Firearm Safety & Your Kids
Firearm safety to law-abiding gun owners seems cut and dry but the reality is it can be easy to become complacent and relaxed with the rules. This should never be the case and it should definitely never happen with children in the environment.
The spark for this post was earlier today, we came across a post on Facebook and saw that, this past week, a father had left his firearm within reach of his 11-year old son. His son accessed the gun and started playing with it and accidentally shot himself in the head. His son is now fighting for his life and we hope he has a speedy recovery.
The sad part about this is that the accident was entirely PREVENTABLE.
At any time, as a gun owner, it’s always mandatory to follow the universal rules of firearm safety. However, when children are entered into this equation, the responsibility increases. A parent must always model responsible behavior to convey the importance of safe gun handling whenever the firearm is in view of a child.
Open age-appropiate dialogue with your children about guns may help to eliminate the mystery and sometimes the intrigue of firearms. It also gives the parent the opportunity to explain necessary safety precautions on the front end. It’s a great opportunity to talk about the child’s general safety, the rules of firearms, and what they should do when they come into contact with unsupervised firearms.
Regardless of how one may feel about the NRA, their child gun safety program, The Eddie Eagle GunSafe program is one of the best available.
They teach that whenever your child sees an unsupervised gun, he/she must:
STOP!
DON’T TOUCH.
RUN AWAY.
TELL A GROWN UP.
Other points to make known to your children are that REAL guns are not toys and they should NEVER be played with. And that real guns are DANGEROUS. Despite the movies they watch or the video games they play, it is important for children to know that a real gun can permanently injure or kill someone.
And with all of that being said, it is still not enough to simply rely on educating your child. The rest falls on the shoulders of the parent because we all know that we can ask, beg, and plead with a child and that it is ultimately up to the child whether they will follow what they have been taught.
As a gun owner, it is still VITAL to make sure that your firearms are stored properly away from the reach of unauthorized users, especially kids. An individual’s particular situation will cause some people to store their firearms differently than others. There are multiple storage devices and safety devices available that will undoubtedly work perfect for any individual’s situation.
It’s important to continue your great habits and to not let your great habits fall by the wayside. One thing for sure is that children notice everything and they will also notice when you become relaxed with how you carry and store your firearm around them.
We don’t get any second chances in life so let’s get it right the first time.
