What is your opinion on children playing with toy guns?

What about other 'violent' toys, swords, etc? Do you think it's harmless or encourages violence?What is your opinion on children playing with toy guns?
Im kind of one both sides of the fence here...I mean we all know that guns, knives, and swords encourages violence but then they are just kids and the toys are plastic so....I'm not sure
Back in my day every little boy played with toy guns, and they played at soldiers and such, and nothing ever came of it.What is your opinion on children playing with toy guns?
I remember reading a study years ago about a bunch of kids who were raised with no violent toys, no access to violent tv shows etc etc. The same kids frequently picked up sticks and brooms which became guns and swords.



Personally I think it's all about responsible and accurate education.
i think it encourages violence and harmless. swords, ah NO.

%26gt;%26gt; my best friends mom always says to her little brother don't point at their face like at their feet or something. Maybe that rule will helpWhat is your opinion on children playing with toy guns?
I hate guns and hunting. As for guns, yes I know that it's an accident waiting to happen. I don't allow my daughter to play around toy guns, not even squirt guns. My grandfather (whom I never knew) was killed in a hunting accident by his son, when my mother was only 11 and one of my cousins accidentally shot his brother whilst cleaning a shotgun. The brother was in a vegetative state for 18 years. I had to stop my child from playing at a neighbor's house because of their guns. I expressly told the mother I didn't allow my daughter to be around them and why and she promised me it would never happen again. Two weeks later, her son was pointing a BB gun at my little girl screaming "I shot you. You're dead." and that was it. They are not invited to our house and my daughter isn't allowed to go to theirs. I know I'm more strict about it than a lot of parents but I don't care. I told my daughter why I preferred her not to play with them and she got the picture fast. Have you noticed how many "toy guns" look like the real thing?



Toy swords I do only because the children are into pirates these days and the plastic swords are fairly safe. I may be mistaken but I don't think children today equate swords with violence. Plus I used to fence.
Nothing.....you just have to teach them the basics like....don't point a gun at anyone human. Guns are for hunting and protection. So as they get older they know that real guns are not toys.
i agree with traci

i played with guns swords and i had a bo and arrow and im not a psycho killer, i might like to rough house with my older cousins but im not gonna walk up to a stranger and get em into a headlock lol



parents should educate their kids by explaining that its wrong to kill and its just pretent not real
I personally think the toy has nothing to do with it. It is the parenting that matters.

If you talk with your child and they are old enough to grasp the concept between reality and play then there shouldn't be a problem.

Blaming toy guns, swords, etc. for violence in life later on is like blaming the media, rap songs, horror movies, etc. for violence.

If a child has a open understanding parent who takes the time to explain matters to them then no toy gun or song is going to convince them to go on a murdering spree.

I came from a large family and my two older brothers subjected me to horror slash movies from a very young age (4 or 5 years old). But, my family was also very open and talked often about issues and I've never been violent in my life.

Luckily for me, I have 2 daughters now who are more interested in Barbies and My Little Ponies than action figures and weapons. If I had a son, I would not have a problem with him having some toy weapons, as long as I knew he understood reality and play. And of course as long as he wasn't obsessed with them and played with other toys as well.

I think in today's world, everyone is always looking for a source to blame violence on. They tend to ignore the true source which is inadequate parenting.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!
my sons had toy guns before i bought them real shotguns and rifles. we live way out in the country. they have to know how to shoot to protect themselves and the livestock we raise. they also shot to provide food for our house. but we made sure they now about gun safety. they have to follow the same rules with a toy gun just like it was real. i don't think it encourages violence, it just depends on how and what enviornment they are raised in.
it depends if they know the deference between real and play some kids know the deference some are a bit stupid in that matter to be totally honest is the parents fault if they don't when i was a child my dad use to build guns so i was a round them all my life learned what they can do at a very young age if more parents would take the time to teach kids the deference between real and play we wouldn't have to worry
I have always allowed my boys to play with guns, knives, etc.

We just don't allow them to point them at people. My kids are not violent at all, but let's face it boys love to play with guns!!
Since my son's only 6, I've been mostly against it so far. He only has a couple of Lego sets that shoot projectiles, no other violent toys. However, we have lots of sticks in our yard/field, and he always pretends they're guns, so there's only so much you can do to keep them away from violent toys. I have mixed feelings on this because I had a cap gun as a child, and I loved it.
i guess its cheaper, but don't be cheap.. buy em some real ones
I'm against it.. It breeds violence
I answered a similar question just a little while ago...



No toy guns in our house, nor real ones. Hate them.



While at the playarea of the mall one day, a little boy was playing with a toy gun. He was going up to everyone and sticking it in their face, "shooting" them. I was waiting for him to get to my daughter, but thankfully he didn't, I gave him a really dirty look. The parents were just standing there, laughing, thinking that their son was adorable.

Then, the kid put the gun to his head and "shot" himself. That's when I left, and I gave the parents a dirty look.



I realize that kids can make a gun out of anything, or any weapon for that matter. Thankfully my son and daughter don't play shooting games. With Columbine, Va Tech, the Amish school killings... etc... there's enough shooting in the world.
How else are we going to enlist them into war....
Harmless.