is it bad for children to play with toy guns? worse for girls or boys?

[karyn]

from daily mail

Why boys should be allowed to play with toy guns
By LAURA CLARK AND SARAH HARRIS - More by this author » Last updated at 22:35pm on 28th December 2007

Playing with toy weapons helps the development of young boys, according to new Government advice to nurseries and playgroups.

Staff have been told they must resist their "natural instinct" to stop boys using pretend weapons such as guns or light sabres in games with other toddlers.

Fantasy play involving weapons and superheroes allows healthy and safe risk-taking and can also make learning more appealing, says the guidance.

It conflicts with years of "political correctness" in nurseries and playgroups which has led to the banning of toy guns, action hero games and children pretending to fire "guns" using their fingers or Lego bricks.

But teachers' leaders insisted last night that guns "symbolise aggression" and said many nurseries and playgroups would ignore the change.

Gunplay: It may not be as worrying as it looks

The guidance, called Confident, Capable and Creative: Supporting Boys' Achievements, is issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

It says some members of staff "find the chosen play of boys more difficult to understand and value than that of girls." This is mainly because they tend to choose activities with more action, often based outdoors.

"Images and ideas gleaned from the media are common starting points in boys' play and may involve characters with special powers or weapons.

"Adults can find this particularly challenging and have a natural instinct to stop it.

"This is not necessary as long as practitioners help the boys to understand and respect the rights of other children and to take responsibility for the resources and environment."

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes says 'imaginary games are good for their development as well as good fun'

The report says: "Creating situations so that boys' interests in these forms of play can be fostered through healthy and safe risk-taking will enhance every aspect of their learning and development."

It cites a North London children's centre which helped boys create a "Spiderman House" and print pictures of the superhero from the internet.

This led to improvements in their communication, ability to develop storylines in their play and skills in drawing, reading and writing.

The guidance is aimed at boosting boys' achievement. They often fall behind girls even before starting school and the trend can continue throughout their academic careers.

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said: "The guidance simply takes a commonsense approach to the fact that many young children and perhaps particularly many boys, like boisterous, physical activity."

"Although noisy for adults such imaginary games are good for their development as well as good fun."

But Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "The real problem with weapons is that they symbolise aggression.

"The reason teachers often intervene when kids have toy guns is that the boy is usually being very aggressive. We do need to ensure, whether the playing is rumbustious or not, that there is a respect for your peers, however young they are."

Chris Keates, general secretary of the The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) union said: "Many parents take the decision that their children won't have toy weapons."

Research by Penny Holland, academic leader for early childhood at London Metropolitan University, has also concluded that boys should be allowed to play gun games.

She found boys became dispirited and withdrawn when they are told such play-fighting is wrong.

[Black Spiral Dancer]

I played with toy guns when I was younger, my dad would even carve rifles out of planks of wood, (since being one of 6 kids, we had to make do)

I never felt that playing with toy guns warped my mind. I still like having toy guns, just for the memories. It doesn't mean I want a real gun.

[Bikerpunk]

Yes, but you have to understand the politically correct wussery that dictates that you raise boys like girls and girls like boys.

In some places they're even forcing the boys to sit down to pee so as the girls don't feel offended ---- even though that's a biomechanically unsound process that never truly empties the bladder in a human male.

It's about time we just realised. Boys are boys and girls are girls, and there's more biologically to being a boy than having a tummy banana and more to being a girl than having a front bottom.

In fact - I'll go you one further - the shaven headed boot-stomping butch dyke who's INSISTING that girls be raised like men and NO WAY IN HELL should be treated like girls obviously thinks deep down there's something wrong with being a girl.

Or she has a wicked case of penis envy.

Or both.

[Bikerpunk]

Hey, I have penis envy....

I envy the penis belonging to the significant other of Scar, also the one belonging to the significant other of Voltaire as well. Not because of their lengths or girths, just the places they get to frequent.... sigh...

Hey, I've only got one more day to be lecherous and creepy before New Years... sorry ladies...

[Amelia G]

I played with toy guns when I was younger. So did the males in my generation. I played with guns (toy and real) so enthusiastically when I got to college that I was responsible for multiple campus groups furthering such purposes. One of the last group houses I lived in was named Hollowpoint.

[Bikerpunk]

Amelia, thank you so much for providing me with an awesome future double entendre.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

You know, when I was little I played with toy guns. So did most of the girls I knew until the adults decided it wasn't a good idea for the girls and boys to play the same games. Honestly boys and girls pretty much all played the same things until around second grade when girls were told not to be dirty like boys and boys were told not to play sissy games.

