Pretend guns, toys guns, swords etc...

**EmmaReed84** · 08-11-2012, 06:05 AM

I went on a course yesterday, it was "How Children Learn" a look in to the Characteristics of Effective Learning... It was BRILLIANT... The course tutor is someone who does a lot of course to which I have attended, she is very animated and jumpy and bubbly... Just fab!

Anyway, we got on to toy guns and other things like swords and play dieing and things. There was a male teacher there and she asked him if he played that when he was a child, to which he said he did, and bows and arrows, she made the point that he was not a serial killer. She then started to pretend to play with a gun which resulted in her and an attendee having gun battle in the middle of the room... VERY FUNNY!

She then told us about a teacher who saw a group of boys playing guns and she marched up to them... The tutor waited to see what she did... The teacher ended up in the middle, caught up in the cross fire and died in a spectacular fashion, then the play moved on, they needed a medic, an ambulance, to be rushed to hospital etc... The tutor loved it and then asked us...

"What do you do when children play with "nasty naughty bang bangs"?" She made a really good point about perhaps it is the fact that we are women so probably didn't really play that as a child, blood and guts everywhere... but boys.... boys did, boys love gross stuff... The male teacher was laughing and nodding, ladies were cringing LOL...

So...

What do YOU do when children play with "nasty naughty bang bangs"?

**gegele** · 08-11-2012, 07:31 AM

I always thought I'd be a no weapon in the house mum, I had DD and thought, yes, there's no need for that much violence..."

Then I had DS!!! I remember him being about 14months old, walking in the garden, grabbing a stick, pointing it at me and made "tchuuu" sound!!!! I have NO idea How he got to learn this as the only tv they watched was cbeebies so no gun

it must be in their genes LOL

we have only swords here and tiny guns which come with people but EVERYTHING becomes a gun when they want to.

**Roseolivia** · 08-11-2012, 08:02 AM

I think it is in boys genes to do this play. Alfie(2yrs) has an older sister who doesn't play fight and he still picks things up and pretends they are guns. My partner has guns in the house as he slay pigeon shoots but Alfie hasn't seen what they do so wouldn't be copying him.

I don't mind boys playing these games as long as they don't start proper fighting, no parent has ever mentioned it yet either so will be carrying on letting the boys be boys.

**FussyElmo** · 08-11-2012, 08:25 AM

We have a weapons box it does live upstairs though. It's full of power rangers guns, lightsabers, superhero weapons and we do use them. Don't even ask about our nerf collection but that's more of a family think still waiting for a pink gun though.

In the summer we made bow and arrows out of sticks and string, catapults kept them good for week. I even brought an archery set for the garden wasn't very good though the bow is now in the weapon box for being Hawkeye or robin hood.

Not sur about it being a girl thing my 4yo is a mean shot with a nerf gun

I remember my brother having an Han solo gun and being gutted I didn't get one.

**little chickee** · 08-11-2012, 08:50 AM

I do not have a problem with toy guns, swords, other weapons in play.

Its all a part of childhood - if you are going to be a serial killer, mass murderer etc you will anyway.
My 3 boys all played and still do play with toy guns. My younger 2 ( 13 and 9) like nothing better than to be head to toe in camoflage, night vision scopes, camo backpacks, camo netting etc etc and out for hours in the woods at the back of our house.

I love it - they come in fithy, hungry and happy!

Not just for boys though. I was exactely the same as a child. I'm one of 3 girls, my sisters were " girly" I was always very tomboyish and was always playing cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, armys etc.

My 9yo's best friend is a girl who has an impressive camo and gun collection.

And Nerf Guns? We must have every one there is!! I got a couple of the huge ones on Freecycle! Forever picking up nerf bullets - they are worse than glitter for getting everywhere!!!

**PixiePetal** · 08-11-2012, 09:12 AM

I haven't got any toy guns etc - but if a stick was used as one then I would go with the flow and see how it progresses. Not very likely for me in minding as mindees are all 4 and under.

My DH has guns - we are a farming family and guns are real in this way of life. Safety has always been discussed and guns are used safely. They are not normally seen by mindees - I do have an info sheet amongst my policies letting parents know we do have them under strict law guidelines etc.

