How young is too young ?

[Mikeg175]

I have a 2 year old son and I have been teaching him etiquette about many things and have had many people either say it is too young or are in disbelief that has has manners and skills . He always uses pease and tank yuu . He will knock on a closed door and not come in till told so . We make him try and learn/use things before we automatically open/turn something on . He has a nerf gun that he will not point at anything alive , unless we are play hunting the dogs lol and we put on our hunting hat to know when doing that . He does chase the dog with a plastic spatula and I can't seem to stop that , but my 7 month old Chessie loves it , so haven't tried too hard .

I have a ton of flashlights and he knows you don't shine into the face and he know it isn't alway about what he wants . Now I am wondering when is good time to introduce him to firearms . I have 2 pellet guns already for him and a .22 pistol and long rifle in the safe . He knows not to touch certain items and listens well . I can let him into my work area and he won't touch anything I don't want him to . He has learned that no means no and don't touch means don't touch .

I know there is no set time or age , but is there anything I can look to and say ok he is responsible enough to shoot a pellet/bb gun now . We set up a nerf target range in the basement and have a fun time with it and I know he enjoys it , he grabs his little nerf shooter and bugs me till we set up stuff to knock down , when we are done , he retrieves all the nerf ammo and puts it back into the box . He is neater and more organized then I am hehe . He would never be able to handle/use any bb gun or pellet gun without me standing beside him , until he is alot older .

This is my first child and knowing that he is the strongest/fastest/smartest/best looking kid out there ( joke btw , but doesn't every parent believe that ) I want what is best for him , but I don't want to rush him into anything , he does possess a certain skill with trajectory items and has picked up the basics even with the nerf , but I believe in safety first and think the younger they learn it , the better it is . Any help would be great thanks ..

[Matt In Oklahoma]

You will know when he is ready, patience is hard when you want to teach them so much I know. safety and manners are never to early. However I think he should be allowed to point the nerf gun at zombies. They are not "living" as you say so let him know zombies are ok. LOL

[Cimarron]

Hi Mike.
At first glance I was thinking, this topic is 'touchy' for most folks..."Don't tell me how to raise my kids"! kind of thing( I have a SIL that very way;)).

In my opinion there is no 'age gauge' with kids, they are all different. When introducing BB guns to my kids (at different times but about the same age) my oldest was no big deal, but my middle child was not a good reaction, so I held off a little while and brought it back out again later.

I think the first child for most parents are our "learning" stage. We learn a lot about kids and even our self with that first one. What we think they can handle and what they can handle is sometimes a big surprise, and sometimes frustrating. I don't know how many times I have told my kids "But your XX age, you should be able to remember to do this blah, blah. We adjust our teaching to fit the ability of our child. My oldest two are 2 years apart but are different as can be. Now the youngest. He thinks he can do anything big sister and brother is doing and has proven that he can do a lot more than the other two did at his age. Children watch and mimic other's, and often older siblings are a big influence on younger ones.

NERF.
We bought the soft tip guns that take a clip and an extra clip that stores in the gun. They are allowed to shoot each other but from the neck down. Trying to teach the six year old on moving quietly and keeping your eyes moving for your next target, and while knowing your gun is loaded are great 'training' examples. Granted, they will have to lose some of these practices with real gun scenarios, but I think they are getting a basic idea.

BOB.
My youngest (6) got everything the older two did with the following exclusions: waterproof matches, multi-tool, magnesium fire starter, locking fold out knife, etc.

Sorry to ramble, I am by no means an authority on child behavior, so please take all this as simply opinion and simple examples of one parent to another. :)

Take care.

[1Admin]

IMO, kids will listen if you don't get all wishy washy and let them do stupid stuff and run the house. But they are like wild dogs, once they smell that you aren't 100% serious about discipline, forgetaboutit... And that means immediate discipline, not this BS counting/math practice non sense.

That doesn't mean you have to go batshiite on them every time they screw up either, that's the opposite end of the spectrum.

I think Scripture gives us all the info we need to know when it says -

"TRAIN up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he won't depart from it."

It doesn't say "let a child run amok" or "scream at a child about the way he should go."

A lot less CORRECTION is necessary if training is done by the parents. When you really think about it, you have to spend energy one of two ways- either Correcting and disciplining or TRAINING. I'd rather spend the time up front in training.

