There is something very special about teaching our kids about the facts of life. We teach them how to ride a bike, play sports, to look both ways before crossing the street, don’t play with fire, stranger danger etc. The topic of guns usually gets left out, except for the phrase “they’re bad… don’t touch it”.
I love this topic and the opportunity to talk with parents about how they can teach their kids about gun safety, and become more responsible gun owners at the same time! First let me say that our 2nd Amendment must be protected and the only way that can be done is to pass on the traditions of hunting, sport & recreational shooting and the ability to use guns for self defense to our kids or it will be lost to future generations. With that said let’s get to it!
Parents must decide when their child is old enough to receive gun safety training. A common question is what is the right age? We started our boys with formal training at 8yrs old, but we started preparing them at 3yrs old. Keep in mind that just because you start training at 8yrs old (or younger) each child will progress at their own speed. Maturity has a lot to do with it. Our older son was very comfortable learning how to shoot and demonstrated responsible gun handling skills early on. He participated in competitive shooting and hunting by the time he was 9 yrs old. Our younger son didn’t become comfortable with hunting and competitive shooting until he was 12. I once knew a kid at 4yrs old that could shoot his 410 shotgun and drive a gator like nobody’s business. It is all up to the individual kid.
The NRA has a wonderful program called Eddie Eagle and teaches “STOP, DON’T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA, and TELL AN ADULT”. The program is designed for children in preschool to 3rd grade. There is a cartoon and workbook featuring Eddie Eagle that uses a song & dance with a great storyline to get point across about what to do if you child should happen upon a gun. There is a full curriculum guide that includes several handouts, stickers and a certificate of completion. The program is not designed to te
ach safe handling or marksmanship. Formal training can include the Boy Scout merit badge for rifle and shotgun (which is great for the girls too, you can find the worksheets and topics of discussion online, or for kids age 10 & the NRA first steps or home firearm safety course. If you are a parent that is new to guns as well, they are ideal classes for the entire family. The best memories come from mom or dad taking their kid to the range and showing them how to use the sights and sharing the joy of pulling the trigger for the first time. Parents should be positive role models for their children. It is absolutely important that you are following the three rules for safe gun handling:
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Additional guidelines are
} Know your target and what is behind it
} Be sure the gun is safe to operate
} Treat every gun as if it was loaded
} Check TWICE to be sure firearm is unloaded
} Know how to use the gun safely
} Use only the correct ammunition
} Wear eye and ear protection
} Never use alcohol or drugs before or while shooting
Bottom line, there are two major cause of gun accidents: ignorance and carelessness. Don’t be ignorant or careless about safe gun handling in front of your child, monkey see monkey do.
Parents should help their children understand the difference between pretend and real life. Our kids watch all these cop shows on TV and movies where someone get shot and just falls down and dies. In reality being shot is a horrible, gruesome, ugly thing and we make sure our kids know it! We also use these shows as teaching opportunities. It is a game to point out all the poor gun handling skills, finger on the trigger, sweeping the muzzle of the gun towards another person. My proudest moment was at a movie theater when my younger son who was 9yrs old at the time saw a huge display with a hot chick holding a gun. He didn’t notice the hot chick; he noticed her finger on the trigger!
Do not keep firearms a mystery. As with everything else, if you tell them they can’t have it, they will seek it out! Whenever a new gun comes into our home, under our firm supervision everyone gets to see it, hold it, learn about it, and eventually shoot it. It becomes another opportunity to practice correct gun handling skills and places the gun in our home environment and not something they only see at the range.
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