Non PC things with your kids?

[EvansvilleMom]

Ok, I am the first to admit, I don't want to be labeled one of "those" parents. The kind who let their kids run amok and go crazy on a whim. But, there are some things we let the boys do, to be BOYS. We bought Parker some cap guns and he and DH run around the backyard in the evenings playing Wild West. Also both the boys love Pirates, sword fighting and swashbuckling.

We used to ban all guns. No one was allowed to buy them for the boys. Then Parker started to make them out of Legos, blocks, really anything. Not that he was obsessed, but he is a boy and watched quite a lot of Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Peter Pan. Believe it or not each of these movies have a gun and plenty of swords in them somewhere.

Part of me cringes about it. Part of me realizes that boys have been playing cowboys and pirates for over a century and that it's not time to re-invent the wheel!

Anyone else have a non-PC activity their kids can't help but do?

[MommaMel]

I was the same way.&nbsp; My son was not allowed to watch anything with guns or buy guns, etc.&nbsp; Well, so much for that!&nbsp; He would find sticks that look like guns, build them, whatever he could to have a gun.&nbsp; Finally, I just gave into him.&nbsp; My husband loves the X-files and so does my 3 year old son, now.&nbsp; I'm sure he shouldn't be watching it, but he really likes it.&nbsp; We will actually play X-files and daddy is the alien.&nbsp; </P><P>He likes to pretend to do karate, play with swords, all of the same things as yours.&nbsp; We don't have any weapons in our home, so I'm not concerned.&nbsp; Also, I think if you teach them about gun safety, it shouldn't be an issue.&nbsp; My dad had guns, but we knew they were dangerous and didn't mess with them. We actually didn't really care&nbsp; (maybe that was the girl in me and my sisters).&nbsp; He knows not to shoot people.&nbsp; He knows it's a game.&nbsp; He also knows that he shouldn't ride a motorcycle at his age, but I'm not going to take away&nbsp;all of those.&nbsp; It's about teaching your children what's right and wrong.&nbsp; Some people&nbsp;may think it's completely right to teach your child how to use a gun, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;My family is not one&nbsp;of them.&nbsp; We will teach about gun safety, but never target practice.&nbsp; It's how you present it to them.&nbsp; Of course, I'm not going to bring one out now and start&nbsp;talking to him about it.&nbsp; He'll think it's soooo cool.&nbsp; We'll teach him about when he's older, when he's past the stage of using a crayon to shoot&nbsp;his&nbsp;plastic construction guys.&nbsp;

[cwats]

Yeah, the gun thing...</P><P>&nbsp; My husband has been an avid hunter all his life.&nbsp; I wasn't sure how I would feel about our kids being introduced to hunting and guns, but my husband is definitely the best person to teach them about these things.&nbsp; The guns are kept in a safe and only taken out when he goes hunting.&nbsp; He will definitely teach them well.&nbsp; They have already been warned about guns at school or friends' houses, etc. and we will continue to do so.</P><P>&nbsp; That being said, our boys love running around with toy guns and swords.&nbsp; All boys love them.&nbsp; Even boys that are forbidden from having them.&nbsp; I've come to accept that it's a normal thing, even though I'm not wild about it.&nbsp; I think it's their attitudes in general that you need to worry about.&nbsp; Combine a mean-spirited kid with a fascination with weapons, and you have a problem.&nbsp; Don't let them have certain toys, and you make them that much more desirable.</P><P>&nbsp; I think my boys understand the difference between pretend and real life.&nbsp; That's the key.&nbsp; They have no desire to hurt anyone for real.&nbsp;