This is just to get some or your ideas and personal experience on how you go about teaching children about firearms.
My three children are now grown and have families of their own, but when they were growing up I felt very strongly about teaching them that there were firearms in the home, and they needed to be familiar with them and their operation, and comfortable around them. I strongly disagree with hiding them from kids as I feel that if found by them it just increases their curiosity. I personally wanted them to be fully aware of them and for them to see, personally fire them and experience the destruction that they are capable of. I used gallon jugs filled with water, and cans to demonstrate for them.
Life has moved on for me and I am involved with another woman now that still has younger children living here at home; a 12 year old boy and 14 year old girl. As before, I let my g/f know that if there are going to be firearms in the home the kids are going to know and learn about them. She is ok with all of this. Our problem is her daughter doesn't want to shoot any of the firearms. The .22 is the caliber of choice for us teaching her but she absolutely refuses. She has no problem watching us target shoot and being around them but doesn't want to participate in actually firing. I don't want to push her but I am also with this frame of mind that "It's not really a matter of choice whether you want to or not, but rather you need to" in case of a situation ever happens like we recently read with the 12 year old girl from Oklahoma who successfully defended herself with a firearm while home alone. At this point in time I am not going to push her with hopes that its just some personal apprehension that she is experiencing. I am hoping that she will eventually see the amount of fun we are having and she will eventually ask to shoot. This is my hope. I still firmly believe that she needs to know proper handling, operation, and firing the firearm.
Your thoughts?
