Gun Safety with Kids
We all hear the stories of kids getting a hold of firearms and hurting themself or others. These events are why it’s important to practice good gun safety. Well, you should always practice gun safety, but there are extra measures you may want to take if you have kids. Some of the things you may want to think about when it comes to gun safety with children are education, storage, how you carry, and what gun and holster you use.
Ultimately, if you own a gun and are a parent, what you choose to share with your kids and how you store your gun is your decision. We’ve come up with some information on the topics we mentioned above that might help you when you are deciding what works best for you and your family. With that let the discussion begin.
Education at The Right Time
Some people choose not to teach their children about guns and others start educating them as soon as possible. What works for one person may not work for another, but many people choose to be open with their kids about what a gun is. This can take away the mystery of firearms and help children know what to do or not do if they encounter their parent’s gun.
Teaching your kids not to touch a gun without a parent’s permission and supervision can be a beneficial tool. If you establish what action a kid should take when they see a firearm, not touching it without a parent, there is an understanding that they are more likely to make the right choice if they encounter one.
As your kids get older you may decide to adapt what you teach them about guns. Maybe you teach them more about how the gun works or how to safely handle one. Remember ultimately you are the parent, what you choose to teach your kids and when is your decision.
Concealed Carry Considerations for Parents
If you have younger kids you probably find yourself frequently picking them up to carry them. How do you conceal carry if you often also carry your child? Take a moment to think about what side you typically hold your child on. If you want to conceal carry while also having to carry your kid, you may want to try carrying your gun on the opposite side of where you carry your kid.
You may not want your child resting on your gun while you are carrying them. Not to mention if you were in a situation where you needed to draw your gun it might be difficult if it is on the same side as your kid. Keep in mind if you decide to conceal carry on the opposite side of your child and that happens to be your non-dominant hand you may want to practice drawing and shooting that way so you are prepared in the event that you need to use your weapon to protect your family.
So, if you choose to conceal carry and often have to carry your child you may want to think about carrying on the opposite side of your kid. You might also want to consider practicing drawing and shooting from that side.
Where Should You Store Your Gun at Home?
No matter whether you choose to share with your kids or not that you have a gun in the house it is important to keep it in a secure place where a child can’t easily access it. There are a few ways to do this. You can use a safe, a trigger/gun lock, or place it somewhere they can’t get to it.
A safe is a good option for multiple reasons and they come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit your needs. If you have more than one gun you may want a more traditional larger safe or if you only have one pistol a smaller safe may be perfect for you. Safes make it difficult for small children to get into them but allow your firearm(s) to still be easily accessible by you.
A trigger or gun lock is another option for restricting a kid from hurting themself or others. Many gun manufacturers are including a type of lock with their new guns for safety. Once you have a lock on the gun you can place it somewhere secure that a child is also likely not to be able to access it. Some states may have additional regulations on safely storing a gun in a house with a minor so please check out your state laws.
Overall it's important to keep yourself and your family safe and that means taking an extra step to consider where you store your gun at home. It is best to keep it locked and in a secure location to prevent any possible accidents.
What if You Are Driving?
It isn’t unheard of that a parent is driving and their child gets a hold of their gun. It’s important to think about how you are going to store your gun if you are driving. Keeping it on you or in a place they can’t reach it are both options for where to store your gun while you are driving.
Concealed carrying while driving may not be your go-to, but there are a few things you can do to help find a method that works best for you. We wrote a whole article about it that you can check out here. Concealed carrying while driving is probably one of the safest ways to prevent curious hands from finding a gun in the car.
Another option, if keeping your gun on you just isn’t working, would be to keep it in a secure place where they can’t reach it. That could be a small safe or a locked glove box, anywhere that is not easily accessible by your little one.
If you know you are going to be driving with your kids and want to have your gun with you make sure to keep it on you or in a secure location where they can’t access it. Accidents can happen so take the additional steps to help ensure they don’t.
Choose The Right Gun
Whether you have kids or not you will want to make sure you choose a gun that is right for you if you don’t already own one, but if you have kids there are extra things you might want to consider.
First, think about if you are planning to use the firearm for home defense, self defense, or both. If you are using it for home defense you may elect to have a larger gun than if you were to be using it for self defense and needed to conceal carry it. Second, you’ll want to pick a caliber and size gun that suits your needs.
Last and probably the most important thing to consider if you have kids is what kind of safety the gun has. Some guns have an internal safety whereas others have a manual external safety.
So, make sure you choose the right gun that suits your needs. Whether it is for home defense or self defense, what size it is, and what kind of safety it has.
Make Sure You Have a Good Holster
Having the right holster can go a long way. When you are looking at what holster you want to use there are a few important things you’ll want to make sure it has especially if you have kids. Those are good retention and a fully protected trigger.
Retention is important in making sure you kid can’t easily pull your gun out of its holster and a fully protected trigger makes sure no wandering fingers pull the trigger. Beyond helping keep your child safe these are good things to look for in any holster.
We have a variety of holster options all with full protected triggers. Each one is custom made for you and your gun. Our most popular IWB holster, the Vedder LightTuck™, has adjustable retention, ride height, and cant. You can check out all of our holsters here.
Summary
Safety is an important part of owning a firearm especially if you have children. It’s important to consider educating them at the right time so they know how to react if they ever encounter your gun. If you find yourself carrying your child a lot consider carrying your gun on the opposite side. If you are storing your gun at home make sure it is secure and not easily accessible. While driving consider keeping your firearm on your or in a place that curious hands can’t find it. And last, choosing the right gun and holster for your needs is important to think about.
If you are looking for belts or holsters? We recommend visiting our Vedder Holsters website for all of our belt and holster options and for more information to help you choose the carry system that works best for you. Like everything we sell, our gun belts are covered by a Lifetime Warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Looking for items beyond holsters and belts? Check out our Resources Page for popular product links like lights, laser, first aid, maintenance, and more.