![\"FN](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Tabor-and-andrew.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>FN America’s Tabor Bright, working with a junior shooter at a side match event. Side matches are events incorporated into competitions, designed to both showcase guns and introduce new shooters in a friendly, one-on-one environment.<\/p><\/div>\n
The Series<\/h2>\n\n- The Basics<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Storage<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Teaching <\/span><\/li>\n
- Rimfire<\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Hunting <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Competitive Shooting <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Shotguns<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pistols<\/span><\/li>\n
- Revolvers<\/span><\/li>\n
- Older kids \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Tactical Kids<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How I Grew Up<\/h2>\n
I grew up the way many of you likely did, which is to say guns were a part of my day-to-day life. \u00a0They were in the gun cabinet, stored in the safe, over the mantel of the fireplace, basically, all around the house.<\/p>\n
But for many out there, I recognize that guns are not woven into the fabric of their lives<\/em>, to borrow a refrain from that old cotton commercial<\/a>. \u00a0Unlike myself, those unfamiliar with firearms may never consider buying one for a son or daughter’s birthday or as a keepsake wedding gift. \u00a0These folks may even see guns as dangerous and unnecessary.<\/p>\nYet, I am of the opinion that every child should learn basic gun safety, even if their parents are staunch gun-control proponents. \u00a0Why do I believe this? \u00a0Why should every child be educated on how to safely and responsibly use firearms?<\/p>\n
Why Teach Guns?<\/h2>\n
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free… it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n![\"Dean](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/dean-and-katie-pistol-400x268.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>Dean DeTurk, instructing at the MGM Junior camp<\/a> while Katie Francis <\/a>\u00a0shoots pistol.<\/p><\/div>\nI\u2019m going to start first with the “why.” \u00a0Why we can’t foster ignorance. \u00a0Why every child should be taught\u00a0what a firearm is and how to use it. \u00a0The main reason is safety.<\/p>\n
We teach kids about fire, and have fire drills, but we still let them use the stove. \u00a0We teach them about the dangers of drowning, yet they can still enjoy swimming in a pool. \u00a0We teach them not to play in the street, but we still let them drive cars when they turn 16.<\/p>\n
My point is there are many tools and resources in our lives that require teaching in order for one to safely coexist with them. Even if a child doesn’t pump\u00a0gas at the gas station, they know not to light matches around a gas pump. \u00a0It’s common sense and basic safety. \u00a0Guns are another tool. \u00a0A tool for good; to help us hunt and eat, to help us farm and protect livestock, to help police and military do their jobs. \u00a0They’re also a tool for sport and fun. When you think about it, guns have as much necessity as do power tools, cars, pools, gas, electricity. They\u2019re inventions that have made our lives better, but they do hold power. \u00a0A power that must be both respected and protected.<\/p>\n
Elephants Never forget! <\/b><\/h2>\n
Respected and protected. That\u2019s the elephant in the room for most people who don\u2019t hold guns in a positive regard. \u00a0They might recognize the power of a firearm out of a sense of fear but not place it in the proper context so they can respect both what that power can do physically, and what that power stands for. \u00a0The potential power of firearms\u00a0and the potential power they hold is not just in the single round each is capable of firing, it is in the potential that all guns and gun owners collectively represent. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nComing to grips with that potential power is what is at the heart of our country\u2019s struggle with firearms ownership. \u00a0People who oppose guns look only at the power they fear and not at the power they represent. \u00a0Our very existence as a nation was basically purchased with musket balls and blackpowder. \u00a0We can\u2019t cover up that truth no more than we can cover up the graves in Arlington of those who fought and died for it. \u00a0And when we stop respecting the purchase of freedom made by our forefathers, we are in danger of losing that freedom. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhen Americans, as a collective, hold in high regard the power to arm and protect themselves from those who would take their freedoms, we are recognizing and honoring our history. \u00a0Teaching our children about that history is part of educating them about firearms. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t have to be a lesson in tyranny and philosophy, but a simple explanation\u00a0that while we have tools that make life better, those same tools also made this life possible, which is a life free from oppression and suffering, a life people in other parts of the world still do not have. \u00a0Freedom and peace were purchased at a price and if we forget that, we fail not only our children\u00a0but those who gave their lives to build our country and to make this world a better place. