Gun play

[theatokos]

This is a post for all those born male and for mothers of males.

If you are a male, did you play with guns? Did you turn non-gun items into imaginary guns? Do you think this is something innate in males? If not, where did you learn this behaviour from? As an adult male now do you have any parenting perspectives on this, or advice for the new mama of a male?

For mothers of males, do your sons play with guns or have gun play? If so, at what age did this start? Does this bother you? If so, how do you discourage this? Any thoughts for a new mama?

Comments

[gramina.livejournal.com]

Um... Not a boy (*doublechecks*), not a mother, but my sister and I played cops and robbers when I was little -- say, somewhere between 4 and 9, because of where we were living?

We made "guns" out of sticks or fingers, and the only rule was that we could only point the play-guns at people who were *also playing,* because -- the BIG RULE about guns -- *You never, ever, ever, *ever* point a gun at anything you're not prepared to kill.* If that's a fictional character in your game, fine; but if it's someone who's not playing, then it's not ok.

I still have that rule well enough embedded in my backbrain that if I'm holding a water pistol and someone I'm not planning to squirt passes through my range-of-fire (I mean, water), I point the water pistol at the ground.

FWIW, and all that.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

No, this is good! I'm really interested in this. Maybe I shouldn't have been so narrow in my appeal.

[raving-liberal.livejournal.com]

*You never, ever, ever, *ever* point a gun at anything you're not prepared to kill.* If that's a fictional character in your game, fine; but if it's someone who's not playing, then it's not ok.


YES! This is a very important rule of weapons, be they real or play.