[Paul]

So let me start off by saying that I am undecided on this question and wanted to get some input from the rest of you. I have 3 young boys (7, 4, 1) and they all know that daddy likes guns. Well maybe the 1 year old doesn't yet, but he has seen me clean my guns dozens of times. My 7 year old is getting to be pretty good with gun handling and shooting. He thinks he has to shoot all my guns everytime I go, and I usually let him. My 4 year old also likes to shoot but doesn't quite have the finger strength to shoot much, but he also knows the rules. They always sit and watch me clean the guns and even "help" a little bit. Both of them have excellent finger control and I rarely catch them putting their fingers on the trigger any more. I am comfortable with guns in our homes. I keep all my ammo locked up and seperate from the guns, except for several loaded handguns that I keep in a gunvault.
At this point the only person that knows I carry a concealed weapon is my wife. No one else knows and I intend on keeping it that way. The thing I am wondering is at what age did your kids discover that you carry a concealed gun? (Either discover intentionally or unintentionally on your part.) Or have you ever told them? I have no plans of telling my boys at their current age, but I expect at some time that they will figure it out. I know how kids are and I really don't want them telling their friends that their dad carries a gun. But I do want them to know at some time that good guys have guns also. I also want them to understand why I choose to carry a gun. I think my oldest may be able to handle a frank conversation about it now, but I also think he really doesn't need to know at this point either. I have no plans of telling him now about my carrying. However both my boys are sharp and will figure it out at some point I would expect. I thought my 4 year-old had "made" me just the other day actually... My plan is to try to keep them in the dark until I feel it is appropriate to tell them and until they are old enough to understand why I don't want other people to know. And I guess if they figure it out before I am ready to tell them, I definetely wont lie to them, I will just have the discussion earlier than I want....and just hope they don't go telling their friends or teachers. I can just see it...my 7 year-old raising his hand at school and announcing to his entire class "My dad has a gun that he takes with him everywhere." (It is funny to think about the expression that would likely be on his teachers face though....)

So what do you guys think and how did the carrying discussion go down with your kids?

-PW

 

[Mazellan]

Before I got my permit I carried openly. So my kids knew I was carrying a gun. I also carried around the house. I wanted them to get use to seeing me with a gun on my hip. The reasoning behind this was so that when we were in public it would not be an issue with them telling every person they saw and bringing unwanted attention.

On a second note, it also helped with my wifes uneasyness about me carrying.

Just my thoughts.

 

[heavykevy]

I didn't want my carrying to become a big issue with my kids so along with a firearms safety lesson I just let them know. My daughter was 12 and my son 7. I explained that it was for the safety of the family and that it wasn't something to share with their friends, teachers, etc. Open carry is something that I have also done both in and out of the house so I am sure there are others that now too.

My family enjoys shooting and hunting and most of them know that I carry too. Part of my decision was to avoid embarrassing moments in public if they discovered my firearm and shouted "Daddy, why do you have a gun!" while sitting in a restaurant or something. It has just become a fact of our lives and there has been no issues to date.

 

[Guest]

My 2-year-old knows I carry. She has a lucid respect for guns.

 

[apollosmith]

My thinking is very similar to PW's. I have a 4 year old and she knows I have guns and knows the rules. But she, in my opinion, doesn't need to know I carry all the time. While I doubt she'd announce it at preschool, I think I'll wait a bit before discussing things with her.

Like PW, my 4 year old is the only one that has 'made' me - "what's THAT daddy?!?"

The other day, totally out of the blue, she says to my wife, "I can touch daddy's gun any time I want to, but ONLY if he's with me." I guess she may (or may have already) made that announcement in public, but it doesn't really bother me what others think.

 

[Udink]

My oldest son was only two years old, and my youngest was three weeks old, when I got my CFP, so for me to start carrying at that point wasn't a big deal to them because they didn't understand the significance (or rarity) of the situation.

