Gun Safety for Kids

Guidelines for Keeping Kids Safe with Guns in the Home

If you keep guns for home protection or hunting in your home and have children, gun safety for kids is likely a top priority. As it should be. By the time they reach the age of three, they have the physical capability to pull a trigger. So what can you do to ensure their safety? Luckily there are some solid guidelines to keep them safe.

If you’re a hunter and quick access isn’t a concern, safety will be easier. If that is the case, these basic guidelines should be enough for you:

• First and foremost, teach your children to NEVER touch a gun or any gun parts, no matter where they are.
• Keep your guns locked in a safe or other secure location.
• Store the ammo separately from the guns.
• Never leave a weapon out and unattended.

If you keep guns around for personal and home protection, some of the above guidelines may seem to contradict the need for quick and easy access. In this case, there are several options for increasing safety:

• Consider purchasing a personalized gun, or smart gun; while this technology is still relatively young, recent developments make this a viable option for increasing safety with personal protection weapons.
• Bedside gun safes may be your best bet; you can buy ones that fit between your bed and a bedside table, and allow quick access to the weapon’s handle once the correct combination is entered.
• A gun lock like a trigger block can also help; these can be either keyed, or opened with a combination.

Consider these measures, ideally in combination, to increase the safety of home protection firearms when children are a concern.

Finally, make sure your kids are educated on the seriousness of guns. The appropriate time to do so may be when they start to show an interest in guns, either on TV or as toys. Otherwise, use your judgment. If you feel they are at risk of coming across a weapon, and are capable of understanding the conversation, then the time is right. Below are some guidelines for the conversation.

Gun Safety Rules for Kids

• Have an open, honest conversation; simply ordering them to stay away from guns or a gun safe is likely to stimulate their interest.
• Have a talk about real guns vs. toy guns and those on TV; the frequency of shootings on TV and careless use of firearms desensitizes people, especially children, to their truly deadly power.
• If your child has toy firearms, use them to explain the difference between toys and real guns; they should never be able to mistake a gun for a toy.
• Teach them that if they ever come across a gun, they must follow these steps: 
1. STOP
2. Do not touch
3. Leave the area
4. Tell an adult

Ensure that these gun safety rules for kids are fully understood by your child. Don’t make it feel like a lecture. Treat them like a confidant in whom you are investing trust and responsibility. Make it fun and provide a reward for comprehension. Some gun owners even choose to quiz their children on these guidelines, and provide a reward like going out for ice cream for full comprehension. For an extra layer of security, promise such a reward should they ever need to follow these steps and do so successfully.

If you follow all of these steps, you will have achieved a reasonable level of gun safety for children. Always remember to revisit these rules and guidelines to ensure they are fresh in your child’s mind.