Every single year there are over 31,000 deaths because of guns. There are even more injuries than that. What’s tragic is that these accidental shootings can be prevented.
While it is of the utmost importance for everyone to have gun knowledge, if you’re going to have a gun in the same home as a child or teenager, it becomes even more imperative.
Here are 8 gun safety tips every parent should know about.
1. Be on the same page as your partner
It may seem like an afterthought, but gun safety begins with you and your partner teaching the same lesson to your child. When each parent has a different idea about gun safety the child will have a muddled idea about what’s right and what’s wrong.
Take the time to go through a step by step plan with your partner before you start teaching your child. This will be a great time to get all the information needed for gun safety and to create a plan of attack.
2. Real or Fake
There are thousands of different kind of toy guns; some of them super over the top and absurd, others strikingly realistic. It is crucial that your kid knows what is a real gun and what is a fake gun.
Many accidents happen each year when a child doesn’t think the gun is real only to be surprised by firing off a round at someone.
This leads us to our next tip…
3. Always Assume
If your child is not sure a gun is real or fake, they should always assume that it is in fact real. It is necessary that your child treats any unknown gun as if it is a real one.
And they must always assume that the gun, whether real or fake, is loaded. Never assume a gun is not an immediate threat, especially when they find one unexpectedly. They should, in this situation, leave the gun alone and go and find an adult immediately.
4. Not “Adult Supervision”
Adult Supervision is not enough to handle a gun. How would you feel if your child was playing at a friend’s house only to have some unknown adult say it’s okay for them to see or touch a gun they have?
That is absolutely not okay but it is technically ‘adult supervision’.
Make sure you teach your child that they are only allowed to touch a gun with you or your partner and have specific permission. Sadly, some adults are not meant to be trusted and if they feel uncomfortable with an adult trying to show them a gun they should leave immediately and come find you.
5. No Pressure
Explicitly tell them that no real friend would ever, ever pressure them into touching a gun or ask them to get one of your guns.
If they do have a friend like that, your child has to know they can come to you and tell you and you will not get mad at them.
Many times a child will keep something secret, something dangerous, just because they think they might get in trouble with their parent. Make sure they know they can express something like this, even if they already made a mistake, and you’ll be on their side.
While teaching your child is of the utmost importance, there is more you can do. The last few tips were about communication and teaching. The next couple will be more physical deterrents you can take.
6. Store Apart
You should make sure that the gun and ammo are never stored in the same location. Keeping the gun and ammo apart should make it extra difficult for a mistake to occur.
Another good idea is to have different locks for each of them. Say you have a key to your gun safe. You’d want a number lock to where you keep the ammo. And do NOT keep the key to your gun safe with the ammo.
7. More Locks
Not only should the gun and the ammo be under lock, but a trigger lock is a great idea, too. Each layer of protection you create will dramatically reduce the chances of something terrible happening.
Each lock and key, or code, should not lead to one of the others or ever be stored in the same place.
8. Teach
Finally, the best way to protect you, your partner, your children, and everyone else comes with teaching. The more your child knows about how to handle a gun, what is allowed and what is not allowed, the safer everyone will be.
Most of the time the mistakes that come from guns are because of ignorance, a lack of knowing. When you teach your child openly, they will have respect for the destructive and awesome power of a gun.
Having a safe home is a must if you are going to have a gun and a child co-exist. While the news might be full of horrible situations, you can prevent them as much as possible by following these steps.
If, for any reason, you don’t feel that you or your child is safe with a gun in the house, then get rid of the gun. You can keep your gun somewhere else and the peace of mind you’ll have for yourself and your family will be irreplaceable.