My friends son died in a shooting accident so for me I would rather not have them for play TBH. Personal choice here.

**dette** · 08-11-2012, 09:31 AM

i have a gun drawer where everything gun like goes,i discuss with any new parents that i do have 4 sons who all play with guns and swords and who love to play fight i explain that my grandad was a farmer and my nephew was a soldier and guns do have places in the world .so far nobody has objected but as they are segregated it wouldnt be difficult to remove them on occasion ,wont be able to remove the duplo guns or the train track swords or the amercan wrestling IKEA baby dolls

BucksCM · 08-11-2012, 09:35 AM

Well...I'm going to fess up...I won't allow guns in the house.
Don't like them or the play that they induce.
Children are welcome to play fight, pretend to kill each other etc in their own homes...just not in mine.

When my son was three/four(long time ago, he's nearly 19!) he watched a power ranger movie with daddy, against my wishes, but i thought ok, dad time. As soon as the movie had finished he started to fight and kicked dh in the happy sacks!...because he'd seen it on the tv.
I don't allow certain programmes to be watched either...again, parents can let them watch whatever but I control what's viewed in this house.

I know some won't agree...and tell me that it's just pretend etc... but i don't want it in my house.
I do allow water pistols as they are fun, but swords, guns etc are sent back with parents if they turn up at the door with them.

**Mouse** · 08-11-2012, 09:39 AM

Why would your teacher assume as woman we didn't play with guns when we were younger

Some of our favorite games were cops & robbers and cowboys & indians. As we were older we had guns in the house as some of us did rifle shooting as a hobby.

But I still don't like today's type of weapon play which seems to be very much about killing as violently as possible. In my day it was about stopping the baddies, capturing the indians etc, not so much about killing them. When I watch the children play today a lot of it's about causing as much injury & damage as possible.
In my youth you'd fire at the robber, shout you're dead, and they'd fall down. Children today seem to have a whole arsenal of pretend weapons at their disposal & aren't content to play "bang bang, you're dead". It seems to be about "I've blown your legs off, I'm hacking you up, I've blown you up". That's what I don't like, the real violence or hatred in it. I don't for one minute think their play is going to turn these children into violent serial killers, but I personally don't like to see them playing like that.

The only toys guns we have ever had here are water pistols. I don't provide any other sort of play weapon, but nor do I stop children making up their own. I'm happy for them to play, but I will step in if it's becoming too nasty. It needn't be just weapon play I stop. I've had children playing happily with the dolls, only for one of them to decide they're going to kill all the dolls by dropping something heavy on them and "smashing their heads in".

I suppose my opposition is to violent play, in whatever form, rather than weapon play in general.

**PixiePetal** · 08-11-2012, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by BucksCM

Well...I'm going to fess up...I won't allow guns in the house.
Don't like them or the play that they induce.
Children are welcome to play fight, pretend to kill each other etc in their own homes...just not in mine.

When my son was three/four(long time ago, he's nearly 19!) he watched a power ranger movie with daddy, against my wishes, but i thought ok, dad time. As soon as the movie had finished he started to fight and kicked dh in the happy sacks!...because he'd seen it on the tv.
I don't allow certain programmes to be watched either...again, parents can let them watch whatever but I control what's viewed in this house.

I know some won't agree...and tell me that it's just pretend etc... but i don't want it in my house.
I do allow water pistols as they are fun, but swords, guns etc are sent back with parents if they turn up at the door with them.

good for you - your house, your rules. We all have our own way of doing things

My kids have never been into any of the power ranger type things - that's fine with me

and mindees don't watch things like that on TV here - too young anyway but I know some have seen them at home - we watch cbeebies if anything - or at the moment Tractor Ted DVDs!

**TNT** · 08-11-2012, 10:34 AM

I have 3 boys of my own and dont allow toy guns in our house in any form (not even gun shaped water pistols, we use squeezy bottles). I have also banned toy swords as my 2 year old was getting really violent with them.

