To Nerf with the kid, or not to Nerf?

[Aggressive Perfector]

I've been buying the kid nerf guns for a while now. She really gets a kick out of them. But some family members seem to think it's a bad idea. The reason? Because they feel she might get the idea that my guns ain't dangerous.
While I understand their concerns, I do everything I can to drive it into my daughters head that my guns aren't toys. I've even smacked her hand for touching my holster while I was carrying my gun to reinforce the point. Seems to work. I left one unloaded and in pieces on the floor to go piss and overheard her yelling at my wife that nobody's allowed to touch them without me.

But what are you guys' thoughts? Harmless fun as long as I'm teaching her the difference, or or teaching her horrible habits that could get her or someone else killed?

[El Duce]

My son (14) isn't into Nerf anymore. But when he was. Him and his buddies had epic Nerf Wars. Cool thing is you can youtube Modifications to the guns to make them shoot further and faster. Stuff can get stupid expensive. I say do it and let her have her fun.

[Schuetzenman]

Your friends are examples of the Pussyfication of Americans. As a kid I played with toy guns and I didn't grow up to be reckless with real weapons. Teaching your daughter that your guns are real and they do kill is the correct way to approach it.

[alismith]

Nerf is harmless fun.

It's like having a water balloon battle. Throwing water balloons doesn't make someone a future molotov cocktail thrower when they grow up.

[Full Otto]

"Harmless fun as long as I'm teaching her"

nuff said

[Ruskiegunlover]

My dad took my older sister, 6 at the time, out with him and our uncle one day in the woods outside my uncles house. My older brother was about 1, and I was not around yet. Dad scared up a rabbit, shot it with his smith and wesson model 64 .38, and made my sister watch. He hammered her on the idea that if she ever touched any of his guns without him around, she could do this to her baby brother. Terrible, I know.....but Joy never did screw with my fathers guns. She likes to shoot with me and the other guys in my family on occassion, but she never forgot that growing up. To be honest, I intend to try and do something similiar with my son eventually. It is terrible, but so is loosing a child. I'll kill a rabbit to try to ward that off anyday.

[NAPOTS]

as a young father I have similar questions. I played with toy guns as a kid but feel a little differently as an adult. I want to stress to my son that guns are serious business and not toys and not to be played around with but he still needs to be a kid. I'm not really sure what to do.

[5.56NATO]

I'd draw the line at anything that even came close to looking like a real gun, kids are killed holding toy guns all too often.

[Aggressive Perfector]

The idea of killing a rabbit, squirrel, or other little animal is an idea I have had for a while, but she's 4, so I haven't gotten to that yet.
I bought her a bb gun for Christmas. I plan to start teaching her the basics with it before I move her up to a .22 later. For the sake of safety, as this does resemble a real lever action, I'll be treating it as if it were real and see if she can do the same. Hopefully it will go well.

[NAPOTS]

I've got a red rider waiting for my son but it's up to him to demonstrate the mental maturity necessary before we can shoot it (he's only 1 I'm hoping for around 4 or 5). I'm going to make him practice safe handling for a while with it before we ever put bbs in it. I plan on taking a ham or a roast out with us the first time we bring out the .22 to show what even a 22 can do to flesh

[Full Otto]

Four years old?
I gotta rethink this