I didn't have toy guns in the house when J was little because guns are NOT toys. But he made a gun out of almost anything. I gave him dolls - they were hugged, cared for, shot, beaten up, "karate" moves practiced on. J's best friend was his female cousin. Given the same toys they played with them differently. J wanted to hit and smash and fight. Sarah didn't.

It didn't bother me. Why should it? As long as J learned to not hit others, not break things, to take turns and to share - why should I impose my will to try to change the person that he is? Why should I make my son a social experiment? And why should I try to associate "bad" with "gun"? Guns aren't bad.

I had the Annie Oakley outfit with toy guns.