Mom4bob,

I phrased it that way “naturally” because whether this couple last for 2 months or 20 years, people will have something to point out that their doing wrong. Regardless of what they do. I can always set my clock and just scroll down to read someone finding fault with whatever they are doing. So I’m happy that they have managed to live a life inspite of the negativity.

i dont allow my boys to play with guns at all and never will but my husbands family are constantly over ruling me and let them play with them in there house I live next door whole other issue but I find the idea of a 3 year old making a guin sound pretending to shot his mother or father discusting, with my 5 year old having some understanding now of what death is he dosent do it anymore but yet my father in law bought them a gun each for Christmas last year and I threw it out the same as the year before and the scarey part about it is the toy guns are starting ot look more and more like the real thing anyway.
I also think as a socioty in general we are becoming decinsitised to violence so why not let our children have a childhood where they dont have to see blood and guts on a movie screen bring back the old disney movie anyday thats what we watch in our household. and parents whose kids are watching these things wake up to yourselves and realise the damage you are doing to the next generation

My son of 5 years plays with toy guns and dolls. His guns don’t look as real ones. In Holland it is illegal to play with black and look o likes guns.
Aslong you guide your child how to play with it and teach them that real ones are dangerous.It will turns out that they will be oke.My friend who is a child psychologist, she let her clients play with toy guns. Children need to express there anger when they are playing.
I’am against any voilents, don’t get me wrong.
Just let the children explore there emotions.

I’m an adult and I would absolutely buy my kids toy guns. Toy guns don’t make kids violent. Every generation before this one grew up playing with guns. They weren’t violent. Today’s overprotected, sheltered kids are the ones who are violent.

I have a question, Meela. On what basis do you state that I would “naturally” find this situation ironic?

Using this term implies that you and I are aquainted on some level – well enough for you to have an idea of what is “natural” to my way of thinking.

As far as I recall, we have never met.

Hey meela,

I thank you for taking the words right out of my mouth – it was actually my very next thought. LOL Incidentally, I also don’t agree with parents telling their kids not to smoke when they do.

We grown-ups can try to justify our behavior all we like, but practicing what one preaches is a reality that cannot be denied.

Head, meet desk. Desk, head.

Yaosa, I would strongly encourage you to read the article I linked to at the top. It’s understandable that you and a lot of parents have concerns about kids play-fighting, and whether or not that turns them violent. However, pretend violence is harmless, as it is not a predictor of real-world violence, and the more you impose those sorts of outright limits, the more your kids will want to test them. See if this changes your mind, and if it doesn’t, let me know exactly why you disagree.

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2000/06/violent_media.html

And I would also like to challenge the belief that we live in such a violent society. FBI stats have shown a steadily decreasing crime rate, both among juveniles and society at large, and that violent crime is at its lowest point in nearly 30 years.

I can’t believe I’m actually going to defend Angelina and Brad, but here it goes. Mom4bob, I understand your point. However, Angelina’s and Brad’s violent films (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Seven, Lara Croft, etc.) are all movies that are either rated PG-13 or R-meaning that they are not intended to be seen by children 5 and younger, which is what their kids are. Older people are (hopefully) able to understand that the violence they are seeing on TV or in the movies is fake, stylized, and unacceptable in the real world. Children, on the other hand, are more often than not too immature to understand that what is on TV or in movies or stories is not real (why else would so many children fear imaginary villains like monsters or The Boogeyman?)
That said, I see your point as I said already. Who knows what they’ll let their kids do or not do when they get older. For right now, though, I think they’re only trying to shield their kids from age-inappropriate material, which is how it should be.

I’m totally on board with their line of thinking.

My mother didn’t allow toy guns or water guns in our house and I have the same policy in our house. I don’t allow my children to watch violent films or cartoons. I have a strong belief that talking with your children is the best way to prevent them from engaging in bad behaviors. My children know exactly why I don’t allow them to play with toy guns, swords or any other item which can be used as a weapon and as a result they inform me if other children play with weapons when they have play dates. When that occurs, no more play dates with those children. Parents may not always have control over all aspects of their childrens lives but choosing their friends and playmates while they are young and still in one’s charge is a way to help them differentiate and remain true to themselves and their values.

I don’t think it’s ok to encourage children to ‘pretend’ kill and I think it’s irresponsible of many parents to allow their children to engage in violent activities or observe violence passively through the television. Too many people assume that all animated films are ok for children. Many of them are very violent both physically and verbally. And then we wonder why we live in such a violent society.

Diana,
Myabe not ALL, but look at the history. There are school shootings in the US constantly, where there is virtually none anywhere else in the world. Obviously there’s a reason for that. Have you ever seen the movie Bowling for Columbine? All the info is right there about the gun obsessed mentality of the United States.