Do You Allow "Weapons"?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Mine can pretend that it is a laser. LOL. Seriously, that is as far as I let it go. And, boy do they go!

[WImom]

I have a "no shooting" rule. They get way too rowdy when they play this way, inside and outside. There is plenty other ways to play here and things to do. That kind of play is forbidden at school. Why should I allow it here?

Same here. I don't like hearing shooting noises all day as well. My kids will play superhero - I require them to all be good superhero's though and not shooting or they play "monster" but it can only be outside.

[AmyLeigh]

I DO allow it. I totally understand why the schools can't and won't but I do allow it because I believe it is a part of healthy development.

Some kids focus on it a bit more than others, some take it to extremes and some have never participated or desired to take part in anything of the sort.

The kids that try to take it to the extreme are prime candidates for education and the ones who do choose to play, do so in developmentally appropriate ways.

Gun play, sword fighting and other similar play behaviors are all part of the timeless struggle between good guys and the bad guys. The female sex takes part in their own ways (Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella & her wicked step-mother....etc). It's all part of good verses evil.

It's fantasy play that can be used and done in a productive manner.

Banning something is never the cure. Education and moderation serves me much better and in much more positive ways than outright not allowing something that has been proven time and time again to be inherent in the behavior of humans.

There have been many studies that have proven this theory.

IMHO, gun play is no more the cause of violence than toy kitchen sets are the cause of obesity.

I'm with BC on this one.
This is a really good article about how to moderate gun play by pbs: http://www.pbs.org/parents/raisingbo...ression05.html

[Blackcat31]

Precisely because so many families here have guns is why I do not allow gun play. There is no way a 3 year old can tell the difference between a real gun and a toy one, IMO. So, no gun play at daycare.

Now, if I had SA"s, I might handle it differently, or ask them to save it for at home (as an example for the littles). But, with my particular age group, I don't think gun play is appropriate.

Years ago, we visited a friend whose 2 1/2 yo had a very real looking rifle. When he chased my son around with it, my son was scared (also 2 1/2). I asked mom if it was possible to put it away for the weekend. She said "oh, come on, we don't want G* to be afraid of guns".

Um, yes, we DO! Sorry, but if my 2 1/2 year old (or more likely 4 year old) is at a friends house, and friends says "hey, want to see my dad's cool gun?" I prayed he'd say "Ah...NO!"

I don't have any problem at all with owning guns, hunting, target shooting, etc. But, they are a weapon, not a toy.

There is no way a 3 yr old knows whether or not a liquid cleaning product is dangerous either but we don't stop cleaning just because cleaning products are hazardous.

[Heidi]

There is no way a 3 yr old knows whether or not a liquid cleaning product is dangerous either but we don't stop cleaning just because cleaning products are hazardous.

True....we lock them up. It's funny, but some people are more cautious with their Windex than their guns. I also never had car keys in reach...and yes, my kids had toy cars. I also have to say, while most kids under 5 have probably witnessed people shooting guns at each other on TV (on a variety of shows), they have not seen people shooting Windex at each other, and it's not nearly as deadly. My biggest fear, honestly, is that a child would mistake a real gone for a toy and shoot another child. I would just not want to be party to that risk.

I absolutely respect your opinion, and respect people's right to own guns. But, as a parent or childcare provider, safety is going to trump anything else, and I want my kiddos afraid of guns. A healthy fear, in my opinion. Older children can be taught the difference, and can be taught gun safety. Parents can do as they choose at their homes. But my house, my rules, as we often like to say here.

[Blackcat31]

True....we lock them up. It's funny, but some people are more cautious with their Windex than their guns. I also never had car keys in reach...and yes, my kids had toy cars. I also have to say, while most kids under 5 have probably witnessed people shooting guns at each other on TV (on a variety of shows), they have not seen people shooting Windex at each other, and it's not nearly as deadly. My biggest fear, honestly, is that a child would mistake a real gone for a toy and shoot another child. I would just not want to be party to that risk.

I absolutely respect your opinion, and respect people's right to own guns. But, as a parent or childcare provider, safety is going to trump anything else, and I want my kiddos afraid of guns. A healthy fear, in my opinion. Older children can be taught the difference, and can be taught gun safety. Parents can do as they choose at their homes. But my house, my rules, as we often like to say here.

[Heidi]

You know it, sister. :hug:

[craftymissbeth]

Nope. No gun play here at all.

http://reason.com/blog/2014/02/03/abc-plants-guns-among-toys-and-candy-sho

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132159

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2548433/Frightening-hidden-camera-experiment-shows-kids-pointing-guns-faces-new-study-reveals-nearly-10-000-American-children-injured-killed-guns-year.html

Even children who have extensive education about gun safety have a very difficult time NOT touching a found gun. For me, it's just so much easier and makes me feel a whole lot better to just not allow gun play here at all. And it's a type of play that seems "ugly" to me... not sure how to explain it.