I would never stop imaginative play and they use sticks as guns etc and play fight all the time, it is absolutely in some childrens nature to play these types of games. However I just cant get the pictures out of my head of child soldiers in far off countries with real guns. I know it sounds really dramatic but the realities of guns for me are frightening and I dont want to see my child with a replica gun.

**Ripeberry** · 08-11-2012, 12:44 PM

I've always been a bit of a tomboy and as a child my favourite game in the 80s was to stand at the top of a steep grassy slope and a friend would pretend to shoot me and the then I and others had to do a big death scene with lots of noise pained faces and roll to the bottom of the hill and try not to laugh. The best actor was the winner.

**hectors house** · 08-11-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by PixiePetal

good for you - your house, your rules. We all have our own way of doing things

My kids have never been into any of the power ranger type things - that's fine with me

and mindees don't watch things like that on TV here - too young anyway but I know some have seen them at home - we watch cbeebies if anything - or at the moment Tractor Ted DVDs!

Sorry to go off on a tangent - saw "Tractor Ted DVD's" all my mindees love them, I enjoy watching them too but they make me grin as my hubby worked on the main farm featured in the DVD's, when we first met as teenagers and I "know" several of the barns very well!

**winstonian** · 08-11-2012, 02:22 PM

I'm not keen but yesterday my 3 and all mindees were assembling weapons out of the Knex, there were some marvellous ones and my girls aged 7 and 5, have asked their aunty for NERF guns for xmas!

**cathtee** · 08-11-2012, 06:33 PM

I don't allow guns in my house, they are not allowed to make them out of lego either, My DS was never allowed guns when he was little but now at 25 he goes
scurmishing (air sof) bit like paint balling but with bbs he goes off to events dressed in all army gear. I often wonder if it's because i denied him guns when he was little that he is so into them now

**PixiePetal** · 08-11-2012, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by hectors house

Sorry to go off on a tangent - saw "Tractor Ted DVD's" all my mindees love them, I enjoy watching them too but they make me grin as my hubby worked on the main farm featured in the DVD's, when we first met as teenagers and I "know" several of the barns very well!

My DH comes in for lunch daily and has sat and watched with us

He had to pass them on a professional level of course - actually not bad. I did say maybe he should have a sideline on our farm and film himself and his brothers at work - I won't say his answer!

I know a barn or two

**singingcactus** · 10-11-2012, 01:32 PM

I played guns, swords, wars, etc when i was a kid. We have all sorts of everything here. I have no problem with battle play....i often start it. In fact i went to the mess halloween party the other week and ended up in a pirate sword fight with about 7 or 8 kids there. Was going really well till they all ran off to the balloon man and he turned their balloon swords into guns and they shot me!!!! Little buggers.

Pipsqueak · 10-11-2012, 11:11 PM

I don't have a problem with gun and sword play
I also echo what Mouse has said about the play appearing to be different now - its much more violent. I 'caught' my 5yr old girl mindee with a toy knife from the role play kitchen - 'slitting' my son's throat - she has him from behind - one hand on his head pulling his head back... saying your guts will spill out
it was really taken aback and I had to sit down with the children (the boys were playing cops and robbers with guns) and explain why that wasn't pleasant and where'd she get that from (daddy plays COD and she plays/watches it too) and that that sort of play was not acceptable.

**migimoo** · 10-11-2012, 11:49 PM

I too decided that my DS wouldn't have toy guns but he would make them out of anything...lego,sticks,paper,once even a fish finger!!

So they've gradually sneaked in over the years-started with your buzz lightyear laser zapper then nerfs-he now has an arsenal to rival Rambo thanks to his older cousins and uncles....I've given up tbh however they are put away in his room when mindees are here,I do find it interesting though that if one is mistakenly left downstairs and they find it it's as if they've won the lotto!

**sonyach** · 11-11-2012, 12:08 AM

Me and my little brother had a fantastic time shooting, killing and torturing his toy soldiers out in the garden. Then we'd lovingly collect them all up and put them safe ready for the next battle. We had sword fights, gun fights allsorts absolutely brilliant!! We are not serial killers, we are not disturbed(much) we just had fantastic imaginative fun!!!!

PS: I have some little plastic soldiers hidden away my little girl loves them