Do you think kids should be able to play with toy guns?

Posted on 11 02, 2006 under Master Debaters by Noodad | Comments

588296_toy_guns_1There are some topics that seem to fall into the consensus category: drunk driving is bad, guns kill people, Transformers are better than GoBots. But that only covers less than 1% of the decisions you and your spouse make towards the upbringing of your kids. The majority of issues tend to fall more in the gray area.

Here at Noodad.com, we take pride in delivering important advice for dads. But we realize that some of our advice is subjective. The collected readership surely have things to add and unique perspectives to contribute. That is why we are pleased to announce the start of a weekly feature called the Master Debaters Question of the Week.


Every friday we will pose a question. We encourage everyone (men and women) to weigh in—even if it is a simple one word answer. We hope a lively discussion can develop.

 

Question 1: Do you think kids should be able to play with toy guns?

 

 

 

 

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Viewing 20 Comments

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    Yes. But not like the one pictured. That\'s likely to get a kid shot...
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    I find it disheartening to see bright orange toy guns in the store. I understand why they do it (they dont want cops to accidentally kill kids) but there is something wrong about seeing a bright orange Han Solo gun.

    My parents had a rule that I could have toy guns as long as they didn\'t shoot anything except water out of them. (Of course we would then fill the water guns with other liquids)

    I find it interesting that people are concerned that kids shouldn\'t find pleasure in pretending to pack heat so that is why they are against toy guns. It is interesting to me because even if you take the guns away, kids will still end up building them with legos or using their fingers to pretend to shoot someone.
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    I don\'t understand why men always think that boys need to play with guns. The days of playing cowboys and indians are over. Kids these days grow up with the images of gangster violence, let alone the images of war we face every day. They don\'t need to reinact it to have fun.

    Both my sons have never wanted to play with guns because we have never given them reason to think it is fun to.
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    FloridaMommy,

    I know that it is sometimes hard for women to understand (my wife certainly doesnt) but there are somethings that boys always tend to gravatate to.

    Maybe it is some psychological thing of how males deal with conflict physically. Anyways, that could be why you don\'t see a whole lot of female hunters, fishers, or paintball players.

    Mike, I thought the same thing about the Han Solo gun LOL.
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    You are right. I recognize the appeal, I just don\'t understand it.
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    I actually feel lucky that I get to avoid this issue, as I have a daughter who doesn\'t seem all that interested in guns...

    But let me offer this:

    I was -- like lots of boys -- draw to (and allowed to) play with guns. However, I don\'t think it\'s that guns are inherently interesting or attractive, but that they\'re glamorized and glorified in cartoons, movies and other media targeted to boys.

    Hence, we think they\'re cool.

    That might be over-simplified, but I don\'t understand why encouraging violent behavior -- however seemingly innocuous -- is brushed over as \"good clean fun\", just because the dead people (or things, or whatever), are only theoretical.
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    I don\'t allow toy guns in our household. I don\'t mind my kids playing more \"violent\" videogames, but that\'s where it stops for us.
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    We\'re not at the age of having to have this debate just yet as our daughter who is 4 has yet to even mention the word, and our son is only 20 months old, but I obviously have been building opinions on this one for a while. I try to be realistic about it all and understand that eventually they\'re going to turn other toys and their hands into \"play\" guns, but I don\'t think I need to supply them with the toy plastic versions. I try to choose and buy toys that have positive values and that will help build my children\'s character. I find it hard to believe a toy gun would ever do so. Pretending to kill or maim someone is hardly entertainment, educational or valuable.
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    Why does playing with guns have to be about killing someone?

    Can it be about hunting? Or just learning?

    Shielding your children from anything is a bad idea. Explain it to them. They'll be more knowledgeable of the world.

    I had plastic suction cup dart guns and plenty of water guns when I was a kid and didn't hold a real gun until I was 22. It's a toy. It's not a gun. Teach them the difference.
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    Playing with guns is about "killing someone" because that's precisely what a gun was designed to do. Playing with guns and making it about "hunting" is still about killing. Just because it is an animal vs. a human, is that somehow more humane or less offensive to pretend/play?

    I agree that "shielding" ones child is a bad idea. Shielding only happens if there is no discussion as to why the house has such rules. If you talk openly and discuss with your children about why you don't allow toy guns in the house, that's hardly shielding. That's educating. Not allowing the toy guns and not telling them why is shielding.
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    No!
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    ...Cause i\'ve been doing it a lot... and now I\'m a convinced anti-militarist and anti-violence men (and future dad)... so...
    Whatever remember that he will always pick a stik and do Bang Bang...

    So that\'s just what is around him, that gonna make him realise...

    Don\'t frustrate kids (and adults) and they\'ll be (quite) OK...
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    I\'m a female paintball player! :) (I tend to think there are less female paintball players because our voices don\'t carry across a field - being higher pitched and all - and thus without communication we lose. Uh.. what was I saying? :) )

    Seriously, both my husband and I play paintball, and as such the little guy (3 yrs) sees paintball guns in the house and wants to play paintball. He\'s also a big fan of Buzz Lightyear zapping Zurg with a laser gun. I\'m ok with both of these - although to me they\'re both different than playing with a toy handgun, say.

