Airsoft Guns
caradove
Hi,
My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
is trying to get them banned.
What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
not fashioned like an actual gun?
Any ideas on this?
Cara
My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
is trying to get them banned.
What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
not fashioned like an actual gun?
Any ideas on this?
Cara
Vickisue Gray
There's an Airzooka. It's sold in many stores and online. We've gone through a couple of these and have used them around Halloween to shoot fog clouds. Here's a Youtube clip on them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH3lqTNHtZM%c2%a0%c2%a0 The super sized one doesn't really shoot any better. It just looks bigger, lol.
We have lots of airsoft stuff, too. They do make some airsoft traps that catch the balls so the guns can be used indoors. My spouse is a big kid, so we have lots of 'boy toys' including blow dart guns. You can use a regular dart board to fire at with these.
Hope this helps. My spouse has a wealth of information, so if you would like some more ideas, I can ask him.
Vicki
----- Original Message ----
From: caradove <caradove@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:56:01 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Airsoft Guns
Hi,
My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
is trying to get them banned.
What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
not fashioned like an actual gun?
Any ideas on this?
Cara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We have lots of airsoft stuff, too. They do make some airsoft traps that catch the balls so the guns can be used indoors. My spouse is a big kid, so we have lots of 'boy toys' including blow dart guns. You can use a regular dart board to fire at with these.
Hope this helps. My spouse has a wealth of information, so if you would like some more ideas, I can ask him.
Vicki
----- Original Message ----
From: caradove <caradove@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:56:01 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Airsoft Guns
Hi,
My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
is trying to get them banned.
What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
not fashioned like an actual gun?
Any ideas on this?
Cara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Professional Parenting
With four boys in the house, we have airsoft too. I didn't know there was a catch for indoor use. I know that when I pull sheets out of the linen closet, there are hundreds of little balls that fall on the floor! LOL!
I've sent the boys outside and they have taped pre-printed paper targets to the trees for shooting practice.
Judy Arnall, Peaceful Parenting Expert, Speaker and Author of "Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery" www.professionalparenting.ca Tele: (403) 714-6766 Email jarnall@... "Peace In The World Begins In The Home"
I've sent the boys outside and they have taped pre-printed paper targets to the trees for shooting practice.
Judy Arnall, Peaceful Parenting Expert, Speaker and Author of "Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery" www.professionalparenting.ca Tele: (403) 714-6766 Email jarnall@... "Peace In The World Begins In The Home"
----- Original Message -----
From: Vickisue Gray
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Airsoft Guns
There's an Airzooka. It's sold in many stores and online. We've gone through a couple of these and have used them around Halloween to shoot fog clouds. Here's a Youtube clip on them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH3lqTNHtZM The super sized one doesn't really shoot any better. It just looks bigger, lol.
We have lots of airsoft stuff, too. They do make some airsoft traps that catch the balls so the guns can be used indoors. My spouse is a big kid, so we have lots of 'boy toys' including blow dart guns. You can use a regular dart board to fire at with these.
Hope this helps. My spouse has a wealth of information, so if you would like some more ideas, I can ask him.
Vicki
----- Original Message ----
From: caradove <caradove@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:56:01 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Airsoft Guns
Hi,
My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
is trying to get them banned.
What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
not fashioned like an actual gun?
Any ideas on this?
Cara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
~~My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun~~
He's interested in a gun though right? This feels like you're setting
it up for a power struggle. Your experiences don't need to be his
baggage. You can share with him why real guns bother you, but he
doesn't need to feel guilt about being fascinated with weaponry.
We're big airsoft gun lovers though. I plan to buy one for myself
eventually. The kids have had a ball with them. THey're intelligent
human beings that know the difference between a real gun and a toy.
None of my children would intentionally want to harm someone with a
real weapon.
Ren
there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
or park, without the gun~~
He's interested in a gun though right? This feels like you're setting
it up for a power struggle. Your experiences don't need to be his
baggage. You can share with him why real guns bother you, but he
doesn't need to feel guilt about being fascinated with weaponry.
We're big airsoft gun lovers though. I plan to buy one for myself
eventually. The kids have had a ball with them. THey're intelligent
human beings that know the difference between a real gun and a toy.
None of my children would intentionally want to harm someone with a
real weapon.
