Comments on: Toy guns promote learning?

By: Alison

Alison — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:23:53 +0000

I don’t know about it being typical boy behaviour, but apart from that, I agree with Sally - playing with guns isn’t the same issue as fighting.

We have a weapon cache in one corner of a bedroom - they don’t get played with very often, but they’re not untouched. We have rules about them only being ‘used’ on people who are playing the game, and about not actually hitting people with swords. There have been times when I’ve felt uncomfortable with toy guns, but as Ernest explained to me very patronisingly when he was about 3, they are made of plastic and they can’t really shoot bullets or hurt people.

I can’t remember what we were talking about the other day - some film or tv programme with lots of fighting in - might even have been the A-Team tbh as we’ve been watchign them recently - and my dad voiced some vague concern about our kids watching them, asking if they don’t just become desensitised to violence. C asked him if he thought our kids were violent? He had to admit, that no, they’re really not at all! My brother and I used to fight A LOT, but our lot don’t, and I have zero tolerance for it.

By: SallyM

SallyM — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:15:59 +0000

For me guns would be preferred since they involve distance, its the jumping on part that annoys me! That has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with typical boy behaviour, rolling round all over each other and play fighting. Ban guns and they will still play fight. Tried it with DS1. Gave up by the time it got to DS2! I help in school quite a bit now and guns don’t feature any nursery or school my kids have attended, only imaginary ones in the playground so no, I don’t think they should interfere with the kids free play as long as no-one is getting hurt and like I say, in that respect its not guns that are the problem!

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:50:11 +0000

I subscribe to Mothering magazine (USA), and this article has always stuck in my head: http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/discipline/bang-bang.html
which could be summarised in the following quote from it:
“While adults disapprove, children are often doing the child’s work of play: experimenting with power and excitement, action and reaction, in a safe, make-believe world.”
Certainly the children shouldn’t “run amok” - boundaries and supervision are important - but I think it is a necessary part of growing up, especially for little boys. With two older brothers I probably did more than my fair share of ‘killing’ the enemy, while playing cowboys and indians, but I think I’m a gentle, peace-loving sort of person now, and what’s more, so are my brothers!!

By: Gill

Gill — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:26:56 +0000

Most little boys tend to make guns out of anything, IME, even if you ban them. (Lego, duplo, fingers..) But banning them makes the activity even more enticing, cos it becomes forbidden fruit, doesn’t it? I think it’s one of those things that needs accepting and ignoring as a natural phase that passes. Stressing out over it seems to make it worse.

By: HelenHaricot

HelenHaricot — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:17:50 +0000

yes, I guess I do too, as it seems a bit removed

By: Jax

Jax — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:09:58 +0000

I think I feel a little more comfortable about little figures killing each other in the castle games than I do about Small leaping on his friends and making them cry.

No house specifically in the offing, but still on drive to make this one saleable by excavating crud!

By: HelenHaricot

HelenHaricot — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:01:29 +0000

I don’t think you can completely avoid ‘killing’ games. after all, we have a castle and knights, the cousins got light sabers for Xmas etc etc. But I do feel uncomfortable about it. I am very middle class though…
And excellent news on the decluttering. Is there a house in the offing?