[Danny Muj]

Tons of good stuff for us dads to consider on this thread (stuff that doesn't age since 2004). I've only just begun developing our own "gun SOP" for our home as the kids are now a bit older and we'll soon be in a place that allows guns.

I heard something last night though, that had never crossed my mind. Whether or not allowing our kids to play with toy guns helps or hinders in our quest to raise gun-savvy kids.

A Marine was relating a childhood memory to me of how he was forbidden from playing with TOY guns or making makeshift "guns" out of sticks, PVC pipes etc. (a near impossible request of any boy, I imagine).

His father's theory was that his exposure to guns would be supervised by himself 100% of the time and that allowing his son to play with TOY guns would detract from building and reinforcing good weapons handling habits. So he forbade it. His son's only exposure to guns would be feeling the recoil on the range, hearing the muffled blast through his earpro and seeing the gaping, bloody hole it could leave in a game animal and so on.

Although my dad raised me with guns nearly the same way, I was not prohibited from playing with TOY guns. I want to be careful, however, in assuming that my own experience as a youngster is the BEST thing for my kids.

(Caveat. I'm referring to inappropriate toy gunplay (shooting people), not playing Davy Crockett fending off a bear)

Still undecided on this one.