[Jack Sprat]

No gun play here. It was never a concern until new dcb started. He needs a lot of reminding that we don't play guns or knives here.

[Evansmom]

We allow guns and power play here. But it's a total non-issue. The boys do not fixate on it, sometimes they play guns, sometimes they doctor stuffed animals. I believe because I don't police it strictly that it's just a non-issue with them. They can take it or leave it.

[Blackcat31]

Nope. No gun play here at all.

http://reason.com/blog/2014/02/03/abc-plants-guns-among-toys-and-candy-sho

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132159

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2548433/Frightening-hidden-camera-experiment-shows-kids-pointing-guns-faces-new-study-reveals-nearly-10-000-American-children-injured-killed-guns-year.html

Even children who have extensive education about gun safety have a very difficult time NOT touching a found gun. For me, it's just so much easier and makes me feel a whole lot better to just not allow gun play here at all. And it's a type of play that seems "ugly" to me... not sure how to explain it.

Your links all reference the same ABC study/experiment.

Kids who have never been allowed to engage in fantasy (gun) play, as well as never received any type of introduction/education in regards to guns and gun safety they ARE drawn to it. Because its the unknown and human nature dictates that we are instinctively drawn to things unknown.

[Lyss]

I allow it. Unlike BC and others we don't live in an area where the majority of people have guns but I still allow it and personally feel it's part of their development.

I have provider friends that don't allow it or any sort of superhero (good guy vs bad guy) play and I accept it's their choice, it is after all their home, I just have a different set of rules. I've never had any issues with kids being overly violent or strictly out to inflict pain (which I would have concern with) while engaging in this sort of play.

[daycare]

I grew up in a country where guns where every where. Everyone owned at least 3-4 guns. NOt just hand guns, but machine guns are normal for people to own too. There is supposed to be a law that says you have to be 21 to own one in egypt, but no one regulates anything to do with the guns. YOu can see children running up and down the street with them at very young ages. They are sold on streets in street markets, anyone can buy one.

I lived in a safer area where I was not so subjected to a lot of violence daily if I stayed near my home, but I would see kids walking around with missing limbs, finger, etc from accidental shooting themselves or friend. Of course, Egypt you can not compare to USA, but the deaths caused by accidental guns there is much higher than here. Maybe about 2000 a year there vs 200 here.

It's been a long time since I lived back in my home country, but I doubt anything has improved.

Because of this, I have a great fear of guns. I would just rather parents take the responsibility to teach or not teach their children about weapons of any kind. They won't learn it from me, because we don't allow it here. I will not have any part of their lack of or over abundance of knowledge of them.

1 gun can kill many people instantly without warning. I don't want to be responsible for teaching anything about them.

[craftymissbeth]

I grew up in a country where guns where every where. Everyone owned at least 3-4 guns. NOt just hand guns, but machine guns are normal for people to own too. There is supposed to be a law that says you have to be 21 to own one in egypt, but no one regulates anything to do with the guns. YOu can see children running up and down the street with them at very young ages. They are sold on streets in street markets, anyone can buy one.

I lived in a safer area where I was not so subjected to a lot of violence daily if I stayed near my home, but I would see kids walking around with missing limbs, finger, etc from accidental shooting themselves or friend. Of course, Egypt you can not compare to USA, but the deaths caused by accidental guns there is much higher than here. Maybe about 2000 a year there vs 200 here.

It's been a long time since I lived back in my home country, but I doubt anything has improved.

Because of this, I have a great fear of guns. I would just rather parents take the responsibility to teach or not teach their children about weapons of any kind. They won't learn it from me, because we don't allow it here. I will not have any part of their lack of or over abundance of knowledge of them.

1 gun can kill many people instantly without warning. I don't want to be responsible for teaching anything about them.

[Kabob]

I'm from the same area as Blackcat so I also know a lot of people with guns. My dad being one of them. I grew up watching my dad shoot at targets but never live animals, though. He taught me gun safety and that we don't kill for fun. But he always kept his guns locked up as per my mom's request. My dad also used to joke "fight fair kids; guns and knives only."

I'd say I turned out pretty normal. :: My brother was actually afraid of guns or anything like that...he hated the idea of someone possibly getting hurt and was terrified of the sound guns made...he never joined us in target practice. He would cry for me if I fell and scraped my knee, for instance. So really, it depends on the person and their background.

But I still don't let the daycare kids pretend to use weapons...because someone always ends up getting hurt and I don't know what their parents are teaching them at home. Same thing with wrestling. They can do it on their own time but I don't need more potential for injuries during daycare. After daycare, my son enjoys some "wrestling" with daddy though...