Gun Safety with Children

Lately, there have been numerous counts of gun related tragedies in the United States. While many of these occurrences are accidental, a good place to start is by educating your children on the importance of gun safety to prevent any accidents.

Top Five Tips for Gun Safety Around Children

Owning a firearm can be a means of protection, but with kids in the house it is important to set boundaries and rules. Blocking off access to any firearms is best for everyone that resides in that household. Tell your child that guns are not to be played with and can cause serious injuries to people who play with them.

Whether you don’t own any guns or you have mentioned not to play with firearms to your children, it is important to acknowledge there may be some in other peoples’ households that they go to. Ask if any of your child’s friends have access to the guns in their house. You should speak to their parents about the safety that is implemented in their house so you know how safe your child is when they stay at their friend’s places. Be sure to remind your child that it is not ok to play with guns at their own home or at others’.

Oftentimes, adults allude to the correlation of violent movies with violent behavior, which is accurate. It’s a good idea to monitor what your children watch as it can affect the way they act towards others. Nowadays, it can be hard to control what children see on different medias but a conversation is a good place to start. You can also set up parental controls on your TV and computer at home so that your kids can’t watch violent content.

It’s natural to think younger kids are more likely to get in trouble with guns, but it’s common that teenagers are likely to explore with firearms. Teens are known for their reckless and impulsive behavior which can take a turn for the worse when guns become involved. The older the children are, the more secretive they can become. Make sure to talk to your teenager about the consequences they could face if caught with firearms or the devastating effects that misused firearms have.

Instead of having one big conversation about gun safety in your home, it is key to keep it a constant topic between you and your child. Be open and allow your child to come to you with any questions that might arise so they can feel comfortable talking about firearms with you and adults.

Getting Help

These tips are helpful for educating your children about gun safety. Gun violence is unpredictable at times, which can be frightening to parents. Contact me for more information about ways in which you could take preventative measures to protect your children.