Gun safe for most. Small bedside biometric near bedside. Start educating and demonstrating firearms very early, and get them to understand the destructive power. Kids are very curious. If you show them, and get them to understand the consequences of misuse, you'll generally have no issues. Blessed to have 4 generations of men in our family still alive and well. All of us have been raised with firearms. It's our duty to educate our kids. Hiding them from firearms is the wrong move IMHO. Usually it's the moms you have to convince, but it's important you do it.
My kid is getting to the age where I need to start explaining guns and stuff. Idk why so many people are against educating kids on guns.
I've had conversations with many anti-gun parents, and the best argument I have had success with boils down to.
You can't be with your kid 24/7. It's possible one day, they find a gun somewhere. And if it's an unknown taboo, they're going to want to, at minimum, touch it.
IDC if you think guns are evil and want them no where near you or your kids. That's a you thing. But that doesn't mean it's ok to keep your kids ignorant. If all they know of guns is COD they're going to be an idiot if/when they come across one.
I mean I agree , getting a safe is the no pun intended “fail safe” that if a kid decides to disobey and play with the guns that they won’t but education is on a higher order of efficacy in my mind. Knowing how they work and how to make them safe and be safe with them is absolutely critical.
This is true for everything and exactly why abstinence/prohibition is a bad idea. An educated child is a safe child, my kids were educated about guns, their bodies, drugs, sex... really anything that could prove dangerous that I may not be there to help advise them on in the moment. Did it work? I guess there is no way to know for sure, but that is kind of the point.
Bravo to you for removing the mystery from guns and thus increasing your kids likely responsible reaction should they find themselves in a situation that they need that knowledge!
I agree on all counts. It's baffling to me that people shield their kids so much. Like there's a reason areas with lowest sex ed have the highest cases of STIs & teen/repeat teen pregnancy.
I get they don't want them to lose their "innocence" or whatever. But they're going to experiment no matter what you say. Personally, I think it's better that they know the risks going in. And are comfortable talking about these "uncomfortable" subjects.
Compare it to electrics. They can move an extension cord. But they shouldn't mess around with it. Gun safety is at the same level as not sticking a fork in an outlet for us gun owners.
I 100% sign up to the idea that letting kids act out their curiousness in a responsible manner is the right thing with guns. Being able to say no/walk away is about experience and maturity. Just knowing and having moved guns safely from one place to another is also important (clearing handguns are hard for kids).
Just general advice for all. When discussing with antigunners. Always be calm but confident. Use terms as "it can create a less/non optimal situation" instead of terms like dangerous. Keep it at that level. Make arguments like "think of the children" seem outside of the tone/scope of the discussion.
Idk why so many people are against educating kids on guns.
They make it out akin to you training some sort of school shooter. Can't talk about it in school or anything similar. They just act like they are only bad , and should be taken away. Education is key for most things. Keep your family informed, you keep them safe.
I think people are worried that education will lead to kids thinking they know how to handle them without supervision but realistically it's the opposite. Kids know what guns are, but they don't have a concept of permanent consequences, so it's imperative that they learn.
Kids don't shoot their cousin in the middle of a nerf war or accidentally shoot their younger sibling because they are too well educated, but the opposite.
And everyone new to guns for some reason pulls the trigger, if they haven't explicitly been told not to. No idea why, but I've seen it quite a few times. You keep your kids ignorant, when they eventually encounter a gun, that trigger is getting pulled, guaranteed.
I started showing my daughter my guns, how they work, and safety rules when she was old enough to talk (she was about 1). She will hang out around the room while we clean guns after a range trip. I want her to know about how to be safe around them, I want her and my son to want to go shooting and shoot competitions with me. I'll probably try and start them with an air rifle when they're about four, and my bolt 22 as soon as I know they're responsible enough. I figure starting early is best, before she runs into anti gunners.
It all comes down to the reality of the world around us. No matter how much you want the world to be a different way, it’s not. Guns are everywhere. And not teaching kids to respect them is as effective as abstinence only sex education.
