Arming your children

[cold dead hands]

For some this is hypothetical, for others a very real issue.

Ok, in most states the age of self care (the police do not lock you up for endangering a minor) for children is twelve years old.

Now, let's say that you have one or children whom you feel to be responsible and old enough to be left at home without adult supervision while you have a night on the town i.e. anniversary, friend's birthday, or whatever...

Do you

A) Lock up your guns and hope that your children are alive when you return? or

B) Have a gun stashed that they are aware of and have been informed to use in dire emergency otherwise it better not be touched? or

C) Actually handed the firearm to your most responsible child and told them to deal with extreme predjudice against any unathorized persons coming in to the home, call you and then 911?

For me it is option C. Self defense is just that, regardless of age. My oldest is very intelligent and responsible. He will defend the home and his siblings. If a scumbag has to die I will handle all legal and financial aspects as would be expected of an adult and good parent.

Tell what you think and why. Thanks for your time.

 

[Mr.V.]

It's entirely based on how much you trust the child. Mine are still too young, so the issue is moot for me.

Remember, if they do something stupid with it and you went with option B or C, you're going to jail too (at least in California).

 

[6_gunner]

B or C. As long as the child has been raised around guns and knows how and when to use one, I feel that the average 12 year old would be responsible enough to handle the situation.

I would go with option A if there is any possibility that another child who is not as familiar with guns could come to the house while you're away. Even a very responsible child could succumb to peer pressure and allow a dangerous situation to arise.

 

[Soybomb]

I'm not a parent so its easy for me to be pretty cavalier about this, but I don't think 12 year old children need to be given lethal weapons. While they might be trusted with its basic safety and operation I don't believe they are ready for the onus of decision making on the application of lethal force.

 

[Matt King]

Now, let's say that you have one or children whom you feel to be responsible and old enough to be left at home without adult supervision while you have a night on the town i.e. anniversary, friend's birthday, or whatever...

Under 16 regardless of the level of maturity, I would not leave by themselves at home overnight. Over 16 I would give them the combo to the gun safe, only if they were completely responsible. An irresponsible kid with access to guns makes for a very bad combination.

 

[Matt King]

I'm not a parent so its easy for me to be pretty cavalier about this, but I don't think 12 year old children need to be given lethal weapons. While they might be trusted with its basic safety and operation I don't believe they are ready for the onus of decision making on the application of lethal force.

I agree. My kids did not have access to the guns, until they were much older.

 

[silliman89]

My daughter (7) is still too young to take care of herself, so this is moot for me too. (I only allow her to shoot under my direct supervision. Although I did buy her one of those pink guns for girls, I keep it locked up in my safe when not in use.)

This begs the follow up question though, if you hire a 12 year old baby sitter to watch your kids, do you show them where the gun is and give them instructions in it's use?

For myself, I've never met a 12 year old I'd trust to have a loaded gun, late at night, alone, in a dark house. There are too many possibilities for error in judgment.

 

[Diesel man]

If they are young a knife is good start
anyone older than 15 have access to a gun 24-7.

 

[MD_Willington]

but I don't think 12 year old children need to be given lethal weapons.

I had a hatchet and a machete at age 12, it was in my camping gear & a recurve bow with arrows (target and broad-head) all of those are lethal weapons.

All kinds of things can be lethal if used improperly.

 

[scurtis_34471]

I would be much more likely to give my house-bound 12 year-old a can of the nastiest pepper spray I could get my hands on.

 

[lacoochee]

Agreed a cell phone/alarm system and the house canister of Wolf Pepper Spray seem like a good compromise for under 16's. 16 and over entirely depends on the teenager in question, it's a judgement call, maybe they could call you for the combo if absolutely required. Would be faster than the response from the police.

 

[Diesel man]

Get a Marine corp or some type of army training manual and teach your kids all of the survival,fighting, and shooting tactics that will give them the edge whenever they need it.Get them a .22 to start on and then a Ar15 to give them all the practice with a rifle they can get.Then go to a pistol and then shotgun and so on and so forth.

 

[lamazza]

I had access to a firearm 24/7 when I was 12. My father taught me at a young age. When you show kids that you trust them they usually try pretty hard not to lose that trust.

 

[TacMedic4450]

Any thoughts on using a TASER for this application? What about sending one with your Son or (especially) Daughter everywhere?

 

[bensdad]

My kids are almost 8 and almost 5. They won't be left alone in the house for an evening (alone till well after dark) for quite some time yet.

Both have fired .22 rifles and handguns. The boy (4) is very enthusiastic about guns.

I can imagine that in another few years I would trust the girl with the decision to protect herself and/or her little brother, but I would never put her in that position. Protecting them is my job until they move out.

