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Gun Safety

Posted on Friday, October 21, 2016
Every 9 hours a child is killed from a firearm related accident. 40% of American households with children own guns. 1.69 MILLION Kids 18 and under in the United States are living with a loaded and unlocked firearm. Two-thirds of students in grades 6-12 say they can obtain a firearm in 24 hours.


Also, even if you don't own a firearm, it's always a good idea to have a talk with your children what to do if they are around one or happen to find one.

These are frightening facts. Now, I know what you are thinking... "Oh boy, here comes another Anti-gun blog!" No - we just want our children safe. In fact, we ourselves are permitted carriers, military veterans, police officers/veterans or highly active in the firearm industry. This is why this issue is so important to us. This is the world we live in, we want our children, family and friends safe. Sure, our parents left loaded weapons in the living rooms and never locked up a gun, we were raised differently.

But what makes us different to how our children are raised now? Sure, we teach them the same things our parents taught us about gun safety and the value of life. But what about your children's friends, have they been taught the same? Do they play violent video games? Watch the violent news? You can never be sure what kids are being taught at school or at a friend's house. And you can never be sure on how someone ticks. It's always best to keep your guns and ammo locked up and away so you don't have to worry about those things.

There are three different kinds of households and views on gun safety:
"Nope, not going to have guns in my house" type
"Yes, for hunting and protection only. Sometimes for sporting" type. And this group sometimes leaves the guns unlocked and available for use anytime. But hopefully most of them have ammo/guns locked away separately.
And then there is the "Yes, I have guns and my kids don't know where they are/ can't afford a lock or cabinet/ my kids know gun safety so I don't have to lock them up, etc. etc....."

Which house is your children hanging around?


So what DO you teach your child - Taken from http://explore.nra.org/ (check out a really cool site!)

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program teaches children in pre-K through third grade four important steps to take if they find a gun. These steps are presented by the program's mascot, Eddie Eagle, in an easy-to-remember format consisting of the following simple rules: If you see a gun:
STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.


Is your child mature enough to learn gun safety? Many people think its ok to start teaching their kids at 2, 3, and 4 years old. But do they understand? That's up to the individual parent to determine if that child can comprehend what he/she is learning. I have an 11 year old living with us who came from a bad situation. All my other kids ages 6-17 have been taught gun safety. Should I have taken him to the range and given him the talk? No, because I know he's not mentally ready for it. Meaning, it may peak his interest in something in a negative way - something that I do not want him to become obsessed with or terrified of. It's up to you as the parent to decide when is the right time for your child to handle and learn about your family's weapons.

Point of this is: Always keep your firearms locked up and ammo locked separate. Never let children be around firearms unattended. Keep the gun safe keys and combinations put away. Never store a gun a gun while it is loaded. If selling a gun to a stranger, verify and meet with a sheriff that they can legally carry/own a gun. Teach your children the difference between real-life and video games.


What are your thoughts on gun safety? Tell us below!

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