Here is a crazy thought. Why don't we let boys and girls play with the same toys and choose for themselves which ones they enjoy? Sixguns and dolls, cowboys and teasets! Why can't kids decide which is fun instead of psychologists?

[Mr Karl]

if the kids decide how are the psychologists going to make a living?maybe we should let the kids decide to put these psychologists out on the street .

[Pull~My~Hair]

I dont let Kaden play with guns because he beats up the animals, when they don't react to him shooting at them he just pistol whips them with the gun, or chases after them yelling.

I spose when hes 5 or 6 it'll be different.But until he understands, he's not allowed any guns. I was allowed to play with guns, but we were absolutley not allowed to point them at the amimals or other people who weren't playing. Kaden has tons of lightsabers though.

[Pull~My~Hair]

and there's more biologically to being a boy than having a tummy banana and more to being a girl than having a front bottom.

hahah!!!! im gonna use that
and I totally have penis envy, if I had a dick i'd stick it everywhere..well everywhere that it looked like it would fit....

[Mr Karl]

hahah!!!! im gonna use that
and I totally have penis envy, if I had a dick i'd stick it everywhere..well everywhere that it looked like it would fit....

that's what it's all about

[drewblood]

i loved toy guns when i was a kid. along with knives and other weapons...i had a huge sharpened stick collection by the age of 12 or so lol.

at 16 my parents bought me my first gun...

and i turned ok... kinda.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

if the kids decide how are the psychologists going to make a living?maybe we should let the kids decide to put these psychologists out on the street .

I think the world will still have plenty of crazy to keep the psychologists employed.

[cheshire centauri]

Yes, but you have to understand the politically correct wussery that dictates that you raise boys like girls and girls like boys.

In some places they're even forcing the boys to sit down to pee so as the girls don't feel offended ---- even though that's a biomechanically unsound process that never truly empties the bladder in a human male.

you are so masculine and cool, suck my dick. you know u want to.

[Bikerpunk]

you are so masculine and cool, suck my dick. you know u want to.

What the fuck?

[Pull~My~Hair]

that's what it's all about

I knew it..I KNEW IT!!!!!

[BookOfFaeye]

I played with guns as a kid, my son is fascinated by Star Wars, soldiers, and guns. He also loves lasers and dangerous animals. So what. The only fights he;s been in at school were one where he protected a younger weaker kid from a couple of bullies (one of whom he tackled and stopped from kicking the boy on the ground) and another whom he jumped in the fight as the child bully was bigger than the kid he was beating on. Both victims were friends of my sons and he did just what I raised him to do. He protected the weak. He's 8 and he's been a hero to 2 class mates. Guns are not a threat, ignorant parents who pay no attention to warning signs or no time trianing their kids are the REAL problem.

Its just like when parents copped out and blame Judas Priest,motorhead, and Marylin Manson for their kids being little bastards. Its really more likely that the parents didn't spend enough time with the kid, teach the kid proper behavior, God anymore just some fucking ettiquite would be nice. (Watch $10 says I just spelled thar wrong.)

Heros are a big deal to us. Fire fighters ecspecially. I come from a fire fighter family. Three generations of them. Cops, Firemen, soldiers, the honor of protecting the weak, the sick, and the scared. We try to instill that into our kids. Then naturally guns fall into their place and weaponery is not a problem. You teach them the sanctity of life and enforce that and love and kindness to your kids and the value of true friendship, and you dont have to worry about your kid going Columbine, platic guns, light sabers, or not.

As for girls not having guns. Come on!!!! How can you pretend episodes of "V" as a kid without laser guns. Gloria had one, and ergo so did I. She kicked total ass. Wonderwoman had weapons, just that whimpy ass laso but she still had that, and she could beat the crap out of people. Girls like violence to some extent too. I took archery in college. My husband and have a sword collection.

Our children have been exposed to our weapon collections as well and the guns at my parents house. If they see one in reach of the smaller two kids the older two come running immediately and tell us to move the guns so the younger kids dont get hurt. Teach a child what to do if they find a real gun. Giving them the toy is a great opportunity to do that. Then occasionally when you see them with thiers, stop them and say "Now if you saw a real gun what would you do?" and reinforce the training. Not often but sometimes. Dont drill them about it but occasional gentle reminders. It works really well. Kids are little adults that dont know things until you respect them enough to tell them in a way they can understand.

[Bikerpunk]

hahah!!!! im gonna use that
and I totally have penis envy, if I had a dick i'd stick it everywhere..well everywhere that it looked like it would fit....

You would rapidly find that unless you were beautiful like Forrest or Joel, finding someone to stick it into is tough.


A not insignificant number of men have given up on this.