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSo do not forget where your freedom came from. \u00a0Even if you don\u2019t own a gun, your freedom was fought for with one and defended by one. \u00a0And you owe it to your children to teach them history, to teach them why people were able to carve out a life and build a country that has used that freedom to help others in need, to keep not only us free but to free oppressed people all over the world. <\/span><\/p>\nCuriosity And Cats… Kids Are NOT Cats!<\/b><\/h2>\n![\"Lena](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/20160622_1711041-400x225.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>Lena Miculek<\/a>, instructing juniors on the finer points of how to properly grip a pistol at the 2A Heritage Junior Camp<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\nWhile you owe it to your kids to give them a foundation on which to build an understanding of gun ownership, to teach them history, they\u2019re not going to retain much if it\u2019s boring. \u00a0Books get boring, and sooner or later kids are going to ask about the guns in the safe, not just the ones in books. \u00a0That\u2019s why we need to teach them. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhen children are old enough to start asking about guns, it\u2019s an appropriate time to start teaching safety. \u00a0Kill the curiosity by satisfying it. <\/span>Be careful that you\u2019re not teaching a toddler how to access your safe, watch them like a hawk, but show them safe firearms handling skills. \u00a0Teach them that they need to make sure a firearm is unloaded before they handle it, along with the other basic rules<\/a>. \u00a0Teach them that it\u2019s like checking both ways before they cross the street. \u00a0It should be so second nature, we shouldn\u2019t have to say it. \u00a0You should recite the rules as you access guns when kids are around. \u00a0Make them hyper-aware of what you are doing, what is happening, and why you\u2019re doing it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nKids need recitation. \u00a0Malcom Gladwell’s book \u201cThe Tipping Point\u201d highlights the need for an idea to reach a saturation point before it takes hold. \u00a0And safety rules are similar. You need to repeat them until they are not just memorized in your head, but in your actions. \u00a0The entire educational model of some curriculums in teaching builds off repetition, and children need it. \u00a0They might hear you say something 1,000 times before they really understand it. \u00a0But a very basic model I use in teaching is: 1. Tell them what you are going to teach them, 2. Teach it to them, and 3. Tell them what you taught them<\/strong>. \u00a0So every lesson has, in a sense, three repetitions. Even if you don\u2019t own a gun, you should learn how to handle or be around them safely. \u00a0You might not drive a car, but you know not to run into traffic. Guns should be given that same respect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Larry](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/larry--400x278.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>Larry Houk, working with a youngster on pistol shooting skills and safety.<\/p><\/div>\n
Those who teach shooting and firearms safety tend to\u00a0hold strong beliefs. One of the instructors I’ve worked with at junior camps, Larry Houk, says that he believes “the one thing that can be taught early is take the curiosity out of it. Kids by nature are curious, it’s how they learn and if they are told ‘you can’t see it or touch it’, they will then attempt to find the time when you are not around to certainly check it out.”<\/span><\/p>\nSo, to answer the “why” – it’s about fulfilling curiosity. Parent, instructor, and professional shooter Tommy Thacker says that “for those who are just curious…you fulfill that need, then they are finished. There is no need to search them(guns) out and figure it out on their own. For those who want more it is the early introduction that sets them up for future growth and development in the shooting sports. Earlier the better.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cBut Mom, Mom, Mom…When Mom?\u201d <\/b><\/h2>\n
So we\u2019ve got the why down but what about the “when,” more specifically, “what age”? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAgain, parents who are passionate enough to instruct children in firearms safety have some answers for us. \u00a0Tommy says that the “when is very subjective and I don\u2019t think there is a clear cut age answer here. I believe this one revolves around the child and their overall level of development and practical understanding of what is involved with firearms. With my kids I had one that was ready to learn a great deal by 4 and then another that I didn\u2019t want to do anything past safety and ‘curiosity removal’ as Larry stated until 6. I personally believe early safety and familiarity will be beneficial to all children. I grew up with firearms safety and hunting safety as a part of health class. This is how it should be. ” \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\nAnd guns in schools is not something that’s a phenomenon of the distant past. \u00a0I competed in smallbore rifle (late 80’s\/early 90’s) and we went to high schools and shot events in gyms. \u00a0Fast forward to 2016 and everyone\u2019s read stories about kids being sent home from school for pretending to play with a gun, but what if we put our sanity goggles on, and asked a few questions. \u00a0For example, what if a kid pretend-plays they\u2019re baking with a gas stove. \u00a0What, oh yeah, we call that make believe, and we encourage it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Professions:](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Lena-and-Ashley-300x300.