https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:29:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2705197 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:27:04 +0000 Mrs D 2705197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have had similar situations at DDs daycare. They do not allow gun play or anything play that would resemble a weapon. Of course children have different rules at home and will bring those play habits to school - the teachers do their best to correct them.</p> <p>I would have zero issue mentioning this to the director or a. director. Of course they can only do so much - but I would think they want to know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2705050 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:36:08 +0000 lawbee11 2705050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2705047 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:25:17 +0000 PawPrints 2705047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: LOL. Hey I have heard Eddie Eagle is a decent intro to some of this stuff! <a href="https://eddieeagle.nra.org/" rel="nofollow">https://eddieeagle.nra.org/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2705043 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:17:27 +0000 lawbee11 2705043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: I'm glad they're taking it seriously! I agree that she's too young for that conversation. My LO is 3.5 and has no idea what a gun is. She's never pretended to shoot anything and I actually showed her pictures of a gun last night and asked if she knew what it was and she didn't. We also don't own guns. I guess I'll have the discussion with her sometime in the near future...why can't Daniel Tiger cover this stuff?? :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2705029 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:40:03 +0000 PawPrints 2705029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks again for all the replies. Update #2: I'm very glad I said something, the teacher is taking it really seriously and told DH this morning that she's going to talk to the other boy's parents. He apparently has an 8-year-old sister who's really into Star Wars so that's probably where this is coming from.</p> <p>To everyone commenting about having conversations about guns at home: I very much appreciate this perspective, and it's entirely possible we will go that route as DD gets older and we navigate this. But right now, she is ONE year old. She's never seen a gun, real or toy, in person or on TV, and I doubt she's ever even heard the word "gun" to know what it means. If I were to tell her now that guns are dangerous she'll have no idea what I'm talking about. I think it's totally reasonable (and our daycare clearly agrees) to think that her exposure to guns can wait at least a little while longer until she's more mentally and emotionally ready to have those conversations.</p> <p>[ETA] To clarify - I think it's reasonable to expect that daycare, where we pay them to care for her, would not be the first place where she would be exposed to guns. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704771 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 22:49:04 +0000 paigeface 2704771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I truly have to agree with @sarac / @littlebug and what many others have said on this. I have a son who is not at the age of acting out gun play but imagine one day will probably do it at some point, despite my best effort of preventing it. My parents were very anti gun and regardless we still found a way to play "Star Wars" shooting with our fingers when we were kids. I think the blunt conversations we have with our children and the constant awareness about how dangerous it is can really help. I am glad that the teacher was supportive and understanding. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704761 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 22:28:25 +0000 ALV91711 2704761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: Our rule sounds similar to yours. DH is a hunter and has been explaining gun safety to DS his whole life. Kids turn everything in to guns so if he wants to pretend he is allowed but no shooting people. We will stop his playing if he does this. </p> <p>I've seen at our daycare many times kids build something and pretend it is a gun but the teachers always stop them and remind them the rules and have them take it apart. </p> <p>Good to hear the teacher is supportive. I'm sure they have to deal with this with many kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704758 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 21:54:28 +0000 Kemma 2704758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: yep. My Dad always said you can keep guns away from a kid but they'll still pick up a stick and run round shooting each other!</p> <p>OP - as long as he wasn't scaring your child then I'd just leave it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704634 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 16:29:00 +0000 PawPrints 2704634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update: teacher was super supportive and apologetic and thanked me for speaking up about it. They don't allow gun play at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704589 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:41:18 +0000 littlebug 2704589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our son, despite all my best efforts to quash the behavior AND that daycare does not allow gun play, still turns literally every thing he picks up into a gun. So rather than try to completely stop the behavior, we've had conversations about guns being very dangerous, and that they can hurt people, and that they should never be used to shoot at people. He's allowed to pretend to shoot bears (I have zero issues with hunting and he's seen Fox and the Hound where they go hunting bears). But we never shoot people. If I catch him shooting people, I step in immediately and remind him of our rules.</p> <p>I tend to agree with @sarac: Guns are, unfortunately, a very large reality in our society. I am not going to deny that they exist. Instead, I'd rather have frank conversations with him about them, their danger, and how they can be used safely. Do I like that he engages in gun play all the time? No, frankly, I hate it. But I think to deny their existence does a disservice. So we address responsible gun use instead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704558 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:20:07 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2704558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: I agree.</p> <p>My dd is taught that guns are a grown up tool and very dangerous, but I do try not to limit dramatic play. That said we haven't really had it be an issue. Maybe it will be for ds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704556 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:17:42 +0000 Truth Bombs 2704556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would focus my efforts on speaking to my daughter. I would tell her that different mommies and daddies have different rules, but that in your family, you don't pretend to play with guns. I don't think pretending guns don't exist is the best way to teach our kids gun safety, because we won't always be able to control every situation they are in. Explain to her that guns are very very dangerous, and that's why we don't even pretend to play with them. I have this conversation with my daughter, along with other safety conversations, on a regular basis. The other day she told me "Mommy, if a stranger tries to talk to me and give me a gun I say 'no thank you' and find an adult I know". She seemed to be mixing up a couple lessons there, but I'll take it as progress! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704548 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:11:35 +0000 PawPrints 2704548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Clearly people have a variety of opinions on this. Well, I decided to just email the teacher and pose it like a question - tell her what I observed and ask "do you guys try to discourage this kind of pretend gun play" kind of question. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the input everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704535 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:04:09 +0000 sarac 2704535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that guns exist, and that children see them and have complicated feelings about them, and that they need the space to work those feelings out through play. If this kid was scaring your child, that would be one thing, but if they're just playing? Guns exist, and we haven't been able to get rid of them, and we can't keep that knowledge from kids forever. They have to be allowed to express their feelings and curiosity through play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704527 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:57:49 +0000 ValentineMommy 2704527@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: Agreed.</p> <p>I can not stand gun play, and we do not allow any toy weapons in the house. Despite this, and talking to DS1 about it multiple times, it happens. Kids will make anything into guns if they want to.</p> <p>That being said, if it bothers you, I'd definitely mention it. If nothing else, the teacher can help stop the behavior in your DD. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704526 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:57:09 +0000 kiddosc 2704526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's still worth a conversation, but it's also probably a good time to start talking about it with your daughter. Honestly, it's probably more than just this one little boy and you don't know that he and your daughter didn't pick it up from another child. There's a strict "no weapons" policy at our daycare, but I know that they have to remind kids quite often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704518 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:47:25 +0000 DesertDreams88 2704518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that since there is a stated policy and it matters to you, I'd definitely bring it up. </p> <p>Yeah it's impossible to 100% stop, but all behaviors are that way. There still should be conversations and consequences. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704512 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:44:18 +0000 Jess1483 2704512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think there's a level of it that is impossible to stop (as PP have said, kids will just use their hand.) But I do think it's reasonable to approach the teacher and say DD picked up this behavior and you'd like them to curb it if they see her doing it. That may also mean they stop other kids when they see it, but they surely won't see it every time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704507 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:42:31 +0000 lawbee11 2704507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He's 2?! Wow. That's depressing. I would absolutely mention it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704502 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:37:52 +0000 LindsayLou 2704502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It would bother me, but I also want to offer another perspective. One of my younger brothers was very into playing guns as a toddler/preschooler. He was a spirited, energetic, slightly wild kid. Our parents are strongly anti gun, did not buy him toy guns, and discouraged playing guns. However, he still pretended that everything was a "shooter". Legos, sticks, his hand. As he got older, it mellowed out a bit, but he still played war with his friends. He's now a very well adjusted, non gun supporting, 26 year old finance professional. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704493 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:26:52 +0000 shabang 2704493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At our daycare, the teachers would intervene, so if it is a policy, it is realistic to expect that it be supported.</p> <p>Personally, this would not bother me, but if it bothers you, absolutely say something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704492 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:25:19 +0000 looch 2704492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my son was doing gun play about 2 years ago, he was about 4 and he and I had a conversation about it. He understood and since then, he hasn't done it in front of me. </p> <p>I thought about talking to the teacher or director to see if they had any suggestions or if they could redirect when they saw it, though, but didn't follow through. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704485 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:16:44 +0000 Bao 2704485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would mention it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704484 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:14:53 +0000 Silva 2704484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd mention it because it would bother me a lot :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/gun-play-at-daycare#post-2704483 Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:13:36 +0000 PawPrints 2704483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our daycare does not allow any toys that are gun-like or violent in nature, and I am a big fan of that policy. So DH and I were really surprised over this past weekend when DD (23 months) put some of her duplos together into what was clearly a gun shape, pointed it at me, and made a "pew pew" sound. Yesterday at daycare pickup, the mystery was solved: a 2-year-old boy came up to me with some duplos that he had stuck together in the shape of a gun and pointed it at me and made a "pew pew" sound. So clearly she picked that up from him. He's in the room above her so she's only around him at the end of the day when they combine rooms, and I know they really have their hands full with this particular boy (I swear every other time I go in to pick her up, this same boy is doing something he shouldn't be). So I haven't decided if I'm going to bring this up or not. I didn't say anything at the time because I felt it would be awkward if the boy's parents walked in right behind me. </p> <p>Is it realistic to expect daycare teachers to intervene and stop kids from pretend gun play? Or is gun play all over the place and there's no avoiding it and I should let it go? Worth a conversation? </p>