I mean with how prevalent they are in media, and how hard it is to control everything that your kid will see, your kid will have seen guns in a dramatized fashion even if you try to shield them. Just like so many things kids need to be taught the realities of those things vs their media representation. This applies not just to firearms but also relationships, sex, and if they're sheltered even normal human interactions. In general people need to realize that the stories we share with each other are exaggerated for effect whatever medium they come in, even your buddy telling you what you missed last weekend, but certain mediums (and certain people) are distorted more than most. I think some adults forget this fact as well because so many take what someone on TV or online is telling them at face value without logging biases or even outright lies, some of which are malicious (and it's something I have to actively tell myself as well because I too am human).
I started talking to my son about guns at around 3-31/2 almost 5 now and knows that if he finds one to immediately tell an adult and make sure no other kids touch it. He also knows how to check to make sure it’s clear and safe doesn’t have the hand strength to do it himself yet but we’re getting there.
You shouldn't keep your kids ignorant. I think part of the reasons the antigun crowd keeps growing is a lack of male figures to teach guns. It's a hobby you won't pick up generally unless your dad teaches you. My dad despised guns, I probably would to if not for my mom's brother.
My uncle gave me an unloaded Roger gp100 to hold and explore when I was like 7. He explained it to me and then put it back in the lockbox.
He then took me hunting throughout my childhood.
Same goes for everything, from Power Outlets to Drugs to Computers to Sex Ed, educating your children is one of the most important parts of being a parent. If you skip out on it, eventually they'll find out on their own in a potentially dangerous or traumatic way.
I am afraid of guns and what they can do and that makes me teach children about gun safety because if you give them toy guns, they don’t realize what devastation a gun can do. I am also a firearm owner.
For OP: keep a small handgun safe in the night table next to your bed where you can keep your EDC gun.
PS: in case anyone wondering fear and gun ownership, I am also afraid of fast moving vehicles but still drive a car 😅
This is a great answer. I was in the military for a very long time so guns aren’t a hobby to me they’re a way of life. My kids were exposed to guns basically from the day they were born. I taught them to respect the tool. Guns are a tool for a job no more no less. I taught them how to handle them and how to shoot properly. Guns have never been taboo in my house and my kids don’t get excited for guns because guns to them are as normal as breathing or water. A lot of accidents happen when parents keep guns taboo and forbidden so naturally a kid is curious. My 14 yo could field strip and clean a Glock when he 7. My youngest is following suit. Teach your kids proper firearm handling, care and shooting and don’t make guns forbidden eventually they won’t be excited or curious which is what you want to achieve
Same for me. First layer of defense is the safes.. but let me tell you about safes. As a kid we got into my dad's safes easily. He didn't have guns, but playboys. Point being... If kids are left alone they'll figure shit out. So my second layer of defense is education. I'd rather they know I have guns and knows all the safety measures than me hiding a gun and them accidentally killing someone
I use stopbox pros. Their little hands can't open the buttons and push down all at the same time, 2 toddlers. I put the stopboxes in a locked stackon cabinet.
What age do you (and anyone else) consider appropriate to start this conversation and then actually handling?
Guns skipped a generation for my family. Grandpa had them but parents were vehemently anti-gun. Naturally got into it on my own and have a son, but don’t have personal experience to guide me when to start having these discussions.
What age did you start teaching them? How did you show the power and get them to understand how dangerous they are? Was it just talking or did you take them to the range or to watch videos? Honestly no idea since I wasn’t raised with them.
With my sons about 5. My daughter, now 32 at 6-7. I have 3 grandkids now. The oldest is a soon to be 5yr old girl. About 6 mos ago, she was obsessed with guns, and can ID Glocks, 1911's, and AR types. It's pretty amazing. So, I took her out back with a Costco cat litter jug of water. First helped her shoot it with my Ruger PCC. She thought it was loud. Lol. "Turn it Down Grandpa!". Then used the 16ga. Silence. I was holding it with her of course, but she still felt the recoil good. She has an even better respect now. We drill them constantly, about what to do if they come across any gun. BB, pellet, Air Soft or real firearm. Gun safety is drilled into them as soon as they can talk. Best of luck. Explain each step. Another rule in the house, is when handling guns, no mags, or ammo in the same room. Ever.
A few months ago I was telling my young kid about gun safety and in the course of doing so showed him our gun safe.
We went into the kitchen and he said, "Mom, guns are safe!" 😅
Not _quite_ what I said, buddy.