When each of them got old enough to talk to them about it, I gave them the talk about why I carry, and why they shouldn't tell others that I carry. It really hasn't been much of an issue because as far as they remember I've always carried a gun and it's completely normal to them.

I suppose things would have been different had they been used to me not carrying for quite some time before I began.

 

[Paul]

Thanks for the replies. Keep em coming.

-PW

 

[Kevin Jensen]

My wife and I both openly carry. We have a 5 year old girl (who owns her own rifle) and a 3 month old boy. Like Mazellan, we wanted our daughter to get used to the fact that we carried, so guns were not something mysterious to her. She rarely ever says anything about our guns, but will sometimes ask if we can go out and shoot hers! She has been well taught by us and we make sure she remembers the rules weekly.

Our rules are...
1. Guns are ALWAYS loaded, even if they are not. (sounds hypocritical, right?)
2. If you find a gun, STOP! Don't touch it, find an adult.
3. If you want to get your gun out of the safe, let us know.

Rule 3 is why she has her own rifle, mom and dads guns don't look as cute as hers!

She keeps asking me to get her the pink one so she can give hers to her little brother.

http://www.crickett.com/TheStore/Rifles/rifles.html

 

[natehunts]

I went through the class with my brother-in-law and his nephew had seen me carry a few times around the house. One time at an outing where I met up with my brother-in-law and his son (6 or 7yr old) and his boy ran up and gave me a hug. He of course felt my gun and yelled to his dad, "dad, uncle nate has a gun". We were in the middle of a store surrounded by others and I looked around and no one seemed to have heard it. Anyway, since then I am a advocate for letting your kids know that you carry and teach them why it is important.

 

[Cinhil]

This subject came up a month or so ago. I mentioned then that I may not have children yet but I do carry around nieces & nephews as well as friends who have children. I have found that being open and honest, in other words being direct and honest is the best thing to do. All those I carry around know I carry, and occasionally they may "make me" when hugging me. When this happens they know first off that it is me who is carrying, and secondly why, thirdly they know all the rules concerning firearms and always obey them when I am with them. If they do not, which hasn't happened, they know they will be sharply admonished for slipping--in a loving manner. I also have taken many of them (I have 40 nieces & nephews) shooting either with their parents, or just they and myself and I have never had any trouble concerning this issue.
Just be open, honest & right up front. Even the most skeptical will eventually overcome any fears--in fact this is how I eventually was able to get one of my nieces to go shooting. She now enjoys when we are able to do so.

 

[Paul]

All those I carry around know I carry,

No offense, but I really don't want everyone that I carry around to know that I carry. I guess this is strictly a difference of opinion. I very much understand and believe in educating people about guns, laws, etc., and being an active voice for guns rights. I also enjoy taking friends and family shooting. I have never run into anyone that hasn't enjoyed it. I think getting people shooting is one of the best ways to educate them. I feel there are lots of ways to educate people without them needing to know that you carry. I don't have a problem with people knowing that I have a concealed carry permit. I guess I would simply rather educate through other means than straight out telling people I carry 24/7.

If I ever need to actually use my gun, I want it to be an absolute surprise to everyone when it actually comes out. I don't want anyone looking at me saying "Get your gun, get your gun." I want to have the tactical advantage of being the only person that knows I have a gun.

I doubt I will ever have to use my gun at a family party or in any situation where I would be concerned about having more than just my immediate family present and in need of protection. I think it is most likely that I would need to use it because I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would expect it most likely that I would be an innocent bystander to something that requires my assistance. Or have an immediate threat on my life by a stranger. I doubt that I would ever need to defend myself against someone I knew! HOWEVER, people talk, and when you tell one person (a family member), they tell 20 more people about their weird or awesome family member (you) and before long everyone in town knows that you carry! I live close to most of my family. For people with family that lives far away, I wouldn't be as concerned about them knowing. But people just flap their gums about way too much stuff that really has no need to be talked about and who knows where that could go.

