Guns in Early Childhood Centres
February 16th, 2010 Filed under: Pre-School, Rants, Work | Tags: childhood, children, guns, Pre-School
Guns in Early Childhood Education
This in my mind is stupid.
First of all, trust me when I say that I’m no gun activist. In fact, I’m completely against guns being used against human beings. But that being said I sure as hell played with water pistols when I was a child and I even had a BB Gun when I was in high school. I have fond memories of my friends all going down to the local primary school with our BB Guns and glasses and having wars late into the night. I still enjoy the odd paintball game now a days. This didn’t make me into a crazed killer. This was just a part of my boyhood.
Second, aren’t we meant to be working with the children’s interests? The kids at my centre are very interested in guns. Wouldn’t it be awesome to do a project on guns. Learn about the different types of guns. Learn what guns are used for? Learn about how to safely use guns. Learn about gun licenses? Make some gun licenses? Teach them what to do if they ever find a real gun? To me this sounds like a great idea, but I’ve had some pretty horrible “great” ideas in my life time. But then again what’s the alternative? Make guns, which are seen by kids everyday in their cartoons and stories, a taboo subject. Just pretend they don’t exist?
What’s your thoughts on toy guns at centres? Would you allow them at your child’s centre? If so, why and what rules would you expect to come with them? Would you forbid them? If so, why and how would you stop a child from pretending a stick is a gun?
Well, Ki, I believe your blog is very significant and you have valid thought and opinions. I must say, as an educator for more than ten years, I have always worked at child care centers where there is a no guns policy. No weapons period. That meant even if they made swords. The thing is is that as early educators, we have to think of the generalization of our children. What separates them from learning what is right from wrong at school and at home. We never know what is being taught at home about guns in general. Some parents have no problem with it and others may be totally against it. We don’t want to offend the parents that are totally against weapons. And we also want to let the parents know that they are the primary teacher of their children in that aspect. Kind of like religion as well. Which is why a lot of day care centers either don’t celebrate any holidays or celebrate them all.
But what I want to focus on is the point you made about working with the children’s interests. And you are so absolutely correct!!! This is something that educators tend to loose track of when it comes to sensitive issues like weapons. Of course if all the children were interested in dinosaurs, educators will go all out to create a extensive theme on dinosaurs and get extravagant… but not with weapons like guns. I could go on and on. Especially with this society and the views that it puts out there… For example, with police officers. Society tends to make it seems like police officers are bad and send a message to children that they are there to take you to jail if you’re bad, and child care centers work so hard to change their mind set from society that police officers are good and are there to protect and serve. Which is very true… and what we should think about police officers regardless of what children see and hear…
Guns and weapons are very taboo in the child care world. And educators have made it that way. There are many reasons why and why not. And we could go around in circles forever. I would say, that if it’s the child’s interest, especially if the curriculum you are using is child-centered, and it’s ok by the parents, if I were a director of a center, I would allow a thematic unit on guns.
I appreciate your feedback and will keep it in mind as I continue in my career in ECE. Thank you!
The kids,I believe, are interested in toy guns,not real guns. When I was in Grade 6 our class learned how to handle a rifle, how to check to see if it was loaded and while at a rifle range how to shoot a rifle. We were sufficiently mature enough to learn these lessons. I believe it was wise because a lot of our parents had rifles at home which we had the potential to come into contact with.
I’m still glad I learned to safely handle a rifle. I don’t know if you could properly teach a child how to safely check that a rifle is unloaded and safe to handle without using a real one for the instruction.
I agree about following children’s interests.
As a young boy I played war games, cowboys and indians, and more. We fashioned up guns out of anything we could find. My father did not believe in guns but was happy as long as we never pointed our guns at anyone’s face.
My experience in a centre has shown me that a no gun policy will not stop a disposition to explore guns in dramatic play. There is science, construction, drama, exploring the concept of death, not to mention physical play involved in guns.
I have outgrown guns and have moved on to new interests. I am sure most of the young children we support will do the same