Don't teach the baby about guns.

Yes, baby boys will gravitate towards completely different things than baby girls will. You can't make a boy a girl or vice versa

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I'm not so sure about that, unless I've just got a daughter that's strange. She loves the outdoors, she understands the firearms and that she's not to discuss our firearms with anyone other than me or the wife. She also loves the 4 wheeler and the big orange truck(69 Chevy 4x4 on 36 inch tires)

Believe me, whatever you tell or show him will soon be known to everyone. And it's hard to teach a very young one about discretion.

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I don't believe that discretion is difficult to teach a young child, provided that you take the time to talk to the kid. My oldest daughter just turned 5 and understands that she isn't to tell anyone about the guns in the house, and if anyone ever asks her about guns and if daddy has any she's to tell them she doesn't know and to ask daddy.

Yep, my son has been saying "Pow-Pow" since he could talk (he is now almost 3). We have not made any attempt to "hide" our firearms from him. They are locked up and secured, but he does see them when we go to the range. I think people make a mistake by trying to hide firearms. Kids understand more than we can image at such an early age. Our son has no toy guns, he uses the vacuum hose attachment to shoot "clay birds". The thing is he has only seen me shoot skeet once! Believe it or not he has pretty good "muzzle" descipline with his vacuum hose. Makes a shooting mom and dad proud (wiping that tear). Kids will pick-up sticks or you name it they can turn it into a firearm. Biggest thing we do is teach the difference between the real deal and the stick. You don't touch the real deal and keep that stick pointed in a safe direction at all times. Point the stick at someone or the dog, stick goes away and kid sits in time out for a minute or two. They learn real quick not to point that stick at someone. Never too early to teach safety.

Great story. My wife did the same thing after my son was born. Got her permit, got some training and can shoot very well. She'd rip someone apart if they tried to hurt the kid, worse than grizzle bear. It's an estrogen thing I think.

"It's my 'HUNTER', I use it for hunting."

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That warms my heart.

My daughters, now ages 12, 14, 15, and 20, are all decent shots. Some are more interested in going to the range than others, but given the opportunity, all enjoy a day at the range.

They were exposed to firearms from a very early age. Attempting to hide something from a child is seldom successful.

I started them shooting between 9 and 11, depending on each one's temperament, interest, and ability to follow instruction. I've enjoyed my range time with the girls as much as anything we've ever done together.

Kids don't learn language without an example... your son picked up the words, actions, and sounds from somewhere. Seems like it's time for Eddie Eagle!

Cute story. Smart kid you have there.

cartoons? daycare? playmates?

my parents didnt teach me how to cuss, spit, or fistfight... most bad things kids learn is when they are away from the house and out of parental supervision.

with that said teach your kid about guns. Why? so he doesn't find yours and remember that bugs bunny/elmer fudd cartoon and have an accident. teach him safety not abstinence... that way he can make an educated decision regarding his actions and interesting things he finds around the house(or at a friends house). I have worked with a lot of kids between ages 1-4 when i worked at a day care(so you know im not just making this up).

18 months eh? Hmmmm...that strikes me as about right for bleed over from prior incarnations to register in the brain of the current incarnation. Your Connor may be remembering past exploits bringing down game and love of fine weapons. He's at the same age I was when I had my first such experience of past life memories, though mine not so enjoyable and honorable as hunting

Myself I still remember snakes in my crib. (as in baby crib) and large python type snakes coiled around the "posts" on my parents bed (that their bed did NOT have) and having to fight them off long before I could even speak.
My parents couldn't figure out why I could NOT sleep in the crib at night no matter what. Lights on/off/crib moved into their bedroom/another room/ following parenting advice to NOT do anything and let me scream till I quit. (never worked) Until I was in their bed and had "secured" it nobody got any sleep.
Finally I could "explain" my actions. Mom says there is no way I could know about snakes (not common in my area) we only had one TV channel that only sometimes worked and they never watched anytihing like that. According to my parents it is IMPOSSIBLE I could have seen/know about snakes but I did. (one of few things I still remember from then) (ok only thing)

I am very close to my 3-year-old grandson and spend at least one day a week with him. He loves his grandma - but he follows me ("gampa") around like a puppy and wants to do everything I do. “We're boys”, he says. “That's right”, I say.

I have posted elsewhere about the edict I received from his mother and father (my daughter and son-in-law) insisting I don't CCW around my grandson. I agreed to compromise by leaving my gun locked in the car when at their house, and keeping my gun on a high shelf in the closet (but available) when he is at my house.

Regardless, this is a boy who will make a "gun" out of a piece of toast. In addition, his parents have bought him nerf guns and other such toys and don't really restrict what he sees on TV - so he's getting real mixed messages.

When he is with me and is playing with some form of toy gun, I instruct him to only shoot it at bad guys. I've repeatedly told him that if he sees a gun that isn't his toy to not touch it, to leave the area, and to tell a grown-up. Then I make him repeat it back to me, which he does in the same solemn tone I used.

My point here is that no matter what the parents do or say to "shield" a child from guns, they are going to be exposed to them, and are going to be curious and interested. So the earlier a child discusses it rationally with an adult who is knowledgeable about gun safety - the safer they are going to be.

As a corollary example: We have a small in-ground swimming pool and I have taught him to never go near it without me standing by - and I do not give him the opportunity to do so. In addition, I started teaching him to swim when he was still in diapers (well, actually I removed the diapers). At three he can hold his breath, swim under water by himself, and swim to the ladder.

Knowledge = Safety - Ignorance = Danger

P.S. I have a Remington .22 semi with a scope that I can't WAIT to share with him! It will probably be a few years before he and I can whittle down his parent's attitude. I will respect their wishes because they are good parents and it is their call.

Great story!

I've heard several anecdotes about small children that really make me wonder if there isn't something to the Hindu/Buddhist karma-and-rebirth theory. This is another!

hopefully it will go that well for me..... my daughter is currently 4 months...and the wife is already telling me i cant CCW.

although...now that she works at night she said she might have to get her CCW, or at least some mace because it's scary. whereas before she was saying it was "unnecessary" and carrying a gun is a "false sense of security".

pffft!

my grandson is 5.5 and is all about some guns.

he has had toy guns since he was old enough to sit and play.

I bought him his first real gun last week, We shot it all weekend. Though a youth model it is a real rifle. Single shot, and his grandkids ought to be shooting it someday with proper care.

He knows the four rules and understands trigger discipline.

The best part is he has a younger brother I get to brain wash too! LOL

Good story.

Copy. Paste.



Forward to extremely liberal long-term girlfriend.

Knowledge is power!

amazing what good genetics can do

Much easier to gun-proof* kids than it is to kid-proof guns.



*by gun-proof I mean teach them what is proper.

"It's my hunter." That's too friggin cute.

My 3 1/2 y.o. boy has been calling firearms "big booms" for about two years now. When I let him look down the scope of my .30-'06 and dry fire *click*, I yell BANG! And he replies, ecstatically "I shot a deer!"

My son will be four this month. I let him play with his Legos this week next to me while I was working on assembling my new FAL. So, of course he builds a lego "gun", pointing to one piece while explaining that "it is the shooter part, where the missiles come out to shoot bad guys."

If only I could use one of his Legos for my locking shoulder... I had to order a custom one.

My Dad always insisted my brother and I not point our toy guns at people also. He would tells us to imagine enemies to shoot, not each other. You would be surprised how well that habit carries over.