Kids, home alone guns or no guns?

[brewguy]

reading the backpack thread got me thinking.

Once you decide your kids are old enough to leave home alone do you leave them access to a firearm in case something happens?

[billamj]

IMHO that would depend on the child. If they have shown that they are mature enough to deal with the responsibility then I don't see why they couldn't know where the weapons and ammunition are stored. Especially if they understand that they will have to answer to you if they screw around with them and that is over and above anyone else that they will have to answer to.

ETA: Once they've had the proper training of course.

[knight0334]

Each kid is different...

My brother, my cousins and I were raised with guns stuffed in the seat cushions of the couch, on the kitchen counter, or where ever.. They were just another tool, and just as commonly found laying around the house as a screw driver. ...none of us shot ourselves. But that was us, and that was a different time..

When Teeny's son lived with me(us), there was always a loaded shotgun or pistol available "just in case". However I personally showed him how to load, unload, use and handle them. And tested him a couple times by leaving him alone with them - but hid to watch him. He passed with flying colors when he thought he wasn't being watched. The 4 years he lived with us, there was never an issue. Even the common guns that were left out for home defense - he nearly always asked first to handle them. And my private stash he ALWAYS asked permission first, even at the range.

It all depends on the kid in question and sometimes the law of the land. There are some kids that shouldn't have access to them until they are of retirement age. Then others at the age of 4-5yo area far cry better with safety and use of them than the guy teaching at the $200pr hr tactical training center.

[normanvin]

its not my kids i am concerned about. they already own more guns then most adults i know. i

t is thier friends that i keep an eye on. i have taught my kids that no one needs to know what arms are in our house. not teachers not doctors not niebhors or thier friends.

once the kids are old enough to move out i will give them the choice to store thier guns in my safe or buy them a safe for thier own residence.

[brewguy]

So yes you leave guns at home for protection.

how old are your kids?

its not my kids i am concerned about. they already own more guns then most adults i know. i

t is thier friends that i keep an eye on. i have taught my kids that no one needs to know what arms are in our house. not teachers not doctors not niebhors or thier friends.

once the kids are old enough to move out i will give them the choice to store thier guns in my safe or buy them a safe for thier own residence.

[normanvin]

So yes you leave guns at home for protection.

how old are your kids?

they don't have direct access.

i am more concerned with thier friends coming and going. if that makes sense. with the flow of friends you never know who was where. i believe it could lead to problems if one of thier "friends" came across one and it wanders off.

i do trust my boys. not so sure of thier friends. who knows what the friends parents had imprinted on them.

my boys are 16, 18, 21.

[brewguy]

It sounds like most of you are keeping them someone out of site.

The reason I wanted to know is, most of us have a gun ready when we are at home. If we leave the wife has one and we know she is safe. I don't have a kid yet but I know when I was not that old I stayed home alone, at least for a little bit. I didn't have any protection.

Seeing events that take place these days makes me think perhaps when my kids are old enough to stay home they should be armed. The same that me or their mother would be. At 16 I'm pretty certain they would, at that age I knew where the guns were and could have gotten one in an instant. I'm thinking along the ages of 10-12.

I don't know if I could live with myself if someone got in the house and hurt them because they had no way to defend themselves.. maybe a big can of pepper spray would be a better option. Of coarse the dogs would eat any intruders before the kid could spray them so it's probably a non issue.

[LorDiego01]

Leave them guns available to defend themselves should the need arise. But put the fear of god into them about "playing" with any of the guns.

[MarcS]

i'm glad someone else here reads maddox

[knight0334]

Leave them guns available to defend themselves should the need arise. But put the fear of god into them about "playing" with any of the guns.

Amen...

Thats what mom and dad did to us, and thats how I do things today.