Gun safety for kids is a very crucial point that you should take into consideration. Taking into account the amount of increasing crime rate in society, it has become a must for everyone to keep a gun with them or a firearm in the house for their and their families’ safety. But, at the very same time most of the households have kids around, or kids who visit their grandparents often. But, firearm injury is one of the top 4 causes of death in children aged between 10-24, and homicide by firearm for children ages 1-9. Some people might think that the best way to keep their children safe is to not keep guns at home and keep their children away from homes that have guns. But, this may not be a viable option for all. So, let us have a look at Gun safety for kids
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Tips for gun safety for kids
You need to keep your gun safe and out of reach of children. Because if children take and start playing with the gun then they might hurt themselves or hurt another person. So, it is very important that you take proper measures. Here are some safe ways that you can use to store a gun
- Keep the gun unloaded and locked up
- Lock the bullets in a seperate place
- You can use a gun lock
- Consider even using a hidden gun storage option with different furniture depending on the size of your gun. You can even hide your gun in a book or use a hidden gun book shelf.
- You can also hide the keys to the locked safe.
- When you are not storing the gun then keep it in your immediate position and control so that children cannot get hold of it.
- Never let the children know where the gun is stored and where the bullets are. Not even to the older children.
- You can also dissassemble a gun (i.e. remove the bolt from a hunting rifle or pistol slide from a hand gun).
- If a visitor comes to your house carrying his or her gun, then offer them a safe to lock their gun.
- Talk to your kids that the guns they see on a video gun are different from real guns and they should not touch any gun if they find one. They should tell this immediately to any adult.
- Talking to children about gun safety is important but is not a substiture and you should store your guns securely.
Why is proper gun storage so important?
Even if you have talked to your kid regarding gun safety many times, kids are very curious and if they come across a loaded gun, then they can hurt or kill themselves while playing with the gun. Also, teens can be very emotional, and if they are depressed or feeling low they might find using the gun an easy way out and may hurt themselves. Most kids or pre-teens who kill themselves use the gun that is available at their homes or at their relatives’ homes. So, it is better to store the gun in a proper storage case in your house.
Things a kid should understand about a gun
Even if you do not have guns at your home, make sure that you talk to your kid regarding one, because, one of your relatives or kids’ friends might be having one at their place. So, kids need to know that guns are very dangerous and they should not play with it. Teach your kids the following rules if they see a gun around them.
- Stop what they’re doing and immediately tell an adult about it.
- Do not touch the gun and do not allow anyone else to touch it.
- Teach your child never to point a gun at someone and always assume that the gun is loaded.
- You can set an example to the kid by following your own safe gun handling practice. Because kids tend to immitate what the parents are doing.
- Make sure that your child understands that it is never ok to handle a gun.
What if your family and friends have guns at their place?
Last but not the least, if your child is going to one of your family or friends’ houses, then make sure that you ask if they have a gun at their place. It may sound uncomfortable to ask, but, believe me, the opposite person will also understand your concern.
So, these are a few tips on gun safety for kids. If you know of something else, do let us know in the comments section below.