So after dinner last night, and playing a bit of the “Circle Game”, I told my 17 year old that I let Colton punch me in the face. Mason says, “I’ll let him hit me”! And that’s what he did. For the next 10 minutes we had a family “Man Session” letting our 6 year old punch us repeatedly in the face while trying to teach him how to make a proper fist and exactly where to hit someone. The lesson was then followed up with when it’s appropriate to hit someone and times when it is not. These are all lessons I believe children should learn.
Nowadays good little kids are losing battles all over the playground for fear of retribution by “the system”. The bully usually wins. In recent years, the system has realized that harsher punishments should be in place for those bullies due to kids killing themselves from being bullied. At our house, we have no secrets. We openly display and shoot guns, throw knives and tomahawks and punch each other or training aids. It’s a mean world we live in that is fully of predators. By not teaching your children about these dangers and steps to avoid being the prey, you are doing them a disservice.
Recently, I purchased a set of throwing knives and a couple tomahawks so my 6 year old and I can practice together. I also purchased him a bow and a couple arrows to prowl around and try to kill an animal. He loves shooting his Jennings J-22 pistol as well as his Marlin Model 60 rifle. Suppressed, of course. His mother and I let him use scissors, cut apples with a knife, start fires and use power tools. See, when I was growing up I didn’t have the opportunity to fiddle with guns. I always loved guns and had an interest in them, I just didn’t shoot them. My dad had a few but they were “hidden”. Until the day I found one. It was a Ruger Mark IV .22. It was after school when my mother and older sister went on a walk around the neighborhood. My dad was out of town so I had the house to myself. I was in the 6th grade. After I pulled the pistol from his dresser, I removed the magazine and pulled the trigger. BOOM!!!! That little beauty went off; putting a hole thru the wall, out the wall in the closet, thru the ceiling in the closet, thru the attic and out the roof. Days went by until they finally found the hole. I lied about it, of course, but the pressure finally got to me. I told my older sister and she advised me to come clean. So I did. That sucked. Moral of the story is, don’t keep these things a secret. Take the mystery out of them. We have guns spread all throughout our home and any time my 6 year old wants to see or shoot one, that’s what we do. To my knowledge, he never messes with them without an adult. It’s not that he could care less but he knows all he has to do is ask.
Parents, if you own guns in the home, share them with your children. I used to take my kids shooting so much that, after a while, they could really care less. Don’t keep them a mystery. Furthermore, let your kids use knives. Teach them how to use them properly. They are sponges and are eager to learn. They want to be just like mommy and daddy. Lastly, teach your kid how to throw a punch. Heck!!! Teach them how to receive a punch and not get their jaw broken. If you don’t know, take them to someone who does. We need to toughen up our kids again. These younger generations coming up are entirely too soft. Screw sexy, let’s bring “tough” back.
Have a wonderful day!!
Hoodlm's Thoughts, Reviews and How-To's 