November 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 15
Guns in your house? Time for a talk with your kids
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
If your children are anything like
mine, they are constantly asking
for playdates or wanting to go to
their friends’ houses. When they
were younger, I’d make the call or
chat with the other parent to find a
time, place, etc. We might discuss
food allergies or drop off times, but
there is one question I’ve never
asked: “Do you have guns in your
home?” I just never thought of it!
And … I was a little embarrassed
to ask. We have guns in our home,
yet no one has ever asked us about
them.
According to federal statistics,
about 40 percent of American
households have guns. In Eastern
Oregon, I bet the average is even
higher. My husband and boys came
home with four pheasants just the
other day. Now that it’s a fairly
Strategies
common occurrence to use the
guns for hunting, we have to be
much more careful about storing
them and being safe with them.
We have a gun safe in our house.
The boys have BB guns and pellet
guns. My husband has taught the
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kids how to hold the guns – barrel
down or straight up – and to re-
spect them as deadly weapons.
However, it seems as though
we’ve missed the mark (pun intend-
ed) when it comes to guns in other
people’s homes. What are we miss-
ing when it comes to gun safety?
The responsibility of firearm
safety lies directly in the hands of
the parents and the gun owner. If
you own a gun (or guns), keep them
locked up in a place inaccessible to
children. The key should be stored
separately, as well as the ammuni-
tion.
If you plan on allowing your chil-
dren to hunt or be around hunters,
a hunter safety course is a must.
Gun safety is included in what’s
covered in these courses.
And how do you talk to your kids
about guns? They’re in video games
and all over TV and movies. It’s
never too early to start, so as soon
as your children see them, that’s
the time to start talking, whether or
not you keep them in your house.
Talk about the differences between
real and toy guns, about the dif-
ference between pretend and real
life. Some readers may try to keep
toy guns out of your home. Frankly,
my boys can make a gun out of a
peanut butter sandwich, so that’s
a losing battle for us. When you set
up a play date, and you don’t know
if they have guns, just ask. And
don’t be afraid to check if they’re
locked up.
Make sure toy guns look like
toys and teach gun “etiquette.” We
never point guns at faces or heads,
and never at someone who isn’t
playing. If they’re handling real
guns, they should always act like
they are loaded and act as though
the safety can fail at any time.
Be sure your children know what
to do if they come across a gun
in someone else’s house or at the
park (or anywhere). For younger
kids, start online by visiting eddie-
eagle.nra.org. It’s a politics-free
zone that teaches kids about gun
safety with a cute video. They’ve
created a catch phrase similar to
stop, drop, and roll. It’s Stop, Don’t
Touch, Run Away, Tell a Grown-up.
When the kids get to be middle
school or high school age, keep
talking. Ask about their friends
and their friends’ parents. Be clear
with your expectations. Tell them
what you expect them to do if their
friends talk about guns or show
them a gun. Removing the mystery
makes them far less curious and
more likely to follow the rules.
Time for me to get back to the
nerf gun war in my hallway!
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former middle
school teacher who lives in Pend-
leton with her husband and three
children.