The last thing I need is for the person that is a stranger to me to know I have a gun, because they know someone that told them...that told them... that told them that I have a gun and carry it with me. I am a business owner in a small town and one of my concerns is being held up or broken into. I simply don't want to give up any advantage I may have because I told someone I carry.

This is simply my opinion and as with any opinion I do reserve the right to change it. LOL. And as with many opinions of mine, they do seem to evolve over time. I guess this is really my whole concern about even telling my kids I carry. I trust my kids, but 4 and 7 year old boys don't really know how to keep secrets very well.

-PW

***Keep the posts coming. There are a bunch of you out there that haven't posted about this subject and I sure would like to hear as many opinions and views as possible.

 

[Jeff Johnson]

I didn't get a CFP until my youngest was 11 or 12 years old.

I informed everyone in my immediate family that I had a permit to carry concealed and why I carry.

If my children had been much younger, I believe I would still have done the same thing. I think that straight-forward, open discussion defuses potentially embarrassing situations. If the small child discovers by accident that Daddy has a gun under his shirt, he/she'll wonder why and it will be a big deal. However, preparing them ahead of time removes the surprise factor.

 

[Cinhil]

In answer to PW's concerns that I tell everyone I carry, I don't however, when it has been necessary, I like Jeff, have been sure to discuss the issue and be open about it. My immediately family knows I carry, this includes many children but none of them have that need, or underlying necessity, as many children do, to tell the world I do carry. When I sat down and discussed the issue with them I made it known then and there that they were not to tell others and this has worked well. I do know that there are many children out there who may tell it to the world but I have not seen that with my nieces and nephews.
Still, the most important thing to do is educate if and when the necessity of the situation may require it. It can be done in ways that are easily explained to children. Above all they must know the rules concerning guns as were reiterated by another poster.

 

[iampacking]

I think the most important point has already been made--emphasis on safety. My kids are 7 and 3 and the 7 year old knows all about it and the 3 year old doesn't. Kids running up to you for a hug have a head right at the same height as your holster if you are OWB and we have had several unintentional goosebumps.
The 7 year old knows enough not to say something in public, but, as pointed out above, I'm not sure what he tells his buddies or what he would say in school. I haven't received any panicked calls....yet. I think he regards it like leaving home with a cell phone and may be surprised to learn that not everyone feels the same.
Al

 

[Guest]

I wish our culture was the kind that wouldn't freak out at the idea of open carry. I think having a forthright, lucid, and armed population would make the world a better place.

 

[leppardlady79]

The only kids endangered around guns are the ignorant. It is vital to our rights, our freedoms and the saftey of us all that children be introduced to shooting early so that they understand guns and know how to use them safely. I Shot my first pistol at the age of four with my granddad. I have six kids, ages 6 to 20 and they all shoot, hunt etc. They know what a gun can do respect them and are safe with them. If you need a good guide to gun saftey for kids I suggest Eddy the Eagle program from the NRA. For us shooting is a family sport. Kids that grow up with a healthy family use of handguns are the safest kids of all. Oh and just to let you know, I am the Mom not the Dad.

 

[tapehoser]

My kids know that I carry, and I have carried in an OWB at times around the house.

But 99% of the time I carry in an IWB and it's concealed. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[Guest]

The only kids endangered around guns are the ignorant. It is vital to our rights, our freedoms and the saftey of us all that children be introduced to shooting early so that they understand guns and know how to use them safely.

Here-here!

 

[Hunter]

Both my kids know I carry. I have talked with them several times that they are not to tell anyone else about it. I have also talked about gun safety with them several times, and continue to review it with them, so they will know what to do should they come across a gun.

 

[Paul]

Both my kids know I carry. I have talked with them several times that they are not to tell anyone else about it. I have also talked about gun safety with them several times, and continue to review it with them, so they will know what to do should they come across a gun.

How old are your kids?

-PW