It makes me laugh when I read the posts of women imagining what they'd do with a pen0r for a day

9:00 wake up
9:05 engage in vaginal sex with a woman
9:10 engage in anal sex with a woman
9:15 get a blowjob
9:20 get another blowjob

etc.

More like

9:00 wake up with pen0r
9:05 jerk off
9:06 what the hell? That was quick. Oh well.
11:30 okay, it's online again. Great
11:35 hit on chick
11:40 get slapped threatened with being beaten up by her large, muscled friends
12:00 regroup. This dick disappears at midnight. Quick ---- fuck. FUCK. THINK.
12:30 ask male friends the secret to getting laid. Listen to them laugh.
1:00 act suave. Ask woman to dinner. Get told no, you're not beautiful/rich enough
1:05 see 1:00
1:10 see 1:00
1:15 see 1:00
1:20 see 1:00
1:25 see 1:00
1:30 see 1:00
etc

6:00 still not laid. JESUS CHRIST this was so EASY as a woman. All I had to do was take my panties off and go to a bar.
9:00 drunk. Fuck women. Fuck them. All I wanted was to try out this cock. I've got three hours left and every woman I've met has told me to slow down, wants to have three dates first, etc. etc. etc. As I woman, I understand the whole trip of not getting a rep, not wanting to be used etc. BUT GOD DAMN
9:30 explain to girl drunkenly that hey, I'm actually a woman in a man's body, but only til midnight. I have a cock, and I need to use it. Put out. Please.
9:35 stand in alleyway with bouncer helping me to rinse mace out of eyes.
9:45 beaten up by said bouncer cause there's mace in the club and everyone's leaving. Left bleeding in dumpster.
10:15 call all my best female friends, explain situation. Ask to borrow their vagina for short amount of time. Get told that that would really make the coffee mornings the following day rather awkward. Feminist friend hangs up saying don't talk to me ever again.
11:30 Jerk off again. Fill hand with come
11:40 Ask nearby girl to have sex. She says no. Slap girl with come-filled hand. THE CUNT. SHE DESERVED THAT.
11:41 Ask self where the FUCK did that come from. Cry at the fact that I just did that and I'm a woman's studies major.
11:50 Ask nearby girl yet again if she'd have sex. She sleeps in an alleyway and talks to garbage cans, but she squats to piss. She says yes. Awesome!'
11:59 come on come on come on get your panties off (all seven pairs) damn it you said yes
12:00 cock disappears just as I enter her. FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCK FUCK

It's one of those things where people imagine the very best possibility....

Like for example "oh, I wish I lived in the Victorian era" = "oh, I wish I was gorgeous, FUCKING RICH and had royalty or nobility in my blood in the Victorian era". Cause invariably they mention corsets, beautiful fine bone china etc. that only the very very upper classes could afford. The Victorian Era for most people was grinding poverty and hideous pollution and violent crime.

Not all men are these beautiful, gigantically hung creatures either. Some of us are averagely hung and not that good looking and certainly have NO way with women whatsoever.

[Bikerpunk]

RE: The above:

I have NEVER done anything remotely like 11:40 --- just, you know, trying to think of something deeply disturbing that people THINK of doing (and some crass young men WOULD do) but never do ---- to work as a humorous line with "--- but I'm a women's studies major!"

[Pull~My~Hair]

lol 11:40 was my favorite

[evilstonermonkey]

i quite like 9:00 - "drunk. Fuck women. Fuck them."

[TheDeathKnight]

My parents were hippies, and tried to give me hippie toys, and non-violent toys.

So I made toy guns out of sticks.

So they gave up.

I think anything you are denied as a kid, you want it more.
If you are told you can't play with guns, it makes you want to.
If you are told you can't see a naked girl, it makes you want to see one.

[Bikerpunk]

My parents were hippies, and tried to give me hippie toys, and non-violent toys.

So I made toy guns out of sticks.

So they gave up.

I think anything you are denied as a kid, you want it more.
If you are told you can't play with guns, it makes you want to.
If you are told you can't see a naked girl, it makes you want to see one.

That explains why I want to have sex with women so much

[evilstonermonkey]

My parents were hippies, and tried to give me hippie toys, and non-violent toys.

So I made toy guns out of sticks.

So they gave up.

I think anything you are denied as a kid, you want it more.
If you are told you can't play with guns, it makes you want to.
If you are told you can't see a naked girl, it makes you want to see one.

agreed. i was raised aware of drugs and alcohol, and told that if i ever wanted to try them i was allowed, as long as i did it in the safety of my own home so that they knew i was safe. as such, i never felt the need to rebel and experiemnt with them, and made the informed decision to not smoke, do drugs, or drink excessively. kids always want the toy theyve been told they cant have, the cake in the fridge thats being saved for the weekend, the lolly the other kid is eating.