Ren
Vickisue Gray
>>>>He's interested in a gun though right?This was an issue I was thinking about. Even if you got your son the coolest ever alternative type of targeting item, it just wouldn't be the same. Kids, people, get a hankering for an item and it's that item they want. Sure they can play with alternatives but that won't stop the desire for what they really want.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Vickisue Gray <vickisue_gray@...>
This was an issue I was thinking about. Even if you got your son the
coolest
ever alternative type of targeting item, it just wouldn't be the same.
Kids,
people, get a hankering for an item and it's that item they want. Sure
they can
play with alternatives but that won't stop the desire for what they
really
want.
-=-=-=-
That reminds me of my friend, Susan, who wanted a horse.
Her parents got her hamsters, a rabbit, two cats, and a dog in order to
keep her "happy enough."
Had they just gone ahead and bought the HORSE, imagine how happy
*everyone* could have been. <G>
The hamsters died. The horse went with Susan to college. The rabbit,
the cats, and the dog belonged to the *parents* for YEARS. <G>
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
From: Vickisue Gray <vickisue_gray@...>
This was an issue I was thinking about. Even if you got your son the
coolest
ever alternative type of targeting item, it just wouldn't be the same.
Kids,
people, get a hankering for an item and it's that item they want. Sure
they can
play with alternatives but that won't stop the desire for what they
really
want.
-=-=-=-
That reminds me of my friend, Susan, who wanted a horse.
Her parents got her hamsters, a rabbit, two cats, and a dog in order to
keep her "happy enough."
Had they just gone ahead and bought the HORSE, imagine how happy
*everyone* could have been. <G>
The hamsters died. The horse went with Susan to college. The rabbit,
the cats, and the dog belonged to the *parents* for YEARS. <G>
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
juillet727
Hi Cara--
I have a 9 yr old who loves the airsoft guns. And I had big
reservations about getting him one too. But now he has a couple
different styles.
Anyway, some things that helped me:
I would totally prefer my son to learn the safe way to handle guns of
any kind with my support than without it. He's not one to go behind my
back, but he has no reason to. And I'd bet the kids going around your
neighborhood shooting birds and pets don't have the support of a
loving grown-up.
My son recently joined a "shooting sports" club (through 4H, if your
in the U.S.) so that he can dive deeper into his love of guns and bows
and arrows. All the parents participate and are very involved with
helping their kids be safe and responsible. There will be shooting
practice at a shooting range and everyone gets a chance to make their
own bow and arrows if they want. It's very cool and
our life would look very different if I had just said, "I'm sorry--I
hate guns and the death and murder that happens with them and you
can't have an airsoft right now." Do I still get uncomfortable with
guns? Yes, sometimes. And my son knows this. My fears and past are not
my son's problem. Do I say I hate guns anymore? No. I've grown. I know
the difference between safe and responsible gun handling and hideous
crimes. I still get afraid, but I'm learning how empowering it is for
me to learn about something I used to fear.
I would strongly encourage you to be open to your son and find a way
to say "yes" for the airsoft gun. It would be an awesome way to show
your son that you trust him. And researching places for him to go
about using it safely can give him some guidance. And you'll learn a
whole lot. You'll be a team with it.
It's not a "Here's your new gun! See you at dinner time, honey."
There's all sorts of ways to go about getting both your needs met--you
want safety (I'm guessing) and he wants a gun. There are many ways to
say yes.
~~Juillet
I have a 9 yr old who loves the airsoft guns. And I had big
reservations about getting him one too. But now he has a couple
different styles.
Anyway, some things that helped me:
I would totally prefer my son to learn the safe way to handle guns of
any kind with my support than without it. He's not one to go behind my
back, but he has no reason to. And I'd bet the kids going around your
neighborhood shooting birds and pets don't have the support of a
loving grown-up.
My son recently joined a "shooting sports" club (through 4H, if your
in the U.S.) so that he can dive deeper into his love of guns and bows
and arrows. All the parents participate and are very involved with
helping their kids be safe and responsible. There will be shooting
practice at a shooting range and everyone gets a chance to make their
own bow and arrows if they want. It's very cool and
our life would look very different if I had just said, "I'm sorry--I
hate guns and the death and murder that happens with them and you
can't have an airsoft right now." Do I still get uncomfortable with
guns? Yes, sometimes. And my son knows this. My fears and past are not
my son's problem. Do I say I hate guns anymore? No. I've grown. I know
the difference between safe and responsible gun handling and hideous
crimes. I still get afraid, but I'm learning how empowering it is for
me to learn about something I used to fear.