It's like the Dave Ramsey deal about getting out of debt- "Live like no one else, so that later you can live like no one else." If you pay attention to correct training now, head off the little stuff and even the "that was so cute" types of rebellion, LATER you can "live like no one else" when your not having to constantly correct and discipline your child. What actually happens is that later your child will notice and even later laugh about other children misbehaving. We made it a joking thing- we'd leave a store and laugh about the little brat we saw freaking out about not getting a toy, etc. After we joked about it a while, we would reinforce with a "thanks for not being a little piece of crap like that kid that pitched a fit in Walmart son." This usually makes him laugh more, but he does get the point ;)

[mosinfan]

my son had a bb gun at five years old.began teaching them no touching firearms when they were old enough to reach for them.
son began shooting at about eight.owed his own when he turned sixteen hunted with me at age ten.

in his and my years of hunting and target shooting we have never had an accident or a close call.thank god.

[monkeybird]

The best way to teach you child moral and ethics as well as appropriate behavior, is to live them. Children learn most from what they observe in their parents and grandparents.

My grandmother used say "you can't put an adult head on a child's body'. They understand real events, but don't realize the consequences. At one year of age, it you continue to say 'hot' to a child who wants to touch the stove and they will understand. Try that on a 6 month old and you will get nowhere. The child's ability to process information and to think logically grows as the child's body grows. I know some of you will disagree, but putting any gun into the hands of a two year old is dangerous. A two year can better learn from observing his parents respecting the power of the gun, and watching his parents follow gun safety rules.

Children are magical thinkers. They believe they can control things they do not. i.e. mommy and daddy are fighting, so it must be my fault. They do not have the ability to tie cause and effect together. Consequences are something that a young child cannot understand until they have experienced it. The child screaming at Walmart, should have been physically taken to the car and then home. In my day, a spanking would have been given. Granted, the adult might be inconvenienced by not getting their shopping done, but the child who is screaming for a toy must understand the consequences of pitching a fit in a store.

About 5 years ago, a prominent member of my community, had his teen age daughter spend the summer with him. On the first night, the 13 year old came down the stares dressed like a hooker, and announced, I'm going out. When the father told her she was not going anywhere dressed like that, the daughter starting screaming 'f---- you' and attempted to leave anyway. The father slapped her. The child ran upstairs, called her mother in another state, and then the two of them all HRS. THE FATHER WAS ARRESTED FOR FALONY CHILD ABUSE. Now, if my child had ever said those words to me, he'd have suffered much more than a slap. The poor deputies who were call to the home, were embarrassed to be arresting a parent from trying to discipline his child.

I guess the moral to all this is you must set the example very early in the child's life, and don't expect you young children to think like an adult.

[Klayton]

Well, first the legal disclaimer: I do NOT give any suggestions for someone else to "arm" a child that is not of legal age to purchase a gun. That being said (LOL), my father bought each of his kids at birth a gun (as did I for mine) I got a 44-40, little brother got a 12ga shotgun, and baby brother got a nice semi-auto 22 rifle (Dad said money was tight when he came around, LOL). We could look at them, and touch them in the presence of Dad, could brag to friends that they were OUR GUNS. But as for firing, that was reserved for age 8. Most things my parents did were based on age. Not saying that is good or bad, but that is what they did, and we all turned out pretty darn good in my book. So I do the same for my kids.

I actually fired a real gun, years before ever firing a BB/pellet gun. My dad did NOT like BB guns, said too many people shoot at things that allowed the BB to ricochet back and take their eye out. I didn't think too much about this, until my nephew shot his BB gun at a piece of paper he taped to the side of their metal shed. YOU GOT IT, RICOCHET! and took out his mother's left eye. My sister-in-law was ugly before, but now, well CYCLOPS ugly is always uglier than normal ugly. :)

[Boyd]

Much like your boy, mine learned on Nerf guns till he was 5 years old, then I started weaning him off on a lever action daisy bb gun. He's now going on 11 and has a .22 and 20 gauge he can shoot when we are together, as well as numerous pellet and bb guns available. This year he is starting on pistol work with the pellet gun with .22 cal pellets and c02 cartridges. So far so good (crossing fingers). From an early age he learned about 2 dangerous tools. Fire and guns. He has experienced both with supervision and has no interest in "playing" with them. He isn't against the idea of going out back and wacking a squirrel for dinner, because for some reason, he likes the taste more than I do ... :thud

[Mikeg175]

I am new to parenthood , but I have helped raise quite a few children in my time . I was always laughed at by friends and family when I explained that raising children was like raising a puppy . They said it was no comparison and that when I have children I would see . Well I have an awesome son and and a great 7 month old Chesapeake Bay retriever ( both hyper and drive each other nuts ) 8 yr old black lab and a 6 yr old shepherd . I always felt that consistency and discipline are/were key to both puppies and children , you have to house break both , teach both to learn no means no and they both need to have manners when people come calling . I take my 2 yr old places and all my friends/family marvel at how well behaved he is and I just laugh and let them know I used the shock collar on him ( big joke btw ) to make him listen . I believe kids/dogs should be well trained and properly skilled to deal with all situations . I let him explore and think and use his mind and think about to make something work , if he doesn't use his words or ask politely he gets nothing . He will ask if Ant Leenda ( aunt Linda ) can come for POP POP ( which is making popcorn in old fashioned popper , where you see it ) and then I hand him the phone and he will hit the green button after I dial in the number and ask her to come over for pop pop . He knows not to touch the machine once it gets going or he can get burned , he knows the difference between , hot cold and warm lol . He knows to not touch anything in the safe or on the work bench .

