Do You Allow "Weapons"?

[Christina72684]

My kids, especially the boys, want to turn anything and everything into a weapon and play with it.....legos become a gun, toy screw driver is a sword, these round connecting things called Popoids bc futuristic space guns, etc. I tell them over and over, "No weapons at daycare."

Do you allow them to pretend to use guns, swords, etc or do you tell them they can't? I like them to use their imagination and no one pretends to die or anything gruesome, but I just don't like violence.

[Leanna]

I run a gun/weapon free daycare. I do not allow weapon toys of any kind. I do see their creativity when they turn something into a gun/sword/alien ray shooter/etc., but I explain that guns hurt people and that we don't hurt each other, real or pretend. I also do not allow "dead" or "kill" play. I tell them that so many people would be so, so very sad if they died so we don't pretend it.

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

I have a "no shooting" rule. They get way too rowdy when they play this way, inside and outside. There is plenty other ways to play here and things to do. That kind of play is forbidden at school. Why should I allow it here?

[Second Home]

No guns or weapons here either , I try to redirect them or say they can pretend to squirt
water .
The new dcb came in today with a 2 ft long sword , sorry it has to stay in tbe cubby or back in tne car .

[nannyde]

No gun play. It's so limiting and they fixate on it. It shuts down their ability to move onto anything else.

I don't allow any noise toys for the same reason. I don't like how it paralyzes their desire to do anything else.

[Blackcat31]

I have a "no shooting" rule. They get way too rowdy when they play this way, inside and outside. There is plenty other ways to play here and things to do. That kind of play is forbidden at school. Why should I allow it here?

I DO allow it. I totally understand why the schools can't and won't but I do allow it because I believe it is a part of healthy development.

Some kids focus on it a bit more than others, some take it to extremes and some have never participated or desired to take part in anything of the sort.

The kids that try to take it to the extreme are prime candidates for education and the ones who do choose to play, do so in developmentally appropriate ways.

Gun play, sword fighting and other similar play behaviors are all part of the timeless struggle between good guys and the bad guys. The female sex takes part in their own ways (Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella & her wicked step-mother....etc). It's all part of good verses evil.

It's fantasy play that can be used and done in a productive manner.

Banning something is never the cure. Education and moderation serves me much better and in much more positive ways than outright not allowing something that has been proven time and time again to be inherent in the behavior of humans.

There have been many studies that have proven this theory.

IMHO, gun play is no more the cause of violence than toy kitchen sets are the cause of obesity.

[spinnymarie]

I won't *encourage* it, by having look-alike weapons around. However, shooters made out of Legos, swords made out of pipe cleaners... I'm fine with it. We talk about it, we don't ever fight real people, only imaginary people or bad guys or 'bad animals' as my son calls it. And if a real person gets hurt by the pretend fighting, then it is over for the day.

[daycare]

where we lives guns are not acceptable by society, so NO. We do not allow any kind of violent play with or without weapons.

I also don't allow for the kids to play games in which they state, "I killed you, you're dead." Or things like this.

[daycare]

I DO allow it. I totally understand why the schools can't and won't but I do allow it because I believe it is a part of healthy development.

Some kids focus on it a bit more than others, some take it to extremes and some have never participated or desired to take part in anything of the sort.

The kids that try to take it to the extreme are prime candidates for education and the ones who do choose to play, do so in developmentally appropriate ways.

Gun play, sword fighting and other similar play behaviors are all part of the timeless struggle between good guys and the bad guys. The female sex takes part in their own ways (Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella & her wicked step-mother....etc). It's all part of good verses evil.

It's fantasy play that can be used and done in a productive manner.

Banning something is never the cure. Education and moderation serves me much better and in much more positive ways than outright not allowing something that has been proven time and time again to be inherent in the behavior of humans.

There have been many studies that have proven this theory.

IMHO, gun play is no more the cause of violence than toy kitchen sets are the cause of obesity.

your last line made me laugh..... This could be so true. Thank goodness we don't have a toy fryer.

I can see your point, you live in an area where it is normal to have a gun right??

[llpa]

I also do not encourage it and do not forbid it. If it comes up in play thruout the day, we discuss whatever is appropriate and move on. I don't know if I will always feel that way, but so far it hasn't been a big deal here. That is prob because my dcks are younger. (2 & 3)

[Blackcat31]

your last line made me laugh..... This could be so true. Thank goodness we don't have a toy fryer.

I can see your point, you live in an area where it is normal to have a gun right??

Yes. I live in an area where having guns is common.

I don't think I know a single family that doesn't own a gun.

Plinking guns for back yard target practice
Rifles for small/large game
Hand guns for personal protection

Guns are VERY common here. So is education and safety.
99.9% of the kids in my community take Gun Safety courses/classes at 12 yrs old. Both my son and my daughter included.

[Patches]

Nope. No guns, no swords, no play fighting. I also may be taking it to the extreme here, but i also dont allow superheroes.

[daycarediva]

I think power play is SUPER important and I don't discourage it. I allow power play, with limits set. No gun play. Designated area. Designated times. If I allowed gun play locally, I would have a hard time keeping clients (although 2 of my current clients not only allow gun play, but inappropriate adult tv violence and rated M video games).

This is an awesome handout from Lisa Murphy about power play.

http://www.ooeygooey.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bang-bang-youre-dead.pdf

They get creative with their power play because of it. One little dude loves being a police officer. He comes up with different reasons why he doesn't have his gun, dropped it, left it home, bad guy stole it, out of ammo, can't see in the fog, etc.

It works well here for my group. I do a LOT of redirection with the two children I mentioned above, but the rest understand it beautifully.

[Heidi]

Precisely because so many families here have guns is why I do not allow gun play. There is no way a 3 year old can tell the difference between a real gun and a toy one, IMO. So, no gun play at daycare.

Now, if I had SA"s, I might handle it differently, or ask them to save it for at home (as an example for the littles). But, with my particular age group, I don't think gun play is appropriate.

Years ago, we visited a friend whose 2 1/2 yo had a very real looking rifle. When he chased my son around with it, my son was scared (also 2 1/2). I asked mom if it was possible to put it away for the weekend. She said "oh, come on, we don't want G* to be afraid of guns".

Um, yes, we DO! Sorry, but if my 2 1/2 year old (or more likely 4 year old) is at a friends house, and friends says "hey, want to see my dad's cool gun?" I prayed he'd say "Ah...NO!"

I don't have any problem at all with owning guns, hunting, target shooting, etc. But, they are a weapon, not a toy.

[Heidi]

I think power play is SUPER important and I don't discourage it. I allow power play, with limits set. No gun play. Designated area. Designated times. If I allowed gun play locally, I would have a hard time keeping clients (although 2 of my current clients not only allow gun play, but inappropriate adult tv violence and rated M video games).

This is an awesome handout from Lisa Murphy about power play.

http://www.ooeygooey.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bang-bang-youre-dead.pdf

They get creative with their power play because of it. One little dude loves being a police officer. He comes up with different reasons why he doesn't have his gun, dropped it, left it home, bad guy stole it, out of ammo, can't see in the fog, etc.

It works well here for my group. I do a LOT of redirection with the two children I mentioned above, but the rest understand it beautifully.