As common as gun-related accidents are, it’s tempting to keep your children mostly in the dark about guns and how they work. This is a huge mistake. While we’re not saying you should train a small child how to be a gun expert, you should still teach your children some basic gun safety. Here are some tips that can help with that, brought to you by the firearms safety education professionals from Gun Safety Training Pros, your premier choice for expert gun training online.
Start Young
Children who are exposed to guns in some way or another usually start to show interest between the ages of 3 and 7. They might see a parent cleaning a gun, or they might have played with toy guns. In any case, young children should be taught that guns aren’t toys. Teach them to never point a gun at something they don’t want to destroy, treat all guns as if they’re loaded, and never leave a gun lying around.
If your child does show interest in actually learning how to shoot a gun, start out with BB guns or airsoft guns. These guns can do some damage if they’re not used responsibly, but they won’t do nearly as much damage as a real gun.
Teach Basic Gun Maintenance
As you’re teaching your children about guns and gun safety, don’t be afraid to teach them a little bit about gun maintenance. Go over the parts of a gun and how firearms should be cleaned and stored. This will instill good habits if your children do take an interest in guns and shooting, but it will also demystify guns in their minds and make them less likely to glamorize firearms.
Supervise All Gun Usage
Children are usually ready to fire a live gun between the ages of 8 and 14. Once your children reach this point and want to go hunting or to a shooting range, supervise them at all times. Teach them how they should properly care for their firearms and their ammunition, and make sure they’re using good form when they shoot.
Most importantly, reiterate all the gun safety tips you’ve told them before: keep their guns pointed in a safe direction when they aren’t being used, don’t point at anything they aren’t willing to destroy, and always assume a gun is loaded, and always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. All of this goes a long way toward teaching your children to respect guns and the power they can have. They can enjoy themselves when they go hunting or to a shooting range with you, but that respect should always be reinforced.
If you have any kind of firearm your children could possibly come into contact with, your most important priority is teaching them about gun safety. Gun Safety Training Pros is committed to providing the best firearms education possible. If you want to learn more about the essential aspects of safe firearms ownership and gun handling, contact us today at [email protected].
