The world can be a dangerous place! It isn’t something most parents want to hear, but the truth is that their kids are in danger every moment of their day. There is the chance that armed burglars will break into your home, they may be picked on at school, you may be carjacked at the supermarket, or they could be kidnapped as they walk home. It can be dangerous for your child, even though there is a very small chance that they will ever face these problems.
Now, just because there’s a chance that your kids CAN be attacked or kidnapped, that doesn’t mean that they WILL be. However, your job as a parent is to help them to be prepared for anything that life may throw at them. If you want to give your kids the best chance of surviving in the potentially dangerous world we live in, you may want to teach your kids self-defense.
The Truth of Self-Defense
Many parents will say, “Teaching your kids self-defense will just make them interested in violence, and more likely to act out in a violent manner.” There is some truth to this, as children that learn self-defense will often use violence as a means of defense. However, a major part of all martial arts is teaching the children control, how to avoid confrontation, and how to use as little violence as possible. Violence is taught to the kids, but the purpose of teaching them the self-defense is to help them defend themselves should they end up in a situation where violence is the only recourse. Self-defense is also excellent exercise, and you can help your child to stay healthy and in shape by enrolling them in classes that will teach them how to handle themselves in a fight.
This doesn’t mean that you should encourage violence in your children. In fact, you should go to the opposite extreme, exhorting them to use their self-defense knowledge as a last choice when the situation has deteriorated beyond the point of conflict resolution. Whether it’s dealing with a bully or preventing an armed robbery, the children need to learn that violence is only the last resort – not the first choice.
Teaching Kids About Guns
What about guns? It’s a hot button subject but being knowledgeable is important. Guns should be seen as tools, not weapons, and that understanding is absolutely crucial. If you come from a community where hunting is prevalent, you know that guns are seen much differently than in urban environments. Teaching your kids to use guns can be a good idea but that’s up to each and every parent to decide. If you do go the route of teaching your children about guns, you can take advantage of Brownells promo to buy a budget gun or turn to Brownells coupons for inexpensive ammunition. Take your kids to a shooting range and teach them how they can safely shoot the gun. Once they have confidence handling a gun, and learn to respect the responsibility it represents, they will be much less likely to injure themselves.
Encouraging your children to carry guns when they grow older may not be the best option for your child, but teaching them how to use a gun can prepare them for the potentially violent situations they are very likely to face in their lives. There are many armed robberies, carjackings, muggings, and murders that could have been prevented had one of the victims owned and known how to use a gun, so teaching your child how to defend themselves with a firearm can be a way to keep them safe as they grow.
I'm mixed on this issue. I have no qualms about putting my kids in martial arts classes, mainly because of all the benefits of such classes, only one of which is "violence" — and it isn't really quite framed in those ways. Learning to use a gun? I suppose I just don't see when the need would arise — and that could be a function of our privileges. I would never want my CHILD to know how to use a gun or to HAVE a gun. If that's a choice they want to make when they get older, so be it.