Toy Gun: Loaded Gift?

Friday, August 8, 2008

filed under: kid logic

Guest blogger Meanest Mom: My 5-year-old son went to a birthday party last weekend and gave the guest of honor a large Supersoaker water gun. The birthday boy was thrilled; the boy's mother, not so much.

I was embarrassed and horrified when the mother openly criticized me for giving her son a toy gun. Truth be told, I didn't think twice when my son picked the toy out at the store. In the sweltering heat of summer, the water gun looked like lots of fun.

The anti-toy gun sentiment that pervades our society is a phenomenon unique to our generation of parents. When most of us were growing up in the '70s and '80s, the demand for toy guns often exceeded stores' supply. Remember trying to find a Star Trek phaser around the holidays? Good luck!

Toy guns have become taboo in our culture, so much so that some toy stores refuse to sell them and many parents ban their children from playing with them. Like many moms, I started out with a "no-gun" policy in my house. I abandoned it, however, when my sons started turning household objects--spatulas, coat hangers, and bottles of Windex--into imaginary cowboy pistols. My point is that most boys develop a deep fascination with weapons at some point in their childhood. The desire to play with toy guns, knives, swords and the ever popular nunchucks doesn't mean that your son is a murderer in the making, but rather, signals that he is, well, a boy.

Most of us spent our childhoods surrounded by--if not also playing with--plastic revolvers and rifles, yet we didn't grow up eager to arm ourselves with real ones. What makes us think that it will be any different with our kids?

37 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

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- chica guapa

Posted 11/21/08 10:00 AM

You people are the reason your kids will pick up a gun and shoot thier friend. You have to teach them, not just take things away and ban them. My 13 boy has a Glock 23 .40sw and a s&w m&p 9mm since he was 12. He is one of the safest and smartest gun handlers i know. Ignorance is more dangerous than knowledge! He understands the dangers and also the rewards. Dont show up at my house late at night without calling, he is very protective!

- Gun Advocat

Posted 12/02/08 09:09 AM

My wife also doesn’t allow our son to have a toy gun in the house. of course, as has been noted here, anything can be a toy gun, lazer, sword, rocket launcher etc. and almost everything has been. even without an object to use he just makes a noise that we all know is him shooting. he and his friends have “killed” each other many times over but they are horrified at the idea of actually hurting each other which they say is very wrong. the message as far as i can see is that children are more intelligent and perceptive than dumb adults (me included) give them credit for. the mother of the birthday boy has a right to deny him the present and swap it for something else but criticising you for giving it is plain rude. a sense self righteousness is no excuse for bad manners.

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Posted 02/05/09 07:47 AM

I have to agree with you on this one. I have two boys and if I didn’t buy them any toy guns they would find some household object and pretend it was a gun. I understand that many parents don’t like their children playing with toy guns because they think it promotes violence, but my point of view differs a little. I take advantage of my boys playing with toy guns as an opportunity to teach them gun safety. I explain to them the differences between toy guns and real guns and make sure they know never to touch a real one. I also do not under any circumstances allow them to point there toy guns at people. Despite my views, I understand that every parent has their own child rearing ideas and I always respect their ideas when dealing with their children.

- Cassandra

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- lieben

Posted 03/05/09 05:10 AM

I have to say that I am unbelievably annoyed when I have taken my son to the park with a toy gun and I can hear comments that are ridiculously annoying. I will not take away my son being a boy by prohibiting him from playing with these toy guns especially in a public area such as a park to please these uptight people. Tommy makes so many valid points but I especially like the reminder that people kill people. I agree that the lack of parenting is what leads into irresponsible behavior in the future. My husband grew up with his dad having a great collection of guns in his house but educated him very well on this subject. My husband played with toy guns as a child. Is my husband a murderer? He wouldn’t be serving in the military if he was. Responsibility people! And to all the ones that have a different point of view then well….go ahead and continue living in your “perfect” little world where u believe that guns do not exist. It is about what is taught and molded.

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