I just think that by teaching kids and yes even dogs to act properly and how to handle anything including ( not dogs ) guns , knives , matches and so forth they can have a much more rewarding life , because I/we will be able to give them more freedom by teaching them responsibilities . So I will stockpile a nice .22 and ton of ammo ( is cheap and small ) so when he is of age , he can go plink some cans . I think I will get it now and keep it safe , in case I cant get it later .

On a different note , I was all ready working with my lawyer about putting all my weapons and gear in trust to him , but then JWR suggested it . I would recommend that to anyone with child that you would like to pass things on to , especially in case they make some stupid laws later , he would have ownership to supersede most new laws .

[Urban Survivalist]

I got my son a BB gun at 5. however he was helping me make shotgun shells and reload ammo at almost 4. Show them how guns work and explain what happens when they are used right and what happens when they are used wrong. The other day my buddy was over for dinner and we were talking about reloading shotgun ammo. I showed him my MEC 600 jr and he say's "this looks like more than i want to take on". I called my 5 year old in to the reloading room and handed him a shotgun hull. My son jumped into the chair and about 20 seconds later he handed me a completed 20 ga. loaded with 7 1/2 shot and the crimp was perfect. My buddy looks at me and says "well crap looks like I'm going to buy a reloader soon. Back to the question, It's all in the parenting. be patient and teach them they love to learn at that age.

[610Alpha]

Great topic, I have an almost 3 year old son and a 16 month daughter. Sometimes I am tempted with the shock collar (the boy just doesn't listen), which tells me that I didn't listen much as a boy. So if anyone has any tips on getting a son to listen to Dad when he says no he means no, I am here to learn afterall. I discipline him when he isn't compliant but good grief. My daughter is also the same way. She has a stubborn streak in her a mile wide, just like her mom :). I guess when I think about it, it is a lot like how God wants us to hear his voice when he tells us yes and no, so I am trying to get that relationship with my kids so that they know I have their best interest in mind and I am protecting them and developing them for things to come. Trying to get that across to a 3 year old boy who is wound up tighter than an 8 day clock is tough!!

As far as when they should get their hands on a bb gun and all that, depends on the kid, and you will know when they are ready. Mine are not ready, son still shines my flashlight in my eyes even though he knows it gives my eyes an owy (sp) :)

I was 8 or 9 for the bb gun, 10 when I shot a .410, and 12 when I got my 20 ga.

[slingshot]

Hey Mikeg175! I'm proud of you for even being interested in teaching your kid anything! At least you haven't abdicated your responsibility to the school system. Years ago I taught school (had to quit that, almost starved!) I remember one time at a PTA meeting a little girl kept disrupting the meeting, being a general pain in the butt, until just about everybody there wanted to strangle her! Her mother had told her, "Quit it, now I mean it," about 40 times. The little brat paid her no mind, completely ignored her mother. Then the mother just turned around, gave up on making the brat mind, and said, "Oh well, she'll learn better when she gets in school." Now that's abdicating parental responsibility to the school system. I'm glad I changed jobs before that little demon made it to my class. I would have ended up in jail. So that's why I say kudos to you, and all the other parents that have responded on this thread, for stepping up to raise their children properly by teaching them all manners of life skills.

[Klayton]

I have found with my children psychology is a must. We are the adults, they are the children. OUTSMART THEM!!! My daughter, now almost 2.5 has learned when Dad says come here it means NOW, NOW, NOW... It wasn't like this at 18 mths old. She was the typical baby, I can walk, and I can say NO. So using psychology, I would not broadcast if I was going somewhere (cause she always wants to go) so I would call her and if she said NO or didnt come instantly, I would announce aloud "OK Daddy is going to the store, bye baby, I love you!" (of course coordination with Mom is very important) and would as fast as I could leave the house and go. It took her less than a month to realize, when Dad says come here, he means NOW! :)

Just one example, but we are the adults, and they are the children, at this age we can outsmart them and easily get away with it. :)

[610Alpha]

Excellent tip Klayton +100. My wife will be coming home from work soon (she will be staying home with the kids) so we will be able to focus more on these issues together.