"Play shooting" bad in school....?

[zatoh]

So the wife calls me and tells me she has to talk to me. Seems that our 5 YO boy is getting in trouble at school for exhibiting "aggressive" behavior by "play shooting" with other kids. In one instance he got a 2 minute time-out for doing so after being told not to. I asked both his teacher and teacher's aide if he was getting confrontational - physically or verbally and she said "no". I said that I don't see that it as a problem. The aide replied that it was against school policy and that he was scaring the other kids (either by startling them or by the act of "shooting" I don't know). I looked in the list of school rules and no specific mention was made on prohibition of imaginary gun play. The only references I can find are ones for "play fighting" and chasing.

I really don't like this for several of reasons.
1) It's akin to brain-washing and at some point I think the "for the children" attitude has got to stop.
2) The teacher's aide either lied to me or wasn't up on school policy which sets a poor example for the children and limits my trust in the school.
3) I fear that an entry might be made on my child's school record marking him as an aggressive child which he is definitely not. Also, he is in a special ed program and I don't want to jeopardize his status by possibly getting kicked out for disciplinary problems.
4) I don't want my son singled or overly scrutinized by a teacher's personal prejudices just because he wants to play.

So my questions to you the calguns viewership are:
1) Am I being unreasonable? We've already talked to our son about play shooting in school and that he is not supposed to do it while in shool. He understands and has limited his behavior.
2) Is there any clinical evidence correlating imaginary gun play in children versus a tendency in violence later on in life?
3) What recourse do I have if something is entered in he permanent record and I want it stricken?

[Stanze]

That's par for the course in occupied California.

[eckerph]

That school is full of B.S. By that thinking we shouldn't have football,ROTC and history taught in public school. I think you should talk to the principal about the situation, maybe the teacher or the aide have the problem. What you're son is doing is completely normal, I'm sure everyone here played "guns" when we were kids for Pete sake and i don't think any of us have shot up a school.

[50 Freak]

I've heard of kids being sent home because they wore "gun" t-shirts.

I swear, looks like this country wants us to raise a bunch of pansies...(no offense to the pansies out there) .

[Kestryll]

I really don't like this for several of reasons.
1) It's akin to brain-washing and at some point I think the "for the children" attitude has got to stop.
It isn't akin to brainwashing, it IS brainwashing. "We have to teach the next generation that guns are BAD".
2) The teacher's aide either lied to me or wasn't up on school policy which sets a poor example for the children and limits my trust in the school.
Uninformed is more likely the case.
3) I fear that an entry might be made on my child's school record marking him as an aggressive child which he is definitely not. Also, he is in a special ed program and I don't want to jeopardize his status by possibly getting kicked out for disciplinary problems.
4) I don't want my son singled or overly scrutinized by a teacher's personal prejudices just because he wants to play.
for thse last two I would ask, is there a homeschool option you can look in to? It may help to alleviate both those concerns.



So my questions to you the calguns viewership are:
1) Am I being unreasonable? We've already talked to our son about play shooting in school and that he is not supposed to do it while in shool. He understands and has limited his behavior.
No. You are not being unreasonable. The school is by it's attempt to alter the values and ideals you are teaching your son.
2) Is there any clinical evidence correlating imaginary gun play in children versus a tendency in violence later on in life?
All this stuff about childhood affecting you as an adult is hooey as far as I am concerned. Not having a strong male role model is the most damaging thing you can do to a boy. Your son doesn't seem to have to worry about that thankfully.
3) What recourse do I have if something is entered in he permanent record and I want it stricken?
This I can not say but it sure seems that as the parent you should have some say over what is in his record.

[VeryCoolCat]

Lots of people in my school got sent home or were required to change shirts for wearing shirts dipicting, gangs, firearms or profanity. This one kid got in trouble for one of those " **** bush " shirts the ones that actually said it.

And another guy I know got in trouble for wearing an ammo belt that was an actual belt. There were no bullets just steel? brass.

Zero tolerance for weapons. I've heard of kids getting in trouble for unfolding paperclips to poke people with.

The zero tolerance policy isn't for firearms... but for weapons in general.

BTW most teachers/staff agree while *ON* school premesis.... certain free speech rules are exempt.

