How bad is it really to buy your son toy guns? He makes guns out of other toys, anyway.?

Question

I know a lot of parents who pride themselves on not buying their sons any toy weapons. I thought this too until I saw my son, at age 5, making a gun out of his sister's doll or a sword out of a curtain rod. Am I wrong?

Answer 1

I just don't get all of this anal retentive, politically correct parenting. Kids will always want to play cowboys & indians, cops & robbers, starwars, kung fu, what ever. They want to play fight and more importantly, create adventures. There's no harm in that - let them. Encourage it. Give them toy guns and swords. Later, help them make a sling shot and a toy bow & arrows. When he's old enough, give him a pocket knife. People, come on!

Answer 2

Maybe I just grew up in a different world but we were raised around real guns and were actually shooting at age 5 (when we were big enough not to get knocked on our butts by the recoil). We understood the destructive force behind the weapon. We also had our toy guns (loved those cap guns!) and used our imagination in games such as cops and robbers, cowboys and indians and later, even Star Wars!

Our kids also have both real and toy guns. The toy guns they have today are nowhere near as realistic as the ones we grew up with! I firmly believe in gun education at an early age regardless of if you allow toy or real guns in your home. Education is the key, not sweeping the reality of guns under the carpet.

Answer 3

I see no problem. Make sure they look like toys. Explain to him that you never point even a toy gun at a person only objects. Never point to street or passing cars. If his father is into guns, in a few years teach him gun safety. I know a lot of older boys who have guns and go hunting with their fathers. But only after they have learned the safety of guns. But when not hunting or shooting the guns are locked away. If you want to reinforce this get a separate chest for his toy guns and put a "lock" on it. This starts the training of proper storage for him while he is young.

Answer 4

The parents you speak of are only fooling themselves. They are the type to protest what comes on TV, radio, video games and movies, instead of taking responsibility for their little brats! They think if they can get everything that THEY find offensive banned then they don't have to pay any attention to their snot nosed rug rats! I played with toy guns when I was a kid and a lot of you reading this did too! I've never killed anyone and I don't own a gun now. Why?? Because my parents made sure I understood the difference between playing cops & robbers and actually shooting someone with a real gun!!!!! Stop trying to ban everything and teach your children something useful!

Answer 5

I would go so far as to say that most little boys go through a toy gun phase. As long as you explain that it's only a toy, guns can actually hurt people very badly and that he will not have a real gun, I don't see a reason not to let him have a toy pistol or something. I wouldn't make a habit of buying them for him regularly and adding to the collection or anything, but one isn't bad.

Answer 6

My son did the same thing he would make guns out of barbie's legs or a toy hammer anything that resembled a gun. I don't think it's a bad idea, I just don't let him point guns in people's faces. As far as swords go I tell him they are to be used for chopping down vines that are blocking his path in a jungle or for killing the snakes and crocodiles that try to get him. If I'm wrong oh, well.

Answer 7

My boys turn anything and everything into a weapon. I only have a problem with the toys that look like real weapons. A gun made out of Legos looks like... a gun made out of Legos! To me, it makes a difference if they look real. And our rule is no pointing weapons at the face. Mostly, they pretend to fight monsters and aliens, depending on what movie they've watched recently. Every once in a while, one of them is Obi Wan Kenobi and the other is Anakin Skywalker "when he turned into Darth Vader", but no one ever "dies". As long as it stays imaginary and doesn't cross the line into pretending to kill real people for no reason, I don't worry about it. I think boys naturally want to be heroes, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Answer 8

I have bought my son a toy gun in the past and he plays with it alot. As well, he plays with army tanks and army men. He is 6 years old and he also goes in the bush with his dad and goes hunting with him. He watches from the trunk when my husband hunts partridge. We have taught him the dangers of a real gun. I think it is not the toy gun that is causing concern...it is the TV and video games that teach kids violence. Just think...you great great grandfather probably had a real gun at age 10 and went hunting for dinner.

Answer 9

For male children to play soldier or good guy and bad guy during play is normal and reflects a normal development. I too played with toy "guns". If "bad" means assulting other children with these "guns", then I would be concerned about what he is exposed to in terms of TV and his little friends. Often, such behaviour is copied from other sources. Perhaps he can be interested in other toys that provide the same pleasure or satisfaction.

Answer 10

Make sure the guns do not look like real guns. The danger with toy guns is that a child might not realize a real gun isn't a toy if they see one.

Answer 11

There is nothing wrong with purchasing your child a toy gun. In fact, it is a great way, the perfect and safe way, to teach him gun safety! Use this experience to teach him the rules of gun safety. If unsure how to go about it, contact your local Extension Office, they will have fliers or can point you to someone who teaches gun safety courses and you can get literature from them.