Toy guns

[kindredspirits]

I have my own very personal reasons for not liking the armed forces - but aside from that i do not believe that they are 'heros' anymore - during the war and conscription yes they were they truely belived that they were protecting their country - i don't think any open-minded person could argue that point anymore.

[auntym]

Its like hide and seek but when you get found you get sprayed by the water pistol lol.
It really is all about educating the kids, but I agree with you that kids dont get disciplined same and seem to have less respect which im big on here
I think our troops are amazing, its not down to them where they are sent, they have a job to do.
I think they all deserve our respect.

[FussyElmo]

Its like hide and seek but when you get found you get sprayed by the water pistol lol.
It really is all about educating the kids, but I agree with you that kids dont get disciplined same and seem to have less respect which im big on here
I think our troops are amazing, its not down to them where they are sent, they have a job to do.
I think they all deserve our respect.

We call that manhunt but we dont use water pistols we defend the dens/bases usually in the park when its raining. Spent the entire last summer doing that and the children loved it they climbed tress hid in bushes used sticks as guns and bow and arrows swords even had wands - to use fire and wind magic and shock horror we even allowed them to do girls against boys because thats what they wanted.

I wonder if they did a survey of how many people played with guns etc as children actually turned out normal compared to those who didn. Something tells me millions more normal than the minority who did.

[Hebs]

but weren't swords used to kill before guns came along?

i dont see any issues with toy guns/swords etc, it is all about how we educate children

children are exposed to violence from a very early age (some cartoons are very violent) but it is how we expose children to these things, and how we handle these things that go on to make a difference

[ajs]

We call that manhunt but we dont use water pistols we defend the dens/bases usually in the park when its raining. Spent the entire last summer doing that and the children loved it they climbed tress hid in bushes used sticks as guns and bow and arrows swords even had wands - to use fire and wind magic and shock horror we even allowed them to do girls against boys because thats what they wanted.

I wonder if they did a survey of how many people played with guns etc as children actually turned out normal compared to those who didn. Something tells me millions more normal than the minority who did.

the reason i don't allow guns in my house is not because i am worried the children are going to grow up into psychopaths , because i know the likely hood of that happening is very slight but because i don't think killing people or even to pretend to kill is a game, and i will ask the children to stop playing killing if that's what they are doing.

i do not have any older children in the hols other than my 8 yr old mindee but i only have her for 3 days the whole holiday and she is not the type to play war games anyway so it isn't really an issue for me but i did not allow my own children to play war games either.
I just do not want anyone in my house holding a toy gun or even a lego tower up to anyone and saying bang you're dead.

[ajs]

and i would feel the same way with a sword if it was used like this.

i do have one in the dressing up box but my little ones aren't particualrly into the pirate stuff at the moment so again not really an issue for me

[FussyElmo]

the reason i don't allow guns in my house is not because i am worried the children are going to grow up into psychopaths , because i know the likely hood of that happening is very slight but because i don't think killing people or even to pretend to kill is a game, and i will ask the children to stop playing killing if that's what they are doing.

i do not have any older children in the hols other than my 8 yr old mindee but i only have her for 3 days the whole holiday and she is not the type to play war games anyway so it isn't really an issue for me but i did not allow my own children to play war games either.
I just do not want anyone in my house holding a toy gun or even a lego tower up to anyone and saying bang you're dead.

But isn't that the way of the world everyone is different and has the right to thier own opinion. Neither is right neither is wrong. I dont think an less someone who doesnt allow toy guns etc and I hope I get that back in return

Ps that is not aimed at you in particular

[kindredspirits]

But isn't that the way of the world everyone is different and has the right to thier own opinion. Neither is right neither is wrong. I dont think an less someone who doesnt allow toy guns etc and I hope I get that back in return

of course not - having an opinion in favour of toy guns etc does not make you a bad parent - as you say thats what makes the world go round!! there are plenty of people that wouldn't allow a 3 year old a laptop/mobile - the fact that i do doesn't make them right and me wrong or vice versa.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have read this from start to finish and it has taken a while but is very interesting.

