the hell out me. No way man. If she thinks that young boys will not be interested in a gun, that makes me worry about her as a gun owner.

[legion]

I have three kids: 2, 4, and 8.

From 2-7, I teach them what is in the Eddie Eagle curriculum. I teach them the difference between a toy gun and a real gun. I teach them that real guns are dangerous.

From 7-on, I teach them how to shoot. And yes, that first session is mostly talking. I have a Savage Rascal single-shot bolt action, and I sit next to them and load it. I teach them to treat it like it is loaded at all times. I teach them how to check if it is loaded. I teach them how to unload it. I teach them how to check that the range is safe. I teach them how to keep the range safe. I teach them how to call for and respond to a cease fire. I teach them how to aim, and how to pull the trigger. Loading comes at a later lesson.

I also start the discussions about the more difficult situations. What do you do if you're at a friend's house and he wants to show you his dad's guns? What do you do if a friend asks to see our guns? A "wrong" answer is met with a response like: "Are you sure? Why don't you think about that a little." And we will pause the conversation for a future date.

[Jim Bremner]

First, I'm not a fan of a gun in a purse. I've seen too many women leaving their purse in a shopping kart or other non secured locations. She's not ready in my opinion to have a gun near her Kids.

I raised 4 Boys and their was never an unlocked gun near them except for range trips.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

This whole thread scares the hell out me. No way man. If she thinks that young boys will not be interested in a gun, that makes me worry about her as a gun owner.

Absolutely...I started on a .22 rifle at 7ish, 12 ga @ 9, no pistols until I bought em as a teen. BUT I was around loaded shotguns in the corner, etc. along with dozens of kids. Do NOT touch....and killed hundreds of my buddies with toy guns along the way. I KNEW what the difference was....from day one methinks. Bring a pistol into two 6 & 8 years old boys' environment without having a clue is stooooopid.

She doesn't have a clue...jmo

Start teaching her along with the boyz about safety....and boyz. Good luck!

edited...I just copied a random post....everyone in this thread is spot on...

[T77911S]

i was not thinking of teaching them to shoot. although shooting a 45 may keep them from wanting to touch one. I remember shooting my uncles 357 when I was about their age.

mainly I want them to understand that guns are not toys.

I am still debating on if I want her to have a gun. I was going to wait and see how the boys react to learning about guns. if they are respectful of guns I may consider it. if not, maybe in another 5 years.

she is small, now with the time change she leaves her work in the dark.
going to get her some sort of pepper spray for the time being.

I sit here thinking about this some more.
maybe a gun is not a good idea for her at this point.
I could not live with myself if something happened.
thanks
we will just keep shooting together for now.