Kids and Firearms:
I love firearms.
I love shooting them, modifying them, buying them, and hunting with them. It is my hobby and passion, as it is for many folks in the US. One of the biggest adjustments was after our kids were a few years old, and I realized they get into EVERYTHING. How does a two-year-old get onto the top of a bookshelf or into the top of a linen closet but not tie their shoes? One of the biggest concerns we have as parents is protecting the homestead, but it comes with a huge responsibility to ensure our firearms don’t fall into innocent hands. So, what are we to do?
Know where your guns are
When my kids were first born, I had stashed a few guns around the house in the event of a bad event happening, and while I carry them all the time at home, I am not always home with my wife and kids. When not mobile, it wasn’t a big deal, and we did have a few times we needed to get to that firearm quickly as we lived in the country and had to deal with several four-legged predators and, on two occasions, two-legged threats. When my first kiddo turned 2.5 years old, our mutual family friend had a kid the same age, and they were inseparable, which was great because our families were tight-knit. They visited a pregnant friend, and her husband was away for work. Unbeknownst to his wife, or my friends, the husband had a loaded firearm on a bedside table in a room for guests that no one knew was there. The young child found the gun, and the child fatally discharged the firearm three days before his birthday. I could never imagine the hurt their family endured or the guilt of the family they visited….it devastated all involved. All my squirreled-away firearms were rounded up and put under lock and key because it wasn’t worth the risk to me. In the military, you could get absolutely destroyed if you lost accountability for your sensitive items, including your weapon.
Have them on you
I am a big fan of carrying all the time. It is a habit that I think is a good one. However, when snuggled up with my family to watch a movie at night, getting poked in the side with an uncomfortable holster will prevent me from carrying. I have not had that issue since I got my Original holster, and it allows me the flexibility to carry in sweats or shorts with no issue. The other thing with the Original is, as you can see on our website, they are magnetic, so you can affix them to the sides of the bed, filing cabinets in your office, or other metal objects. This also helps you to keep them away from your kiddos as they are not lying about it because it is on you or next to you.
Biometric/Magnetic safes
There are many options ranging from safes with a key code or magnetic bracelet to wall-mounted fake pictures that reveal a handgun/rifle. I feel these help with the delicate balance of rapid firearm acquisition and keeping them away from kids (and potential criminals). However, this only will work if the people you are trying to prevent from using them do not know they are there or how to use them. This is crucial because if I have a neat safe that everyone knows is there, it ceases to be a prevention method.
As responsible gun owners, we must ensure we protect our families, which sometimes includes the tools we use to keep them safe.
Author: Ian Bolser