Gun Safety: Tips For Parents

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

It is no secret that safety should be your number 1 concern when it comes to owning guns, especially if you live with kids. When handled correctly and intelligently, guns can be as safe as any other item. But, one moment of absentmindedness can have catastrophic consequences. So, let’s take a closer look at how to implement gun safety measures with your kids in order to avoid harm.

Talk with your kids about gun safety

There is hardly a parent out there that won’t tell you that you cannot shield your kids from the world. Whether you like it or not, your kids are going to come into contact with dangerous items, ideas, and people. So, the smart thing to do is help them learn how to protect themselves from such dangers.

The same idea applies to keeping guns. While you should never keep loaded guns within kids’ reach, you definitely need to openly talk about what guns are and what they can do. The more honest and straightforward you are, the better your kids will understand how to behave.

Should you use fear?

It may seem like a good idea to frighten them, but this can easily backfire. It is in our nature to explore things that seem dangerous, especially as we reach our teenage years. So, while your small child can be convinced to stay away from guns simply because they are something that no child should touch, older children will explore. And, once they do, they can easily harm themselves unless they know what they are exploring. The prohibition you placed on them can easily increase your kids’ interest in the prohibited item. So, instead of using simple fear, try to elaborate on what guns are, what guns aren’t, and how to behave around them.

What to mention when considering guns?

When talking to your child about guns, you shouldn’t try to explain everything right off the bat. Instead, start the conversation about gun safety, and try to answer as many questions as your child asks. Explain to them that guns are not everyday items and can easily hurt them and their families. Know that you should instill respect, not fear, into your children. Your child should already have an idea of what dangerous items are since they are probably familiar with knives, scissors, poisonous chemicals, and electronic devices. Therefore, you should only add guns to the list. The main subject to go over are:

• How do guns work?
• What makes guns dangerous (the mechanism behind them)?
• What happens when people mishandle guns?
• Why are your guns different from toy guns?
• Why are your guns different from the guns that they see on TV?

There is limitless potential to how much you can discuss guns with your kids. The main thing is not to bore or overly frighten them, but to interest them enough so that they listen to your guidance. If necessary, you can show them your guns and how you maintain them. Do not try to hide your guns from them, as sooner or later, they will learn where they are. Instead, make it clear that they should ask you first if they want to see guns. Ideally, through time and experience, they will learn to appreciate and respect firearms.

Proper safety measures

Keeping your kids educated about guns is a terrific safety measure, especially in the long run. But, it is not the only safety measure that you need to use. To keep your family safe, you need to keep your firearms safely stored. Luckily, there are easy ways in which you can do this.

Gun storage

The most common way people store their guns is within a gun safe. It can range quite considerably in size, quality and price. Therefore, you should be able to find one that suits your gun collection. Our advice is to keep it locked at all times. Even if it is out of reach of your kids, you should make sure that your guns are always safely locked away.

Furthermore, make sure that you store your ammunition away from your guns. If you are not sure how to find the room, consult with usantini.com regarding extra storage space. If, by chance, your child does come into contact with your guns, you want to make them unable to reach ammunition. The more steps you can put between your child and a loaded firearm, the better.

When to remove guns from gun safe

You should only remove guns from your gun safe if you are cleaning them or using them. All the guns that you do take out of the safe should be under your watch at all times. The rest need to remain locked away. Never, under any circumstances, should you leave your guns without supervision, even if they are empty. Remember that gun safety and proper gun use are all about incorporating good habits. So, do yourself a favor and treat every gun as it was loaded.

Apart from cleaning and using, there is not much reason to remove your guns from the safe. If you need to relocate, try to set it up so that your weapons never leave your sight. Know that there are companies that can have your gun safe transferred in no time. So, don’t have them lying around and letting them go unsupervised. Instead, dedicate one afternoon to ensure that it is safely transferred.

Gun carry

If you plan on carrying your weapon with you, you need to take extra care to explain to your kids what is going on. Know that they will be naturally interested in what you are carrying, so don’t try to postpone answering their interest for too long. Instead, be open and upfront with them. Doing so will ensure that your children are safe from harm. Open conversation about firearms is the top gun safety tip for parents.