Every year, thousands of children die as a result of gun violence in the USA. Hundreds of them are victims of unintentional gunfire in their own homes as a result of their parents' careless and irresponsible behavior. So, in order to keep your child safe, do you need to get rid of your gun completely? It's not necessary! You do not need to be concerned if you take all of the precautions listed below. We've prepared some safety suggestions for you to follow to ensure that your child does not become a victim of a critical gun accident in your own home.
Brief Overview
-
Store Gun Safely
-
Use With Caution
-
Keep Your Kids Safe in Other Homes
-
Keep Them Away From Any Type of Toy Gun
-
Educate Your Children
-
Dispose of in a Safe Manner
Gun Safety Tips and Safety Rules
1) Store Gun Safely
In your home, all firearms and ammunition should be locked and unloaded, with ammunition kept separate. Make sure that children and teenagers do not have access to the keys or combinations of gun safes or lockboxes. Also, never leave loaded, unlocked weapons unattended in your car or anywhere else on your premises. Keeping a gun unloaded will prevent unintentional gun injuries.
Safe Options
There are so many options of gun safes and gun locks available on the internet for you to store guns safely. This one from BARSKA is a great choice to store your guns in the home. Only the fingerprint owner can gain access to the guns in these lockboxes.
2) Use With Caution
Two-thirds of families own more than one firearm, with over a third owning five or more. Firearms can be used for a variety of purposes, including deer hunting, shooting competitions, target practice, and so on, which could explain why so many people buy many guns. When hunting or practicing target shooting, keep the safety mechanism in place until you're ready to fire the gun.
Always unload the weapon before putting it down. It is not a good idea for a child to have a turn shooting, no matter how much he or she wants to. Children are not capable or responsible enough to handle a potentially dangerous weapon, no matter how much teaching they receive on how to safely shoot a gun.
3) Keep Your Kids Safe in Other Homes
Even if you don't own a shooting weapon, inquire about guns and safe storage at the other residences they visit. Before allowing your little one to visit another household, ask about dogs, allergies, supervision, and other safety concerns. Also, "Is there an unlocked gun that I should know about? " If there is, think hard about allowing your child to play there, or talk to them about keeping the guns unloaded and guarded.
Children are curious by nature and if they see a real gun in the house and it's the first they've seen, this can cause serious injuries. Make sure that if the residence your child is visiting has a gun, it is kept in gun storage to keep the children safe.
4) Keep Them Away From Any Type of Toy Gun
Non-powder guns and air-soft guns like BB weapons can potentially hurt or kill a child. They should only be used with adult supervision. Unless your child has been injured by a BB or pellet gun, parents may underestimate the risk of injury. Playing with toy guns like BB guns or pellet guns or paintball guns can lead to your little one mistaking a real gun for a toy. Toy guns can cause serious eye injuries, leading to your child's vision loss.
5) Educate Your Children
Ascertain that your children understand that the violence they witness on TV and video games they play at their residence or with their friends is not real. They need to be told—and probably reminded again and again—that real guns kill and injure children in real life. Despite the fact that the mass culture often romanticizes firearm ownership, children must be taught that these weapons are exceedingly hazardous.
Not educating your little one about firearm violence and firearm safety puts them at a higher risk of being a victim of shooting-related injuries. Make sure that your kids are not aware of where the weapons in the home are stored. Parents and any older family member are solely responsible to ensure that the younger kids in the house are safe from any unintentional shootings that may take place due to the presence of guns.
6) Dispose of in a Safe Manner
If you no longer require a shooting weapon in your home, dispose of it securely. Consult with local law enforcement like police officers to determine the best course of action.
Summary
Having a shooting weapon in the home comes with a lot of responsibility especially if you have children in your home. Kids are at an increased risk of intentional firearm violence than adults because of their curious and playful nature. Guns in the home should be safely and securely stored to avoid any type of firearm injuries. Not storing firearms and ammunition safely is the leading cause of accidental shootings.
We know how precious your little one is to you, so being educated about gun safety is of critical importance. If you keep a gun in the house, you need to educate about the risks that come with it and the safety precautions that you have to take.