Wondering What Other Moms Think

This issue alone has me 100% convinced that boys and girls are 'wired' differently from conception! My almost 4yr old does the same thing. Yesterday he told me that bad guys were going to come get me and I would die! THIS from the sweetest child to ever walk the earth!!! Then he handed me a toy and told me to pretend to shoot him so he could die. Im wondering where my child got all of this, he's only at daycare 1 day a week! I guess I don't have any advice except that you are not alone and it must just be a boy thing...

This too shall pass...? (I hope)
~L.

PS We also redirect and do not indulge his gun play requests. However, I am thrilled that my kids are 'normal' and I refuse to overanalyze his every action. Kids at play in a loving, structured household do not end up shooting their classmates!

Hi C.,
It's a boy thing. Both of mine did that at around that age. Don't make too big a deal out of it, my boys adore their grandfather who is a Marine and avid hunter. I told them that they need to listen to everything Grandpa had to say on this matter and I backed my father up. Yeah they STILL do it, but they know the difference and they realize what a gun can do to a body (duck hunting etc.) and that it is not a toy.
Boys generally like guns, and trucks and things that go BOOM, and find it dead funny when another guy gets hit in the yoo-hoos. Try to find a balance with it.
I had to wait for Saun to stop putting a bucket on his head and running into things. Took about 3 months.
God Bless
W.

I'm going to disagree with the other Moms.

My almost 6yr old son does NOT do this and has never done it.

We do not allow guns of any kind in the house not even quirt guns.

We have talked to him about why guns are not safe.

We have explained to him that it's not nice to even pretend to shoot someone.

We have a rule about no rough/violent play even in pretend. It's just not allowed.

Just because he's a boy doesn't mean I turn my head from violence (play or pretend doesn't matter a bit) I redirect him and remind him that violence of any kind is not appropriate in play.

Yes boys and girls are hardwired differently, just because a boys nature is to be rougher doesn't mean I have to nurture it.

Hi,
My son started doing the same thing and it was very odd because I dont even let him play with squirt guns. No play guns in our house because daddy owns real ones and I want my kids to know the importance of gun safety. But, all of a sudden he started doing the gun thing with his fingers too. I told him it wasnt nice and started turning his attention to something else and pretty soon he stopped doing it. As long as you teach him about the importance of gun safety, I'm sure he will outgrow it. They are boys:-)

I disagree with the phrase its a boy thing. our children will inevitably pick things up from daycare, school, freinds. We cant shield them from that but we can educate them with our morals and what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Explain that guns are hurtful and that those are toys we dont play with. My son was taught that from an early age and now him being 9 he has that instilled in him that guns whether be toy or real are not to be played with.