US media: Should children be allowed to play with toy guns?

Recently, the Washington Post published an article titled "Should Children Play with Toy Guns?", initiating a discussion on "Should Children Be Allowed to Play with Toy Guns?"

"Should children be allowed to play with toy guns?" Christine Notson, who has been engaged in early childhood education and consulting for 30 years, said that parents are increasingly concerned about this issue. After all, children are always attracted to toy guns and have been addicted to simulated shooting games.

"Parents hear about gun violence every day, and of course they are nervous. We don't want our children to become victims, and we don't want them to become perpetrators." She said that when she sees children playing with toy guns or pretending to shoot, "I will naturally get nervous."

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In the United States, where mass shootings are rampant, schools often conduct lockdown drills and guns are one of the leading causes of death among children, the situation is particularly complicated. But some educators and play therapy experts also point out that in the eyes of children, the problem is actually much simpler.

Famous early childhood educator Chaz Lewis was adamantly against children pretending to play with guns before he really met and got to know the children. But over the years, Lewis has found that many play therapists and teachers have a different view on this matter.

Lewis now sees the topic as a window into children's behavior and an opportunity to reinforce their awareness, identity and boundaries. It's hard for parents to see things from their children's perspective. Children don't think about the social or political context of guns, and they don't have a concept of the horror of guns. No research has shown that there is a necessary link between pretend gun play and future violence.

To help parents break out of their mindset, Nottson organized a game. She threw tissue paper, rulers, tennis rackets and other items on the ground. "Choose your weapon, let's simulate a gunfight." The parents played for ten minutes, laughing and chasing each other and pretending to shoot each other.

Does safety education conflict with toy guns?

“The parents were engaged, but the conversations that followed were more meaningful.” Instead of anger, they felt more familiar with each other and understood why their children loved playing this game.

Stepping outside of fear and seeing things from their children’s perspective can be a powerful way for parents to gain insight. But this approach doesn’t work for everyone, especially families who have experienced traumatic gun incidents.

Philitas, who had been threatened at gunpoint, didn't want her children to repeat the same mistake. Even when buying a bubble machine for her children, she chose one that didn't look like a gun. She always thought of the 12-year-old black boy who was killed by Cleveland police in 2014 while holding a toy gun.

And in southeast Georgia, where guns are ubiquitous, it's almost impossible to keep children out of their reach.

Shannon Flores, an expert at the gun control organization, pointed out that letting children treat guns with caution does not conflict with allowing them to play with toy guns. Both he and his wife are hunting enthusiasts. They will take their 11-year-old daughter to hunt white-tailed deer, and their 8-year-old son is also obsessed with Nerf toy guns.

Communication or restriction?

Although the children are exposed to guns frequently, they still understand the dangers of gun violence. A few weeks ago, when they heard that a classmate was going to bring a gun to school, they were scared and did not want to go to school. They have seen the power of guns when hunting, and their mother's work on gun safety legislation is also a topic of frequent discussion at home.

Flores believes that this kind of communication is more important than restricting children's actions. "We are a gun-owning family, but we know the harm of gun violence, and this is not contradictory."

Lewis also believes that there is no permanent solution to this problem. But he hopes that parents will think about one question: "When you make a decision, are you out of fear or out of full understanding? Is it out of understanding gun violence or understanding how to help your children grow up?"

Parents should know that children have no power. "We constantly instill in them where, when, and what to do, and control every aspect of their lives." He said that when children grow up, they can better understand the power structure through play. "They can yell like dinosaurs and lions, make Superman gestures, or pretend to take out guns, 'bang bang bang', and these behaviors make no difference to them."

The essence of banning guns is still a power issue. Parents are powerless to change the current social situation and can only comfort themselves in this way. "It's like declaring: 'I can't change the existing gun culture, but I can control my children's behavior and entertainment.'" Lewis said, "We project our own trauma onto our children, and the world they experience is built by our own hands."