In the last several years, reports of gun violence in Texas and all around the nation seem to be growing at an unsettling rate. What may come as a concern to parents like yourself is the chance that your child is involved in a shooting of some kind. Teaching your children about the dangers of guns and educating them about the proper use and purpose of a gun is critical to keeping them away from any interest in using a gun for the wrong reason.
If you or someone in your family owns guns, you can put restrictions on when and where they are used, implement security measures to ensure they are stored and secured properly and teach your children about the importance of handling a gun responsibly. However, it is equally as important to have educational discussions about the negative consequences of guns when they are not used for their intended purpose. Conversations about such a sensitive topic should be taken seriously and you should ensure that your content is fitting for the ages of your children.
According to Parents.com, some of the rules that you should consider enforcing and encouraging your children to follow in your efforts to deter them from gun violence include the following:
- Guns are only to be used for appropriate activities that have been approved by a parent and are being supervised.
- You must follow protocols to ensure that guns have been properly stored and are locked away in a secure location.
- You should never, ever use a gun without a parent’s supervision.
- You should understand that making threats or jokes about having or owning a gun are serious and never a topic of humor.
The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.
