Sitting outside between classes the other day, a friend of mine asked me a question that bothered me. She needed my advice because her little boy's daycare had talked to her about a problem with her son that they wanted her to fix and she was unsure what to do about it. He is not even two years old yet and is not allowed to watch violent television shows, nor does he own any toy guns. She and her husband don't own guns and don't watch adult television or movies if he is around but he seems to have learned about them from somewhere.
The little guy had put two blocks together and was pretending they were a gun. Running around and saying "bang-bang, POW". He had pointed it at another child and said "bang-bang" and run off to play some more. There was really no obvious point to the game but apparently the staff at his daycare were very concerned and this was why they confronted my friend.
It all just brought to mind not too long ago when a 5 year old boy was suspended from school for playing cowboys and indians or some such game because there was "gun play" involved. A child's innocent game is becoming a way for adults to take out their paranoia on the next generation of society. Yes, danger is out there and yes, children learn young, but the catch is teaching them right from wrong. By over reacting to simple child's play, you make it into something it isn't and affect how that child views things for the rest of their lives. By making guns so evil and horrible and taboo... it becomes something alluring to a teenager that is trying to rebel. If you teach a child responsibility and right from wrong (You don't play with real guns. Don't point a gun at a person. This is a toy which is completely different from the real thing.) than they understand that responsibility and it becomes just another part of life. It becomes mundane, everyday, not exciting.
They have no reason to sneak out their parents gun then. They don't care about it if its not exciting.
Little Boys and Their Toys
By goosegirl - Posted on April 3rd, 2008
I think the trick isn't to sheild them from all references to guns and violence, although I agree that two is too young to see people on tv being murdered for the sake of entertainment. In addition to knowing that guns are bed, he should understand that in movies when people are shot, they come out from it just fine. They are not actually getting shot. However, when you shoot someone in real life, they are often killed, and always injured. Most importantly, he needs to learn productive games. It doesn't have to be house, or even any game of pretend, although that is what a lot of kids enjoy. Simple things such as tag or board games.
I agree with you goosegirl. Kids are going to learn about guns either way. I learned plenty of stuff from friends and other places, not my parents. I don't see any harm in kids playing pretend, even if its cops and robbers. But they do need to know the difference between whats real and what's not , like Misnomer said. The schools are taking it a little over board. But you also have to understand that schools are being bombed and shot up everywhere. School officials are afraid they are breading school bombers. So i could see where they are gettting at.
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