Teaching your kids

**Minerva10210** · 08-06-2016, 11:35

This thought crossed my mind quite recently as well. Our little man is only 20months old now, but by what feels like Friday, he'll be 7, so it's quite relevant to check out.

I quite like the look of the Eddie Eagle thing... Some research will be done this evening.

**Spudattack** · 08-06-2016, 12:08

One thing I love about living in rural NZ, they have started teaching firearm safety to my almost 3 year old son at kindy!

Today they were going through the things they can shoot and what they can't and how they must never point a firearm at anything they don't want to shoot. It was quite entertaining the list of things they came up with that they could shoot!
Gets well reinforced at home when shooting the pellet gun or .22 too.
He is catching on real fast!

**MSW2** · 08-06-2016, 12:19

Originally Posted by Maroelas

Except what I see, there is no mommy around. Dad and kid/s. No one watching them when dad is behind the rifle.

Yes, that is not how it is supposed to be done. Young children should always be watched, a second or two on their own is enough for them to get into trouble.

My kids help me to sort washed cases, they are free to watch me while I reload and they help me by bringing me things I need. They also help me to clean FA's when they feel like it. I let them shoot with any weapon they feel up to handling with the appropriate degree of control from me - e.g. my 5 year old pulls the trigger on the Mini-14 while I hold it for her. The older kids with stronger fingers help me load mags. While we are doing all of this I chat to them about being safe and what they are allowed to do and not do, how specific FA's work, etc. My two eldest (7 and 9) are allowed to use the pellet gun on their own as they are responsible enough to do so and they eat the edible things they shoot.

**Maroelas** · 08-06-2016, 12:35

Originally Posted by MSW2

Yes, that is not how it is supposed to be done. Young children should always be watched, a second or two on their own is enough for them to get into trouble.

My kids help me to sort washed cases, they are free to watch me while I reload and they help me by bringing me things I need. They also help me to clean FA's when they feel like it. I let them shoot with any weapon they feel up to handling with the appropriate degree of control from me - e.g. my 5 year old pulls the trigger on the Mini-14 while I hold it for her. The older kids with stronger fingers help me load mags. While we are doing all of this I chat to them about being safe and what they are allowed to do and not do, how specific FA's work, etc. My two eldest (7 and 9) are allowed to use the pellet gun on their own as they are responsible enough to do so and they eat the edible things they shoot.

Fully agree with your approach.

**shooty** · 08-06-2016, 13:55

My daughter started going with me from age 8. I also bought a Winchester 22LR lever action for her to shoot. Its very compact.
In CPT Kaapjag has got every Friday at 15h00 shoots with 22lr rifles where its just for kids.
They get taught to shoot ope sights at swingers.

**Tunamate** · 08-06-2016, 18:29

Yea i think i will wait till kids are a little older before we have a range day.....
I have 2 boys and they just don't stop!
Eddie eagle is great. What did my 3 year learn after watching the whole clip. "mommy i want pizza".....
Thanks for all the input

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**Meteor** · 08-06-2016, 21:42

My dad use to leave a rifle on the table so that we got use to seeing it, from there we were able to touch it when we clean it.
In the long run it made us see weapons as nothing more than a well maintained piece of machinery used for work.

What I gained from it. Cleaning is fun if taught young. Be proud of your weapon. Guns themselves are not fun, correct usage is.
I know these words seem dumb but that is honestly how I feel. To be honest it is hard trying to think of all the stuff I learned simply by being around a person who respects his weapons.

**Zoo Keeper** · 09-06-2016, 14:00

Great thread

I grew up with guns around and have done the same for my two boys.

Taking one of them to the range is easy, taking two is trouble even with lots of hands. So I try and take only one at a time and let them shoot the 22 (ages 5 and nearly 7). I let them hold my guns when I'm cleaning and let them get the feel for them and get used to them as eliminate any kind of mystique.

Of course, at the range, be responsible and keep their discipline - never let them wander off alone. But that's just being sensible really.

I always felt that kids who never grew up around guns are more likely (more likely not guaranteed) to see guns as cool things from TV, and do stupid things with them. For me, the earlier the better. The eldest is asking when he will go hunting!

There is a study, which I no longer have, which found that kids who grow up around guns were substantially less likely to commit crimes with guns than those who didn't. And the kids studied were all from the same social sectors.

**Tunamate** · 13-06-2016, 15:33

@ Zoo Keeper. That's very interesting. I will look for that research.

I do believe that if you start early and remove the unknown, kids will grow up to be more responsible being given the information and knowledge early on removing the mystique

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**Carbine** · 16-06-2016, 18:10

I started teaching my son gun safety around 3 yrs old as well.
He began shooting a Ruger 10/22 off a bench in grade R.

He was obsessed with my safe and it's contents from about 2 to 3 years old.
A visit to the range around age 3 cured him, when he heard the noise from the parking lot he got back in the car and wanted to go home. Dad was happy that the message was received that these are not toys. Only time I've been happy to spend less than 30 seconds on the range. I had no intention of shooting with a 3yr old.

"Gun proof you kids" also worked for me.