Hellobee Boards

Interesting seeing this. My mom got water guns for them to play with because it's so hot this week. We got them out this morning to play with. At first I second guessed if I should let them but then I saw how excited the kids were to play with the water and I just wanted my kids to be innocent 2 and 4 year olds for a little bit. But I'm really not sure what to think. Nothing is simple these days.

I can't keep guns out of his play forever. He's a boy. He's a kid. It's what they do. He will pick up a stick and pretend it's a gun, so not buying him fake guns won't prevent him from playing like it. We have talked about guns in the sense that they can hurt people. He is allowed to pretend to shoot animals, but never pretend to shoot or aim his pretend guns at people. He has been told that we can only shoot people with water guns (he actually calls them water cannons, thanks to Paw Patrol).

No water guns allowed here. If they squirt and don't look like guns, that's fine. Guns are not toys, and playing at pretending to shoot things/people/animals is not appropriate to me.

@littlebug: I absolutely intend to keep guns out of his play forever. Boy or not.

@Bao: Funny timing as I was just thinking of this yesterday. It hadnt really occurred to me until I saw a bunch of pictures of little kids on social media - toddlers! - with water guns playing outside. I was like oh hell no. That will not be happening. No guns of any kind and if I am the mean mom then oh well!

Nope. No guns, ever. We have water shooters like this: https://www.amazon.com/Always-Under-Blaster-Eliminator-Shooter/dp/B00DC6YE4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1467999394&sr=1-1

We have the launchers. That's as close to a toy gun as I feel comfortable getting.

But kids will use anything as a gun, including their hands. It doesn't mean they're criminals, just a teaching opportunity that we as parents need to be prepared for.

@littlebug: Just out of curiosity, why is he allowed to pretend to shoot animals but not people?

It hasn't come up but I think we will go with things like @hilsy85: posted (thanks for the link!). I don't feel comfortable with pretend gun play at all.

Water guns don't bother me. They are typically brightly colored plastic that don't bear any resemblance to the real thing. What does bother me is pointing them at people...and not even just because they are "guns" (although definitely true in that sense, too) but because it is so rude to get someone wet who doesn't want to be wet, whether that's with a water gun or a cup from the water table.

@littlebug: Fair enough - I disagree personally but that makes a lot of sense for your family, thanks for explaining!

We don't have any squirt guns or nerf guns now, but I'm sure we will at some point. We do have a wii gun that goes with a hunting game, and I know DS plays with squirt guns at daycare.
I guess I don't like the idea of guns as toys, but there is a big difference between a squirt gun and a real gun, and I know my son is going to hunt with his father someday, so gun safety will be taught.

DD has played with water guns at the pool and she totally loves them. She is not allowed to "shoot" people- mostly she just likes to make patterns in the water or the sidewalk. We also have Nerf swords and plastic lightsabers- same rules. I am not against guns in general and I don't have an issue with having real or pretend weapons in the house. Firearms in our family are stored safely (top of the closet, unloaded, ammo separate. Even my police officer FIL keeps his guns this way at their house so we don't have any incidents). We'll teach more gun safety when DD is older.

DS got one in a loot bag. He thinks it's a blow dryer and pretends to dry his hair with it. I'll probably chuck it eventually and avoid buying gun toys.

I don't think it's a big deal at all and will let DD play with one when she's older. We are anti-gun in general though.