 

[Pilgrim]

At the age of thirteen I was routinely left at home in charge of my three younger brothers for short periods of time. I also had my own .22 rifle and ammunition which I kept locked in a wardrobe cabinet. This was 47 years ago before the PDRK decided that guns can't be trusted with any child no matter his or her maturity level.

Nowadays I would be hard pressed to give you an answer what age a child can be trusted to control his or her own firearm. I am rather disturbed by the practice of 'moral relativism' displayed by my teenage granddaughters. The seventeen year old killed off her lucrative babysitting business because the word got out she can't be trusted with pay-per-view programming. She also explains away her failing grades in high school by saying the teachers are lying and are out to 'get' her.

Pilgrim

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

Once they hit 16 or so, they're likely to start arming themselves.

Mom probably still would freak out if she had her face rubbed in the fact that her 20yr old son GENERALLY has access to his "fighting weapons".

She thinks everything is always in the safe. In general, she's correct... except for my pistol and my carbine (and usually my 18yr old brother's 1911 and whatever project he's working on).

Dad generally has an idea this goes on, but he'd rather we not flaunt it (and force him to take an interest).

Before I left for college, I kept a gun or 2 in my closet just because I didn't like having to plan in advance if I wanted to go to the range after school or something, and because I knew if I needed one there was no way I'd have time to waste opening a safe.

Now I keep one around because I take it as a personal insult that a civilian even my mother, thinks I can't be trusted with the weapons I have control over when I'm NOT living at home.

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

Texas said:

My kids did not have access to the guns, until they were much older.

My dad thought that, too.
Just a head's up, if there are keys or combo hidden somwhere, a kid can find it.

Soakers, who still remembers 10 yrs old.
PS dad, if your reading this, I always wiped 'em down after handling.

 

[PistolPackin'Papa]

Raised in the late 50s early 60s.

Had a Grandma who lived with us, who's dad came across the plains in 1864.
Maybe it's a generational thing, but even though we had guns available, Grandma taught us to make a weapon of the first thing "ta hand." Fireplace poker, Butcher knife, Rolling pin, She was just paranoid enough that we had many a lesson when the folks were out for the evening. LOL! Looking back, it was a good foundation for self defense. Miss that Grand Lady!
PPP

 

[Bezoar]

This is a hot bed. Some children are mature enough to properly use a gun on their own. But they are a minority in this modern world we live in.

SO many "adults" over 18 cant discern the difference between killing someone in a computer game and actually doing it in the real world. And please answer this honestly,

if a immature person/child has no real comprehension that their actions will have immediate repercussions to them, can you actually think they are trustworthy with a loaded firearm? What if they actually think that they are dirty harry/rambo/favorite computer game charecter, can you actualy let them be armed?

 

[Frog48]

Depends on the individual child.

When I have kids, they will not have unsupervised access to firearms until I believe they are of proper maturity, and have a clear understanding of the proper use of deadly force, and the responsibility and consequences of such action. Trusting a kid with a firearm unsupervised is a much higher standard than allowing your kid to use guns while with you (hunting, shooting range, etc).

 

[Juna]

My kids will never have the combination to my gun safe b/c I'll want to have a place to put things that they can't get into until they're adults. Some of my more expensive guns they won't be going anywhere near. That said, I might leave one gun out provided the child was old enough and responsible enough. They don't, however, need access to my gun safe and ALL of my guns.

Today's kids tend to be pretty irresponsible (today's adults do, too), so I'd have to trust the child and be 100% sure of that trust--not so much about trusting my own kid, but trusting that he/she will not have any friends over while I'm gone. IMO, that's where the biggest danger lies--other kids coming over (kids who have not been raised around firearms or with gun safety). B/C remember, if your kid or his friend shoot someone, you will be held liable in court. They always want to throw the parents in jail--as if they haven't already been through enough with their kid dying or killing someone.

If I did leave a gun out for them, it'd probably be an old revolver or something simple and reliable that doesn't hold a lot of ammunition. It would also depend where I lived, but I'd never live in a really dangerous area.

 

[geekWithA.45]

My parenting goals are to raise the kids to be happy, balanced, responsible and formidable (in every sense of the word) adults.

The kids are young enough that the point is moot, but I'll consider granting them access on their own authority when they convince me of their sustained, reliable good judgement.

 

[helpless]

I havent read any other post in this thread, but I will let you know my experience.

I was raised around firearms. My father was and still is, in law Enforcement. I was always knew the difference between toys and the real thing. NOT A TOY!

I do not have any children yet but I am looking forward to teaching them the same respect for firearms that I was raised with.

As far as children actually being told to use the firearm to defend themselves and family. I guess that comes with the territory right?

 

[Glockfan.45]

If I cant trust a child with a gun, I cant trust them to leave them alone at home. Having said that my oldest is only five so I have not had to confront that problem yet.