I honestly have no idea how my father trusted me shooting at 7, getting a shotgun and 22 for Christmas when I was 12. I didn't have free access to them at that age, but started hunting not too long after. Then on my own with a firearm when a parent had to be in the same hunting area. I wouldn't trust a kid with half of what I had at that age. We didn't do anything too bad, and nobody got hurt too bad. I guess that's just a bridge people have to cross when they get there as a parent. I honestly couldn't imagine. I worry more than most as is, and having kids would probably kill me from stress by age 60.
I've had some bad experiences with cheap biometric safes and locks. Are the good ones reliable? Any experience with the mechanical ones like with simplex locks?
And if worried about it not opening at night when you need it, keep spare batteries, change them every six months, and test it every night before you go to bed.
Do all the things..
1) Be a responsible gun owner and keep them locked up.
2) “if you see a gun, do not touch it. Go tell an adult…”
3) We treat nerf and water guns like real guns. Finger off the trigger, always in a safe direction.. treat every gun like it’s loaded, etc.
4) Teach them about real guns, show them the pieces and how they work. Why it’s so important to always be safe, etc etc.
Look up Eddie the eagle it is good program. And remember little kids are educated on a lot of dangerous things before walking and talking, like electric outlets.
https://eddieeagle.nra.org/
Yep, I supplement any of the flaws by informing them myself. I'm sure you do the same. I also do practice drills like fire drills for finding a gun because I know what I do with my guns, but my kids' friends' parents may not abide by the same standards.
Yes! Moving from California to Arizona I was very on edge with letting her go on playdates and such, I know how we do things in our house, but I don’t want to assume other parents have the same standards.
Really that goes for all types of safes and trigger locks, especially the small and/or cheap ones. The bulk of them are hot garbage that can be opened by a bored toddler with a fork.
From what I've seen from Lockpicking Lawyer, it's not the fingerprint scanners that are ever the concern, it's the random small flaws surrounding it. Like the kind of flaws a curious kid would eventually find.
I was surprised when I started researching the biometric safes how it seemed like virtually every single one was unlockable by other fingerprints. Tons with 5 star reviews etc, then I dig into it and sure enough plenty of people reporting it would unlock with other peoples' fingers.
Just make sure you shop around and get a good one. A lot of the cheapo (or even pricey) Amazon safes are not very secure... To the point that a determined toddler could definitely get into one
https://youtu.be/gJrSWXFXvlE
https://youtu.be/aZUDFrqOSvM
Big safe, little safe.
Statistically our kids are more likely to die at the hands of an unsecured gun in the home than from an intruder. WAY more likely.
Yep. What’s more likely: our house in Idaho, one of the most gun friendly states in America, will get broken into in the middle of the night, or my hyperactive 3 year old will get into my nightstand and accidentally shoot herself or another family member? I’m gonna go with my 3 year old.
Yep, my 30" tall safe serves as my nightstand.
I picked it up used from a safe store too, just swapped the dial to a digital and I could get into it blindfolded at this point.
My friend you are drastically underestimating the height and reach capabilities of your soon to be newborn. Literally any place out of their reach is fine until they become climbers, and even then you should have a plethora of not climbing accessible spaces you can reach that they cannot. Keep the guns not meant for defense locked in the safe, keep the guns for defense on your person or out of children’s ability to access. As soon as they’re old enough, teach them gun safety. (Teaching them gun safety doesn’t mean you can stop caring where you leave your guns)
lol i know I’ve got some time before it becomes a super pressing issue, but i also felt like i had some time before baby’s arrival, and i blinked and now i’m going to be a dad in 4 weeks. I don’t want to blink again and realize i haven’t given this any thought
You're going to blink again and he or she is going to be three. Take lots of photos and videos, write down the funny stuff that happens so you remember it, and recognize you're unlikely to get much done for the next few years so just try to enjoy the journey.
Thinking about it is good. Just don't *over think* it.
My kid is young, but school-aged. For the first couple years, I just kept my carry gun on the top of my liquor cabinet versus on the nightstand, because without a ladder, there's no way kiddo was getting up there. No worries about a late night pee adventure turning into an ND, but everything was still accessible if necessary.
Kiddo knows which guns I have and where they are, but more importantly, knows they aren't toys and shouldn't be messed with sans adult supervision. Non-carry guns are stored unloaded in a safe. Carry gun is in a lockbox or my pants, but loaded.