Firstly I don't think that anyone has the right to critic the armed forces of any kind. yes they chose the vocation and yes they are putting their lives on the line but how we not see them as heroes? they go into unknown territory and rescue civilians aswell as patrolling the streets. Look what they did when Sadam was brought down.

Secondly, I am appalled at any child who would walk into a house and put a gun to anyones head, let alone a babies. the damage has already been done, AT HOME and I think that is where the attention and education needs to be done, with the parents first.

Great debate but please don't let it become more than that, otherwise where did our grandparents fight for us in the first place?

[little chickee]

I just see toy guns as just that - toys.

My boys go out into the woods directly behind my house - they know their boundaries - with their friends, split up into teams, make bases, then sneak up on each other communicating via walkie talkies, to raid each others bases, take hostages, negotiate the release of their belongings and hostages etc and can keep themselves amused all day.

They have a vast array of guns, grenades,camo netting etc and i see it all as good harmless fun.

They will not even let me kill spiders in the house, we have to catch them and put them outside, they are good kind kids and i honestly cannot see playing with toy guns turning them into psychotic serial killers.

[PixiePetal]

Whereas I don't see all children who play with toy guns as potential murderers, I personally prefer to keep them out of my house.

My DH is a farmer and has guns himself - all regulated, locked away and licensed etc. My own kids were brought up around them and to know the dangers and rules - one of which is never to point a gun at another person.

When you have a friend who has lost a son in a tragic shooting accident, guns become serious.

For this reason alone I would be horrified if a child held a pretend gun to another ones head and said 'bang'.

[Dare4Distance]

Has anyone actually said that playing with toy guns will turn a child into a killer? It's not appropriate for a child to pretend to kill another child. They don't need to "pretend play" that.

[wendywu]

[[

QUOTE]QUOTE=kindredspirits;747321]I have my own very personal reasons for not liking the armed forces

-

You cannot dismiss a whole concept and body of people outright because of a possible inccident or involvement with a few or an individual.

Its the same with the fact that i hate war or killing of any kind. But i might not agree with the principle but it does not detract from the bravery of the individual.

With toy weapons i suppose looking at it, it depends on the environment and the game played.

Because both myself and my children loved the Buzz Lightyear ride at disney where you score points by shooting evil toys with lazer guns, also the Men in Black ride at universal where you do the same with aliens. And not once did i think when we were standing in line at Disney, this is wrong because we are shooting guns.
Interesting debate because it has made me wonder why think the way i do.

[Mollymop]

It is up to you all if you let a child play with a plastic gun or not -

But I am all for it - let them play with guns, my dad did as did his mates as did my grandad and his brothers, as did most men in the world when they were growing up - IT IS NOT going to turn them into monsters like Roaul Moate when they are older.

Do you think the armed forces were banned from playing with toys guns when they were lads?

If you bring a child up to be respectful and to know right from wrong you have no worries.

People who shoot innocent people are monsters and have something mentally wrong with them, it is not because they played with guns when they were kids

One parent of mine does not want their 7 month old boy to watch anything too girly on tv - dora, peppa pig - just in case he ends up gay when he is older --------Same thing - DOn't play with guns and bow and arrows just in case they turn into monsters when older and go around killing everyone

[Ripeberry]

I will hear nothing said against our armed forces, not the ones who died in past wars or the brave lads who died in present wars. They are all Heros.

Strange but years ago all children played cowboys and indians, GI Joe and Lost in Space games, roman soldiers, with all manner of guns and knives and swords.

Yet the youth had respect, self control, a sense of community, morals and above all honour.

Today they dont play with any of these toys but the streets are infested with sick weapon wielding muderous thugs.

I dont pretend to know the answer, but i do know that what we are doing is so not working

This is where people are getting mixed up with the 'need' to keep kids away from guns.
They automatically think, that playing with guns will make their child a gangster thug who shoots other druggies

We are so lucky that our parents generation and our own have never known war on our own soil and that we should NEVER worry about being conscripted into the army.
Lots of people all around the world, even children don't have the choice.