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>Professions: Why shouldn’t aspiring to be a professional shooter be as normal as a chef? Shooters, Lena Miculek<\/a> and Ashley Rheurk <\/a>hamming it up the night before a big match.<\/p><\/div>\nHow about make believing they\u2019re a race car driver? \u00a0Yep, we\u2019d allow that but cars kill every day. \u00a0They are much more likely to injure your child than a gun<\/a>, but you send them to classes to learn about them before you let them drive. \u00a0So why isn\u2019t firearms education mandatory in schools? \u00a0Why do we have schools teaching welding and drivers ed., but not firearms safety?<\/span> I believe it’s a mistake for schools to pick and chose which tools it teaches – to ignore some while focussing to extremes on others. It’s creating a warped sense of reality, building generations of youth who can tell you that they have the right to say whatever they want, but don’t understand the tools that were used to secure and defend that right.<\/p>\nMake believing is one of the markers of children\u2019s psychological development. \u00a0An ability to pretend play shows they\u2019re able to process real vs. not real;\u00a0it\u2019s a way to work through situations, to prep for life. \u00a0Don\u2019t take my word on it, I\u00a0spent time doing research under professors in college, one\u00a0who has years of research on the subject of imagination and healing, and in his writing, Dr. Anees Sheikh draws out one key point on this subject – \u00a0if your child\u00a0can pretend play about real world situations, they\u2019re building and testing a framework to process and deal with life. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSo make-believe play, whether with toy cars, toy stoves, guns, it\u2019s all part of life and the tools we come across in it.. Those Nerf guns kids love, my boys used them as a way of introducing firearms safety. \u00a0They learned about not pointing it at anything they don\u2019t want to hurt. \u00a0You can teach basic firearms safety concepts. \u00a0Retired Tulsa, OK police officer Dianna Muller<\/a>\u00a0says that toy guns can serve a purpose. \u00a0Kids can learn how to\u00a0\u201cKeep your finger off the trigger, don’t point it at people.” \u00a0You still need to figure out an appropriate age to start expecting them to be conscientious of it, but it’s a good place to start and determine if they are ready to head to the range.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRecipe for Success<\/b><\/h2>\n
So we\u2019re through the why and when, but now we need to discuss the “how”? <\/span><\/p>\nFirst, figure out the goal. If it\u2019s just to make sure the kids are comfortable, safe, and able to handle being around guns, then lots of talking, lots of incorporating firearms safety into everyday life. \u00a0You need them to know what to do when they encounter guns, and how to be safe when they do. \u00a0While you might teach them safe handling skills from early on, others might not. \u00a0So one of your goals should be to give them a solid framework for keeping not only themselves safe, but those around them.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter decades of shooting, and participating in action shooting sports, I firmly believe that exposure to guns in competition is a valuable\u00a0teaching tool, with so many safety layers built in, that if your kids\u00a0took part,\u00a0for even a short time, their gun handling skills would become cemented as lifelong habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Armalite](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/tara-and-greg-e1467569438365-400x264.jpg\" "\\"Kids")
<\/a>
How I Grew Up<\/h2>\n
I grew up the way many of you likely did, which is to say guns were a part of my day-to-day life. \u00a0They were in the gun cabinet, stored in the safe, over the mantel of the fireplace, basically, all around the house.<\/p>\n
But for many out there, I recognize that guns are not woven into the fabric of their lives<\/em>, to borrow a refrain from that old cotton commercial<\/a>. \u00a0Unlike myself, those unfamiliar with firearms may never consider buying one for a son or daughter’s birthday or as a keepsake wedding gift. \u00a0These folks may even see guns as dangerous and unnecessary.<\/p>\n Yet, I am of the opinion that every child should learn basic gun safety, even if their parents are staunch gun-control proponents. \u00a0Why do I believe this? \u00a0Why should every child be educated on how to safely and responsibly use firearms?<\/p>\n “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free… it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Dean DeTurk, instructing at the MGM Junior camp<\/a> while Katie Francis <\/a>\u00a0shoots pistol.<\/p><\/div>\n I\u2019m going to start first with the “why.” \u00a0Why we can’t foster ignorance. \u00a0Why every child should be taught\u00a0what a firearm is and how to use it. \u00a0The main reason is safety.<\/p>\n We teach kids about fire, and have fire drills, but we still let them use the stove. \u00a0We teach them about the dangers of drowning, yet they can still enjoy swimming in a pool. \u00a0We teach them not to play in the street, but we still let them drive cars when they turn 16.<\/p>\n My point is there are many tools and resources in our lives that require teaching in order for one to safely coexist with them. Even if a child doesn’t pump\u00a0gas at the gas station, they know not to light matches around a gas pump. \u00a0It’s common sense and basic safety. \u00a0Guns are another tool. \u00a0A tool for good; to help us hunt and eat, to help us farm and protect livestock, to help police and military do their jobs. \u00a0They’re also a tool for sport and fun. When you think about it, guns have as much necessity as do power tools, cars, pools, gas, electricity. They\u2019re inventions that have made our lives better, but they do hold power. \u00a0A power that must be both respected and protected.