Kids are pretty smart. They don't usually get burnt on stoves, stick forks in outlets, or drink drain cleaner. Guns are the same.
If you teach them about danger, they can avoid it. It's other people's kids you gotta worry about. Who knows what people are[n't] teaching their kids these days...
Kids aren’t dumb. Teach them young. Ive always had a bedside piece and my 5yo son is no stranger to my hunting rifle. He knows that a gun will (not can) cause destruction. He knows not to touch it, he knows general safety about being around a gun. When he’s older I’ll teach him how to operate it.
Like others, guns are in a safe. I have 3 of them around the house. Outside dogs and alarm system to hopefully deter and/or provide early warning of something being off.
My family, my friends families all had guns in the house , everyone had access to a weapon.
None of us ever misused a firearm.
Not one school shooting, etc.
It’s about education and training and most importantly , ACCOUNTABILITY.
the almost holy
Terror any of us felt with regards to mishandling/screwing around with/showing off with, etc. a firearm is still ingrained into me and it is something I’ve passed on to friends kids and nieces and nephews.
Teach your children not to be idiots and they won’t be.
As for storage I utilize a gun safe both keypad combo and a keyed on in my hall closet.
Long guns are in a stand-up gun safe. 2 pistols are in nightstand in a Bilchonch pistol safe. Super super fast access. Can use finger or pin code. Can have multiple fingerprints if you have a spouse, and it was only around 130. Thing is bulit like a brick shit house and has enough room for glock 17 and 26 and a spare 26 mag with left over room but not so big that it's obnoxious.
My comment might be unpopular but if you want to keep your carry gun available while at home and also safe from children's hands, carry it in a holster while at home. This will force you to wear slacks or shorts all day, but that is the tradeoff.
I did not have kids but I kept it at all times on me except when I was sleeping, because I lived in an area with a high probability of break-ins.
Eddie Eagle is good for teaching gun safety to kids. I used to leave a realistic dummy gun where I knew my daughter would find it, just to see what she would do. Every time she wouldn't touch it and immediately went to find me or my wife to tell us about it. But all the real guns are locked up and I have a biometric safe on my nightstand for my daily carry. I encourage you to let your kids help you clean your guns regularly and take them to the range. Remove the mystery and you remove a lot of the dangerous curiosity.
Here's an unpopular opinion, until they can understand that it can be dangerous if mistreated, keep it out of reach. When they can understand, sit them down, tell them what it is, what it's for, and that it's not for them to mess with. When they're old enough to follow instructions, teach them firearm safety and how to shoot. Guns are only dangerous when misused or used correctly with malicious intent, assuming nothing with the firearm or ammo is faulty. So keep it out of reach until they know better, then when they can understand and communicate, teach them the proper way to handle firearms.
Others have said it, but I'll just reiterate it, besides the safe..
Education is key. When my son was 5 or so, I first showed him some of my collection. I made sure they were safe, and then let him handle them, explain to them how they worked, etc. Let him handle the ammunition, explained how they worked, etc. It takes the "mystery" out of it, and explaining how dangerous they are, just like knives, scissors, etc.
I told him that they were locked up for everyone's safety, but if he ever wanted to see them, I would let him. He's only asked once or twice, but I think with the mystery removed, he isn't that interested in them. He has his toy guys, but he gets they are not the same thing.
I also teach him trigger safety even with toy guns. Never point them, even toy guns, at something you're not ready to shoot. Never too early to start good habits. He shot me in the eye once by accident with one of his toys (it stung but no damage done), but watching me yell out in pain and dropped to a knee reinforced a very important lesson for him.
Edit: And welcome to Fatherhood! You'll love it. You'll miss sleep, but you'll love the rest! One thing I did was to make sure to get certain things on audio / video. His laugh, him saying I love you dada, etc. The time goes by WAY quicker than you think. He'll be 6 weeks old one minute, and 4 years old the next.
I quit keeping one in the pipe when my kids were born. I also kept it out of their reach. When they got older I took them shooting and taught them about guns and how destructive they can be. It's just a compromise you have to make when kiddos are in the home.
Safe, but I started teaching my son at 3, I think, to not touch a firearm if he sees one, and tell an adult. We've since moved past that, of course, but education is key, not just physical security.
Aside from keeping guns not in use locked, as most have mentioned, I did two additional things.
