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I don't think I was/am out of line here but I'm open to perspective.
I'm ambivalent about toy guns, and feel their appropriateness varies a lot. However, I am not anti-gun overall, nor am I a helicopter parent.
My kid's friend, a 10 YO boy, is into nerf guns and Airsoft pistols. He has a VERY real looking airsoft pistol at the moment. We're very good friends with his parents.
99.99% of the time I don't interfere with another's parenting and certainly never outside my own home.
But...I admit that I am not thrilled with how this boy's parents deal with this pistol. They think they're far more judicious than they actually are. I find the boy's use of this pistol as potentially dangerous and haphazard and irresponsible.
Long story short: he's staying with us for a weekend and I asked my wife if we can tell them no pistol. I don't want it in my house.
ALthough this can be viewed as simply as "my house my rules," given our friendship with his parents I am not sure how to be appropriate yet firm about it.
I let my 5 year old play with nerf guns, but he has to wear eye protection (those things shoot HARD and quite a long distance!) to play with them. He is also never allowed to shoot them at his sister, the dogs, or any other human being. He likes setting up targets like his plastic dinosaurs or lego men, etc.
With permission, he may point and shoot laser tag guns at other consenting, participating people.
All his guns (that actually shoot) are put away out of his reach and doled out at the discretion of an adult supervisor.
We have guns in our home (in safes) and we take gun safety VERY seriously. No, we would not let him take his guns to someone else's home.
But your question about what goes on in your house is a different point entirely. It's your house. What you say goes. Period.
I let my 5 year old play with nerf guns, but he has to wear eye protection (those things shoot HARD and quite a long distance!) to play with them. He is also never allowed to shoot them at his sister, the dogs, or any other human being. He likes setting up targets like his plastic dinosaurs or lego men, etc.
With permission, he may point and shoot laser tag guns at other consenting, participating people.
All his guns (that actually shoot) are put away out of his reach and doled out at the discretion of an adult supervisor.
We have guns in our home (in safes) and we take gun safety VERY seriously. No, we would not let him take his guns to someone else's home.
But your question about what goes on in your house is a different point entirely. It's your house. What you say goes. Period.
I think his parents have a different idea of how responsible he is with his airsoft pistol, and when they're present they are OK with him having it and playing with it with few restrictions. To me, it's real enough looking and he's aggressive and careless enough with it that I cringe when I'm around. But it's not my house.
I just don't want to be insulting when I tell them not to bring it to my house. I guess I could white lie and say "I won't be able to supervise as well as you can." Or something...
Do you have younger kids? Just say you are worried about your younger kids. Or fib and say you are expecting a younger niece or nephew who can be grabby about things that aren't theirs.
I think his parents have a different idea of how responsible he is with his airsoft pistol, and when they're present they are OK with him having it and playing with it with few restrictions. To me, it's real enough looking and he's aggressive and careless enough with it that I cringe when I'm around. But it's not my house.
I just don't want to be insulting when I tell them not to bring it to my house. I guess I could white lie and say "I won't be able to supervise as well as you can." Or something...
I still don't understand how he's dangerous/aggressive with it or what how real it looks has anything to do with anything.
I hope he never brandishes it at a policeman. He might end up dead.
Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind.
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