Hi there,
First some background: My kids are a boy (almost 8) and a girl (3). Our next door neighbors have a boy who very close in age to my son, and the boys are very close (in a brotherly way, with lots of competition). I WISH they had the same outdoor hobbies, but my son loves sports and the neighbor loves guns. We are in a suburban neighborhood, with kids scootering and biking on the sidewalk in a loosely supervised manner.
Recently, the neighbor got a new "BB gun" that looks like an automatic weapon with the slight concession of an orange tip. My son has much stricter rules about gun play, but my husband and I are wondering if it we are really uptight to be surprised that the boy can play with it in the front yard, e.g. using our driveway for target practice, or shooting across the street into the neighbor's yard? I know that gun use depends on maturity, and I will say this is NOT a kid who follows rules or has the first clue about gun safety. I worry about my little daughter, and about my son. Should I make a strict rule for them that they are not allowed in their front yard ever? Or just if they see the gun out? Is a BB Gun with plastic pellets automatically an AirSoft gun? Which is more dangerous?
FYI, I am also getting up the nerve to ask about real firearms in the house. I asked a couple of years ago, but I think there have been gun purchases since then. Thanks so much for insight and advice!
I really appreciate everyone's advice! I love how Mamapedia members have a wide variety of experience. I knew I needed to talk to gun owners, but I don't have have any close friends with guns. I am still gathering information and getting my thoughts together, as this is an important neighborly relationship that I will have for years to come. The county ordinance says that it is illegal to use an airgun if the bb's leave the property (I am simplifying). I will also take to heart the advice that only thing I really have control over is teaching my own child about safety. Our local shooting range has links to members that are certified to teach home safety, so I'll pursue that, and look at the library for DVDs. I will try to have the neighbor talk this afternoon - the perfect entry point is that I found more bb's in my yard this morning, and it was clear that they were shot across our walkway into our garage door! I will politely and firmly request that the bb gun be a backyard toy and let them know that in no uncertain terms my kids are not allowed to be over there if the bb gun is out, unless I am present.
Ok, I am very pro guns and I am appalled that they are not making that child treat th bb gun like a "real" gun... It is a real gun in my book.
I would find out the local laws in regards to what a gun is defined as and same goes for deadly weapon. I have lived in areas where a bb gun and even squirt guns counted as a "deadly" weapon and people under 16 could not legally use one.
I agree with Dawn.
There is no way that kid should be using your driveway and yard as his "practice range"!
http://www.bb-guns.org/infobbgunsafety.html
No, you are not uptight. A BB Gun should be a supervised hobby. And it should be done at a range - not in a drive way - the BBs can stray.
Gun safety and safe handling is something that EVERYONE should know. Guns MUST be respected. It is a TOOL not a toy.
You can contact your Local NRA and get lessons on proper handling of fire arms - education is knowledge. Do NOT be afraid of guns. Not saying you are - but education goes a LONG way in safety.
If you are not comfortable with your son handling a BB Gun - I would ensure that he was taught the proper handling of ANY fire arm...a BB Gun can still be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Talk to the neighbors. Find out what their stance is on gun safety and your concerns that their son is using the BB Gun in an inappropriate place...if they balk - then obviously they are ignorant of safety.
You can teach your son gun safety. If he goes to their home - and guns are not in a locked safe - he really should leave the home - this is assuming of course that you already spoke to them about your concerns and they balked.
Better talk to your neighbors about this. The thought that he is using your front yard and driveway for target practice would send me to the moon. You or your child could get hurt. They need to be taking him somewhere else away from people.
This would be a deal breaker for me as far as neighborly relations are concerned. If they ignore you, I'd be calling the police everytime I see the boy with that gun. I wonder what other people will say here...
So sorry!
Dawn
Even though it is an air soft type gun with plastic pellets, they can still do real damage if they hit someone's eye. As far as getting shot on the body, it does sting, but shouldn't break the skin.
I would want rules about that, also, especially with a 3 yr old around.
Here's an article about Air soft gun safety.....
http://www.parenthood.com/article-topics/airsoft_guns_par...
I'd definitely have a friendly conversation with your neighbor, letting her know that you feel toys guns that actually shoot projectiles need some rules.
It's also a great opportunity to explain toy and real gun use to your child as well, and reminding him never to touch any guns in someone's home and to LEAVE if anyone is handling guns.
Keep in mind that you cannot control your neighbor but you can teach your child the tools he/she needs when someone is playing guns around him/her.
You are not being uptight! I would not be ok with a neighbor kid using my driveway for target practice, nor would I allow my children to play with that child if the gun is out. I'd allow them to play together without the BB gun as long as I kept a strict eye out and remind them everytime that if the gun comes out, they are to come home immediately. If the parents supervised and the child used the BB gun safely, I wouldn't mind so much, but this is not a safe situation.
Yes I think you can talk to the parents. Make it more about your daughter getting too close or something, not about how irresponsible their son is or how irresponsible THEY are as parents (Do you WANT to be friends with them?) Hopefully they'll be very nice and accomodating. Ask simply if he can shoot the BB gun in the BACKyard instead of the front. Not sure which is more painful - airsoft or BB. Either way, a shot in the face with either one could do terrible damage to eyes, accident or not.
Whether you ask them about firearms in their house, make sure you simply educate your SON about them. If you teach HIM the rules of gun safety, and if he follows the rules, he should be just fine. ie: "If you see a gun that you think is real, don't touch it. Tell an adult. If the adult is the one showing it to you, tell them that you are not allowed to touch the gun and it's time for you to go home....."
@Cheryl's answer: You can go to NRA's website and purchase gun safety dvds and coloring books (cheap). Or perhaps your library already purchased them and you can rent their materials for free.
Because I hate confrontation, I would call my local police station and ask what the rules are. and then I would tell the police what is going on. and a visit from a cop might make a difference.
My husband is a cop and we have guns, of course. My children love shooting sports and love to target practice. My kids are not allowed to shoot any place except our own property and never into anyone else's property. When my children were 8 they were never allowed to shoot on their own. I would never allow a neighbor child to shoot with my children without permission from their parents and my husband giving them a hunter's safety class. What you describe is an air soft. We have a couple. They have to follow the same rules with the air soft as with the BB and pellet guns.
Hey J.,
I would talk to the boy's parents and express your concern about their child not being supervised while using his BB gun. It could put an eye out!! If the parents are unwilling to supervise their child when he uses it, then you should tell your son that he is to come straight home if the neighbor boy pulls it out. It only takes one accident to create a trip to the hospital.