    In paintball, it\'s essential to understand and be careful with the marker aka gun, because you could get seriously hurt if you screw up. If this translates, to him, to understand that guns of any kind can be dangerous if not handled correctly - because let\'s face it, it\'s not like he\'ll never hear of what a gun is - then I hope he\'d never be the kid who sees a real gun and thinks it\'s not dangerous. Absolutely one of my biggest phobias as a parent, and I think knowledge is key here. (Of course, as always, just my opinion and YMMV)
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    Im 12 years(goin on 13)and i am stricly not allowed to have guns of any type :sigh . I had a rubber band gun (until it broke) that shot maby 10 ft and i have a pair of crappy dart guns that shoot 10 ft also. I am not even alowed to play with my friends airsofts/paintball guns wich really sux.
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    These guns arnt goin to turn me into any worse of a person. I m very much agenst wars/fights of any kind and playing with a [B]TOY[/B]is not going to change that.
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    My son who is almost 6 does not have any toy guns.. I find it disturbing to see small children run around and pretend to shoot eachother (although me and my brother did at 8 or 9ish, and we didn\'t turn into psycho killers).. I do have a real gun in the house (a 9mm) and I need him to respect guns and what they can do.. If you were to ask him right now what guns do he would tell you they kill people, I think its important that he knows and understands that. When he is old enough (I haven\'t picked an age yet, maybe 12 depending on his maturity) I will teach him to shoot.. I also believe it is an important skill to have. All and all, guns are not something that should be taken lightly, and I believe toy guns make kids too *comfortable* with firearms..
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    I\'m 14 and need to say something about this issue.
    GUNS MAY BE USED TO KILL, BUT THE PERSON BEHIND IT IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE. TO ME, TOY GUNS CAN BE THE BUILDING BLOCKS TO DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE POLICE AND MILITARY OFFICERS. ALSO, JUST BECAUSE A CHIHLD WANTS TO PLAY WITH A TOY GUN, IT DOESN\'T MEAN THEY WANT TO HURT INNOCENT PEOPLE.






    :grin ;) :) 8) [/B]( That\'s alll I need to say!!!!)[/B]
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    An Opinionated:

    Thank you for weighing in. No need to shout.

    foodad
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    Remember candy cigarretes? don\'t see much of that anymore. Would most parents discourage their kids from pretending to smoke these days? My guess is that toy cigarettes in a goody bag would be looked down upon. Are we just more exceptable to a quicker death? Why would it be more disturbing to most to see our children standing around pretending to smoke? Or even something more natural like kissing, etc. But to pretending to kill. It is strangely accepted as a form of play. There\'s nothing fun in the act of killing. ( Not that I know firsthand) I believe the stats say death by gun is 10 times more than deaths by a drunk driver. How would people react to toy beer bottles in a goodie bag at a party? I know parents who allow/encourage their kids to pretend to kill with guns, yet forbid them to watch movies that have sorcery in them. Haven\'t heard anything recently about someone dying because someone cast a spell on them. Anyone for playing, \"I\'m dying of Cancer\" People are really dying by guns in shameful amounts, I can\'t see any positives in that form of play. Don\'t get me wrong. I don\'t believe that a child pretending to kill will grow up and do just that. I\'m just saying the idea that there is fun to be found in such a horrific act is absurd. I\'ve explained it just that way to my kids. Are they tempted? Certainly. I surround them with many other fun toys that are not violent and they significantly enjoy. There are endless amounts of (even aggressive) interactive fun that has nothing to do with killing. They still get tempted, and they talk to me about that. It\'s just another feeling we have to resist such as our temptation to lie, cheat, and steal. And I hope when they reach their teen years and are tempted by other recreational \"fun\" their peers will take part in they will also be equipped with truth and speak to me then. There are so many amazing ways to have fun in this world without acting out something so horrific. I try to educate them with truth (That people, many innocent, really die everyday from getting shot by a gun) People are mourning for the lives lost. So far they respect the information and even share it with their friends. I don\'t have to threaten them with groundings or crazy things like that. They hear it, read it in the news and see the sad faces of the ones left behind. I\'ve noticed parents, relatives included, shy from discussing the matter as if we are discussing religion or politics. Or perhaps it\'s just shame. I\'m glad I found this sight and would be interested in hearing from anyone on my thoughts.
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    G\'Day all,

    I\'m 18 (not a father yet thankfully) I was 7 when the Port Arthur and Dunblain massacares happened in Ireland and Tasmania, Australia (I live in Tasmania) My mother decided that it was a good idea not to let us (Myself and my 9 year old brother) play with toy guns anymore. It didn\'t work though. Essentially it came down to boys being boys, accompanied by the fact that we had been shooting real guns (air rifle) since we were 5 or so, and our father owns a fairly large collection.

    As long as your kids know the difference between a toy and a real gun, and all firearms are KEPT SAFE IE Bolt removed/ magazines and ammo stored in seperate locking container with a DIFFERENT key, then the risk of accidents are greatly minimised. I do of course realise that gun crime in the USA is alot more rampant than here in Australia, but I do not believe not letting your kids play with guns is a good thing. Ween them off toys onto the real thing, teaching them about safety and ethical hunting, soon they will loose interest in toys and grow into responsible shooters such as I am today.
 

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