As any parent of gifted children knows, the old adage, “Curiosity killed the cat” might unfortunately also apply to our gifted children who often love to figure out what things are, how they are used and how they work. With over 2 million children living in homes with unsecured guns, it is possible that any of our children might encounter a situation in their own home or that of a friend or family member where there is one of these unsecured guns.
So as the new school year begins, here are some helpful and life-saving tips from Everytown for Gun Safety and from Moms Demand Action:
1. Make asking about safety regarding a pet, pool or firearms a part of a general safety discussion – Example: “Before I drop off John for his play date, I just wanted to check and see if you have a pet, a pool or firearms in your house. I want to make sure he knows your safety rules.”
2. Don’t wait to be asked: Volunteer information about pets, pools, or firearms – Example: “We have a pool with an alarm and a locked gate but no pets or guns in our home.” Or “Just want you to know we have a dog and a cat so in case Mary has allergies we wanted you to know. We also have a hunting rifle but we keep it locked and unloaded in a safe.”
3. Remember that it’s not about the gun itself but whether it is secured properly and safely – Example: “May I ask if you have guns in your home, are they locked and inaccessible to the kids?”
4. Use technology to your advantage. Have the conversation via e-mail or text if you don’t want to ask face-to-face
5. Don’t forget to talk with your family and never make assumptions when a child’s safety is at stake. Be sure to talk with family members and close friends and ask the same questions you would ask a play date friend’s parents.
Just starting a conversation about safety – and asking about guns – can begin to save lives. In 2013 two children every week were killed in unintentional shootings.
Let’s agree to work together as parents and educators to begin to protect all our children. Be intentional and have the conversation about guns at home and encourage your school to have these conversations, too. Then we all can have more peace of mind that the natural curiosity of our gifted children will not result with a preventable tragedy and another loss of life or terrible injury.