Maybe the aide thought your kid had been watching too many movies. You can always teach em firearm safety at a young age.

[bwiese]

I was sent home in kindergarten for making (kilned) clay guns - after a couple of warnings. I did this because we couldn't bring toy guns to school for recess play.

We tried making them w/PlayDoh but it just wasn't good. We wanted guns that looked like Lugers.

Fat lot of good Miss Christ's 'socializtion' did, perhaps it shaped me into the A#1 arsehole I am today!

[50 Freak]

What worries me is your kids start telling his/her friends that "daddy's got a lot of guns". And the next thing you get a knock on your door by the city's finest investigating reports of an "arsonal of weapons".

[Veritas_223]

Guns are not toys. My little son (2 years) will not have toy guns or water pistols. When he is older say 8 or 10, I will introduce him to paint ball and BB guns. Rifles and pistols shortly afterwards if he is mature enough. Guns are serious, deadly tools...Kids should not be playing shooting games, they blur the line at that young age. We want the firearm line to be very bright and clear. Guns are fun and safe but only after younglings reach certain level of maturity. My dad never got us toy guns or let us play "shooting games" until we were old enough to understand the different between real vs toy guns.

The school policy is correct for that age group.

We were also taught to never talk about our guns with anyone outside the family. I will pass this on to my kids as well.

My $02

[jumbopanda]

ive pretended to shoot things and played with toy guns for as long as i can remember, and i didnt grow up maladjusted.

[fal_762x51]

What the hell? So cops and robbers are now banned? I remember the good times; cops and robbers, ghostbusters, G.I. Joe, and cowboys and indians. Tis be sad, very sad.

[Crazed_SS]

Guns are not toys. My little son (2 years) will not have toy guns or water pistols. When he is older say 8 or 10, I will introduce him to paint ball and BB guns. Rifles and pistols shortly afterwards if he is mature enough. Guns are serious, deadly tools...Kids should not be playing shooting games, they blur the line at that young age. We want the firearm line to be very bright and clear. Guns are fun and safe but only after younglings reach certain level of maturity. My dad never got us toy guns or let us play "shooting games" until we were old enough to understand the different between real vs toy guns.

The school policy is correct for that age group.

We were also taught to never talk about our guns with anyone outside the family. I will pass this on to my kids as well.

Agreed 100%.

[Mudvayne540ld]

I've heard of kids being sent home because they wore "gun" t-shirts.

hehehe
I got sent home for wearing an AK-47 shirt. Tho I have never been in trouble for wearing any of the sweatshirts I do. Allmost all related to alcohol (Bacardi, Crown Royal etc etc)

[MonsterMan]

My wife is a first grade teacher. I guess a lot of kids act out this kind of behavior. Especially boys. My 2 year old does it and he has never even seen a gun, on tv or for real. He uses his hands and goes "pew pew" like gun noises. I can only assume he has learned it from another 2 year old at daycare.

In one of my wifes childhood develpment classes, they told her that young boys just do this naturally. It is just something that they do. You can try to stop them and tell them it is unappropriate to shoot your friends, but that is about it. They will still do it, at school or not. They really don't comprehend what it is they are doing and probably don't understand why you are telling them to stop. No concept of death.

When he gets older, he will get the guns are not toys speach. I will probably take him to the jr nra rifle safety class. I think education will provide alot more safety rather than locking them away and someday he finds them and doesn't know how to handle them. Especially if he is at a friends house and his friend pulls out his dads gun, he will know that it is dangerous and to get out. I may be safe with my firearms and keep them locked up in a safe, but Joe Shmoe down the street may have his loaded pistol under the chair. I just want my son to understand the danger and to not touch them unless an adult is there with him.

I don't think it is a big deal if little kids act out gun games. It's natural.

MM

[dwtt]

I think the problem is the school is being too P.C.
As for allowing kids to play with toy guns, I don't think it's harmful if they know it's a toy and just play, but real guns can't be handled in the same way. This depends a lot on the character and development of the child. My daughter likes to play with imaginary guns by holding out her hand and pointing a finger, but she knows it's just imaginary when I ask her about her gun. She says it's just "pretend gun". Other 4 year olds might not be able to know that a real gun can't be used to play with, but then my daughter has seen real guns in our house and know they're not for playing.