<\/p>\n Respected and protected. That\u2019s the elephant in the room for most people who don\u2019t hold guns in a positive regard. \u00a0They might recognize the power of a firearm out of a sense of fear but not place it in the proper context so they can respect both what that power can do physically, and what that power stands for. \u00a0The potential power of firearms\u00a0and the potential power they hold is not just in the single round each is capable of firing, it is in the potential that all guns and gun owners collectively represent. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coming to grips with that potential power is what is at the heart of our country\u2019s struggle with firearms ownership. \u00a0People who oppose guns look only at the power they fear and not at the power they represent. \u00a0Our very existence as a nation was basically purchased with musket balls and blackpowder. \u00a0We can\u2019t cover up that truth no more than we can cover up the graves in Arlington of those who fought and died for it. \u00a0And when we stop respecting the purchase of freedom made by our forefathers, we are in danger of losing that freedom. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When Americans, as a collective, hold in high regard the power to arm and protect themselves from those who would take their freedoms, we are recognizing and honoring our history. \u00a0Teaching our children about that history is part of educating them about firearms. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t have to be a lesson in tyranny and philosophy, but a simple explanation\u00a0that while we have tools that make life better, those same tools also made this life possible, which is a life free from oppression and suffering, a life people in other parts of the world still do not have. \u00a0Freedom and peace were purchased at a price and if we forget that, we fail not only our children\u00a0but those who gave their lives to build our country and to make this world a better place. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So do not forget where your freedom came from. \u00a0Even if you don\u2019t own a gun, your freedom was fought for with one and defended by one. \u00a0And you owe it to your children to teach them history, to teach them why people were able to carve out a life and build a country that has used that freedom to help others in need, to keep not only us free but to free oppressed people all over the world. <\/span><\/p>\n Lena Miculek<\/a>, instructing juniors on the finer points of how to properly grip a pistol at the 2A Heritage Junior Camp<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n While you owe it to your kids to give them a foundation on which to build an understanding of gun ownership, to teach them history, they\u2019re not going to retain much if it\u2019s boring. \u00a0Books get boring, and sooner or later kids are going to ask about the guns in the safe, not just the ones in books. \u00a0That\u2019s why we need to teach them. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When children are old enough to start asking about guns, it\u2019s an appropriate time to start teaching safety. \u00a0Kill the curiosity by satisfying it. <\/span>Be careful that you\u2019re not teaching a toddler how to access your safe, watch them like a hawk, but show them safe firearms handling skills. \u00a0Teach them that they need to make sure a firearm is unloaded before they handle it, along with the other basic rules<\/a>. \u00a0Teach them that it\u2019s like checking both ways before they cross the street. \u00a0It should be so second nature, we shouldn\u2019t have to say it. \u00a0You should recite the rules as you access guns when kids are around. \u00a0Make them hyper-aware of what you are doing, what is happening, and why you\u2019re doing it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kids need recitation. \u00a0Malcom Gladwell’s book \u201cThe Tipping Point\u201d highlights the need for an idea to reach a saturation point before it takes hold. \u00a0And safety rules are similar. You need to repeat them until they are not just memorized in your head, but in your actions. \u00a0The entire educational model of some curriculums in teaching builds off repetition, and children need it. \u00a0They might hear you say something 1,000 times before they really understand it. \u00a0But a very basic model I use in teaching is: 1. Tell them what you are going to teach them, 2. Teach it to them, and 3. Tell them what you taught them<\/strong>. \u00a0So every lesson has, in a sense, three repetitions. Even if you don\u2019t own a gun, you should learn how to handle or be around them safely. \u00a0You might not drive a car, but you know not to run into traffic. Guns should be given that same respect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Larry Houk, working with a youngster on pistol shooting skills and safety.<\/p><\/div>\n Those who teach shooting and firearms safety tend to\u00a0hold strong beliefs. One of the instructors I’ve worked with at junior camps, Larry Houk, says that he believes “the one thing that can be taught early is take the curiosity out of it. Kids by nature are curious, it’s how they learn and if they are told ‘you can’t see it or touch it’, they will then attempt to find the time when you are not around to certainly check it out.”