I would strongly encourage you to be open to your son and find a way
to say "yes" for the airsoft gun. It would be an awesome way to show
your son that you trust him. And researching places for him to go
about using it safely can give him some guidance. And you'll learn a
whole lot. You'll be a team with it.
It's not a "Here's your new gun! See you at dinner time, honey."
There's all sorts of ways to go about getting both your needs met--you
want safety (I'm guessing) and he wants a gun. There are many ways to
say yes.
~~Juillet
--- In [email protected], "caradove" <caradove@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> My twelve yo has been campaigning for an airsoft gun for a few weeks
> now. I am very uncomfortable about guns, I grew up in N Ireland with a
> strong military presence on the streets daily, shootings,
> knee-cappings on the news, armed checkpoints etc.
>
> So that is my personal experience, we live in a built up area with a
> small yard, there are sometimes kids with pellet or beebee guns
> walking around shooting birds dead on the street, a neighbouring town
> is trying to get them banned.
>
> What interested my son is when we were on vacation way in the country
> and homeschool friends had airsofts in the woods and shooting targets.
> There was no targeting small animals there, round here is a big
> hunting mentality and plenty of cruelty to dogs, cats, etc.
>
> My first reaction is to say no. Can someone suggest an activity where
> there is the fun of target practice, maybe something safe for the yard
> or park, without the gun. Or a link to a product that shoots but is
> not fashioned like an actual gun?
>
> Any ideas on this?
>
> Cara
>
nicole durbin
How about making your own targets? Seems like your fear is of causing unnecessary pain to animals, so maybe having fun making your own cool, hand-painted/spray-painted/fabric targets would help focus on the fun of shooting?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
amflowers71
I am not really an unschooler (more of a trainee unschooler!!) but had
a few practical ideas for you if that is okay?
is it possible that the fun your son had on holiday was not about the
rifle, but about all that outdoor fun and adventure he had with his
friends? He might not know how to distinguish the two very well.
I do think though that if he really does want an airgun then it is
unlikely that anything else will work for him. Although maybe you cld
still talk it through with him and see if this really is the case?
If it really is the airgun thing that he wants, then for me, I would
feel a whole lot happier looking at the whole thing from the
perspective that it is a sport, which is exactly what your son
experienced when he was on holiday. It doesn't need to be something
cruel or violent, and it certainly doesn't sound as if that is what
has appealed to your son.
Just because all kind of stuff is going on outside your door, it
doesn't mean that your son is going to do the same. Especially if you
can meet his wishes in a way that makes both of you feel happy if you
see what I mean.
I guess you are in America? I have no idea what goes on over there,
but rather than hanging round with local kids shooting birds, could
you track down a teens sports shooting club? Paintball type clubs or
target practice etc? can you think of any other families/relatives
etc who might feel the same way as you and whose children would love
to meet up once a month in the woods for proper airsoft games?
I would feel similarly about guns, but I don't feel so uneasy about
bows and arrows and swords. I can't quite place why, maybe guns ARE a
world apart from some other kinds of play, or maybe it's just in our
own imaginations and coloured by our own lives?
Sorry to waffle on.
Best wishes.
a few practical ideas for you if that is okay?
is it possible that the fun your son had on holiday was not about the
rifle, but about all that outdoor fun and adventure he had with his
friends? He might not know how to distinguish the two very well.
I do think though that if he really does want an airgun then it is
unlikely that anything else will work for him. Although maybe you cld
still talk it through with him and see if this really is the case?
If it really is the airgun thing that he wants, then for me, I would
feel a whole lot happier looking at the whole thing from the
perspective that it is a sport, which is exactly what your son
experienced when he was on holiday. It doesn't need to be something
cruel or violent, and it certainly doesn't sound as if that is what
has appealed to your son.
Just because all kind of stuff is going on outside your door, it
doesn't mean that your son is going to do the same. Especially if you
can meet his wishes in a way that makes both of you feel happy if you
see what I mean.
I guess you are in America? I have no idea what goes on over there,
but rather than hanging round with local kids shooting birds, could
you track down a teens sports shooting club? Paintball type clubs or
target practice etc? can you think of any other families/relatives
etc who might feel the same way as you and whose children would love
to meet up once a month in the woods for proper airsoft games?
I would feel similarly about guns, but I don't feel so uneasy about
bows and arrows and swords. I can't quite place why, maybe guns ARE a
world apart from some other kinds of play, or maybe it's just in our
own imaginations and coloured by our own lives?
Sorry to waffle on.
Best wishes.