I still think they should bring back national service for teenage boys, this will teach them rescpect for authority and most important of all self-discipline.

[Mouse]

I don't have a problem with the toy guns themselves, it's how they're used that I do often have a problem with.
It's not even that I think all children playing with guns will turn into killers, because I don't believe that for one minute. I played with guns when I was little and I turned out OK!

What I really worry about is the violence that some young children display when playing fighting games (whether it's with guns or not). When I was young one of our favourite games was cops & robbers! The cops had the guns - it would never have entered our minds in those days for a robber to have a gun as well - and they'd chase after the robbers. The guns were never used to "kill". If the cop got close enough to you, you put your hands up & he took you off to prison! I don't ever remember playing at killing someone. Yes, it was playing with guns, but it was all very innocent...IYSWIM!

Nowadays though, there seems to be so much violence in the games even very small children play. It's all about killing, blood, guts & gore. There was a little boy at nursery a few weeks ago who had a toy gun with him. He was hiding behind a wall & as the children walked by he was shouting "I hate you, I'm going to blow your head off". He was laughing & saying "ha ha, you're dead, you're head's off".

Now, I really don't believe for one minute that that particular little boy will grow up to be a mass murderer, but I though what a horrible game for a 3 year old to be playing. He shouldn't be having thoughts like that at his age

I hope I have a common sense approach about it. I don't have any toy guns in my house because I personally don't like them & if a child brought one with them, I'd give it back to parents to take home. But if children make up their own game & it involves using a stick or something as a weapon, I'd let them get on with it as long as they didn't get too violent with it. Does that make sense? Maybe it's hypocritical of me to let them play some fighting games, but not others, and maybe I'm wrong in thinking you can have some innocent fighting games, but not others. It's worked for me over the years though & I'm happy to carry on that way.

[ajs]

This is where people are getting mixed up with the 'need' to keep kids away from guns.
They automatically think, that playing with guns will make their child a gangster thug who shoots other druggies

We are so lucky that our parents generation and our own have never known war on our own soil and that we should NEVER worry about being conscripted into the army.
Lots of people all around the world, even children don't have the choice.

I still think they should bring back national service for teenage boys, this will teach them rescpect for authority and most important of all self-discipline.

not just for boys though, there are enough girls out there who need to be taught respect too

i am all for a civil service not military teach all children the value of money how to cook iron run a home give them some dignity and a means to earn money and i am a parent of teneagers who would all be called up for this type of service

[Pipsqueak]

We are so lucky that our parents generation and our own have never known war on our own soil

having 'older' parents - both my parents went through the war - my dad was Royal Navy and my mum knew war on her home soil - Guernsey. Thankfully she and her family were on the last boat out, hidden in a small boat full of rotting cabbages (she hates cabbage to this day), across a very rough and dangerour channel, as the Germans arrived, her Dad remained as did many of her cousins and families. I have actual newspapers from occupation and its heartwrending to read whats in it but oddly inspirational.
From doing family history and reading war diaries that contain details of my ancestors, listening to my mum and dad (and other relatives) it hits home with me.
Reading this thread made me go back and look at the war diary transcript I have for the regiment my grandad served in as it jogged my memory and this is an excerpt from one of the attached letters home (that never made it and donated to the museum):
'.......it is really quite frightening, I was only playing with sticks pretending they were guns a few years ago with William and Joe, except of course no one really died. Now too many people are dying and its sad Mum. Sticks were fun, this is not.'

[Beckieboo]

I still think they should bring back national service for teenage boys, this will teach them rescpect for authority and most important of all self-discipline.

Me too, now we have opened another can of worms!! lol

[Mouse]

We are so lucky that our parents generation and our own have never known war on our own soil and that we should NEVER worry about being conscripted into the army.
.

My parents were alive during the last war! Don't forget some of us are getting on a bit now