Lesson 4 of 6 · 6 min
Children, visits and one question
Children are curious, and many unintentional shootings of children happen in someone else's home. Two things help: storage everywhere they play, and a question before they go.
About one-third of homes with kids have guns, many left unlocked or loaded.
And research shows that even toddlers are strong enough to pull the trigger.
More than a third of all unintentional shootings of children take place in the homes of their friends, neighbors or relatives.
The AAP suggests treating it like any other playdate question:
Just as you'd ask about pets, allergies, supervision and other safety issues before your child visits another home, add one more important question: ‘Is there an unlocked gun in your house?’
If there is, you can reconsider allowing your child to play there or talk with them about keeping the guns unloaded and locked.
Teach children what to do if they find a gun, and know that teaching alone is not the answer:
... a reminder that if they find an unattended firearm in their home or a neighbor's to not touch it, and tell an adult.
Just talking to your child about the dangers of firearms is not enough to keep them safe.
What it looks like at home
- Before a child visits another home, an adult asks: "Is there an unlocked gun in your house?" (Our Ask card makes it easy.)
- Every child in the home knows: if you find a gun, do not touch it, leave it, and tell an adult.
- The adults know that teaching children is not a substitute for locked storage.
Our summary of the lines above. Check your home against it.
Check yourself
Not a certified class. It does not satisfy any permit, license, carry, purchase or hunter-education requirement, and it is not legal or medical advice.