<\/span><\/p>\n So, to answer the “why” – it’s about fulfilling curiosity. Parent, instructor, and professional shooter Tommy Thacker says that “for those who are just curious…you fulfill that need, then they are finished. There is no need to search them(guns) out and figure it out on their own. For those who want more it is the early introduction that sets them up for future growth and development in the shooting sports. Earlier the better.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So we\u2019ve got the why down but what about the “when,” more specifically, “what age”? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Again, parents who are passionate enough to instruct children in firearms safety have some answers for us. \u00a0Tommy says that the “when is very subjective and I don\u2019t think there is a clear cut age answer here. I believe this one revolves around the child and their overall level of development and practical understanding of what is involved with firearms. With my kids I had one that was ready to learn a great deal by 4 and then another that I didn\u2019t want to do anything past safety and ‘curiosity removal’ as Larry stated until 6. I personally believe early safety and familiarity will be beneficial to all children. I grew up with firearms safety and hunting safety as a part of health class. This is how it should be. ” \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n And guns in schools is not something that’s a phenomenon of the distant past. \u00a0I competed in smallbore rifle (late 80’s\/early 90’s) and we went to high schools and shot events in gyms. \u00a0Fast forward to 2016 and everyone\u2019s read stories about kids being sent home from school for pretending to play with a gun, but what if we put our sanity goggles on, and asked a few questions. \u00a0For example, what if a kid pretend-plays they\u2019re baking with a gas stove. \u00a0What, oh yeah, we call that make believe, and we encourage it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Professions: Why shouldn’t aspiring to be a professional shooter be as normal as a chef? Shooters, Lena Miculek<\/a> and Ashley Rheurk <\/a>hamming it up the night before a big match.<\/p><\/div>\n How about make believing they\u2019re a race car driver? \u00a0Yep, we\u2019d allow that but cars kill every day. \u00a0They are much more likely to injure your child than a gun<\/a>, but you send them to classes to learn about them before you let them drive. \u00a0So why isn\u2019t firearms education mandatory in schools? \u00a0Why do we have schools teaching welding and drivers ed., but not firearms safety?<\/span> I believe it’s a mistake for schools to pick and chose which tools it teaches – to ignore some while focussing to extremes on others. It’s creating a warped sense of reality, building generations of youth who can tell you that they have the right to say whatever they want, but don’t understand the tools that were used to secure and defend that right.<\/p>\n Make believing is one of the markers of children\u2019s psychological development. \u00a0An ability to pretend play shows they\u2019re able to process real vs. not real;\u00a0it\u2019s a way to work through situations, to prep for life. \u00a0Don\u2019t take my word on it, I\u00a0spent time doing research under professors in college, one\u00a0who has years of research on the subject of imagination and healing, and in his writing, Dr. Anees Sheikh draws out one key point on this subject – \u00a0if your child\u00a0can pretend play about real world situations, they\u2019re building and testing a framework to process and deal with life. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So make-believe play, whether with toy cars, toy stoves, guns, it\u2019s all part of life and the tools we come across in it.. Those Nerf guns kids love, my boys used them as a way of introducing firearms safety. \u00a0They learned about not pointing it at anything they don\u2019t want to hurt. \u00a0You can teach basic firearms safety concepts. \u00a0Retired Tulsa, OK police officer Dianna Muller<\/a>\u00a0says that toy guns can serve a purpose. \u00a0Kids can learn how to\u00a0\u201cKeep your finger off the trigger, don’t point it at people.” \u00a0You still need to figure out an appropriate age to start expecting them to be conscientious of it, but it’s a good place to start and determine if they are ready to head to the range.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So we\u2019re through the why and when, but now we need to discuss the “how”? <\/span><\/p>\n First, figure out the goal. If it\u2019s just to make sure the kids are comfortable, safe, and able to handle being around guns, then lots of talking, lots of incorporating firearms safety into everyday life. \u00a0You need them to know what to do when they encounter guns, and how to be safe when they do. \u00a0While you might teach them safe handling skills from early on, others might not. \u00a0So one of your goals should be to give them a solid framework for keeping not only themselves safe, but those around them.<\/span><\/p>\n After decades of shooting, and participating in action shooting sports, I firmly believe that exposure to guns in competition is a valuable\u00a0teaching tool, with so many safety layers built in, that if your kids\u00a0took part,\u00a0for even a short time, their gun handling skills would become cemented as lifelong habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhy Teach Guns?<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Elephants Never forget! <\/b><\/h2>\n
Curiosity And Cats… Kids Are NOT Cats!<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/a>\u201cBut Mom, Mom, Mom…When Mom?\u201d <\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Recipe for Success<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>