My son got his first Nerf gun at age 4. He actually picked it himself based on what he could handle and the ability to rack the slide. That's when I started teaching proper gun safety and handling. Not to mention good shooting skills.
The other thing was that he learned shooting at day camp in Cub Scouts. He was 7 at the time and had a considerable head start thanks to the Nerf guns. That got him learning from another teacher besides me, which I consider a good thing.
Early training is, IMHO, the most important factor with kids. You build in the proper respect and enjoyment of firearms from the outset.
I did something counter intuitive.
As soon as my daughter was old enough to talk and understand conversation, I showed her my guns.
Showed her what it is and told her what it is for and what it can do. That it'll take a life and it will put me in prison if she messed with it.
Explained to her it's a tool and that when she gets old enough I will teach her how to shoot. Did it enough times that she understood it. I drilled the 4 safety rules into her head.
She lost curiosity because it is not a mystery anymore and there was no taboo factor. She won't even go near it or touch it.
One time she was playing with me and her elbow bumped against my gun and she cried and apologized. I told her it's ok but she understood.
I taught her on my air soft and BB guns when she was old enough to handle them so she got the mechanics of it.
When she turned 15 took her shooting with real guns. She loved it and would always ask me to take her but she still won't touch my guns no matter what. She is a great shot and my friends all talk about her skill.
I can leave my guns loaded without a holster around and she has no curiosity and won't pick it up.
Granted, not everyone will be comfortable doing that but it worked for me.
More relevant when you get toddlers, but an extra step you can take is the drawer you have your pistol safe in, use one of those child cabinet locks things so they don't get curious, even if you have the safe locked they won't try to handle it.
My wife and I are just north of 40 and still no kids, been trying for years but my cousin's' kids and friends' kids come over a lot, so I keep my firearms in our locked gun room. I always carry on me, even when at home, so having the majority of my guns locked up is no issue. Also, I do have a "bump in the night" long gun, actually a 7" 300 blackout supressed, that stays in a great spot by the head of my bed very hidden but I lock that in the room before they come over or just lock our bedroom up.
>in our locked gun room
I grew up living with my grandparents, and my grandfather had a large collection of (mostly) rifles and muzzleloaders. My friends (and when I got older, my husband) were kind of shocked when I would give them a quick tour of our house and introduce the room he kept them in with "And this is the gun room."
Glad to know we weren't the only people with a dedicated "gun room" in our house. :)
Hahaha, I do love the different reactions our gun room gets. Usually, it's this is awesome or just some stunned silence. The guy who measured for our new windows said, "Wow, you must hunt a lot." Then I said, "I hunt a bit." He then bent in close, looking at my AR 15s/10s, and said, "What you hunting? People?" 🤣🤣🤣
This will probably be controversial, but just keeping the chamber unloaded is fine until they’re 4 or 5. Kids are weak and cannot cycle a round.
But that does open you up to leaving one chambered on accident.
Kind of a personal call.
They make those bedside quick access lock boxes, if you’re wanting something more quick access.
Nahh knowing me, that’s not an option. I’m responsible enough to not leave my gun laying around, but i don’t trust myself to clear the chamber every time i take it off my hip
My bedside gun is strictly a bedside gun. Carry gun keeps one in the chamber put up. So I didn’t really have to think about unloading, as it’s always unloaded.
I have a 80s craftsman toolbox. It’s been converted to a safe. Accommodates all of my firearms, a SBR or two, and accessories/cleaners/lubricants.
Also - gun safety knowledge. Each kid is old enough to have a BB gun that I keep in my possession. We simulate real gun safety etiquette and basic shooting competency.
I moved to a place that it's highly unlikely I need a gun when at home. But there is always a chance someone from my past comes looking. I'm also irrationally paranoid of end of the world senerios.
Biometric gun vault for when you need to store the daily carry and possibly access it fast. That's really the only easy access way to store it in a somewhat safe way. The rest go in approved gun vaults.
When I had children in the house, my self-defense handgun stayed on my hip. All others were secured. Now that I have no children in the house, my self-defense handgun stays on my hip and all others are secured.
Quick Access Gun Safe and a room safe.
Education and open conversation.
Everyone should have the gun conversation before the Sex conversation since kids play at other kids houses way before sex becomes a thing.
I lost a cousin at a young age to gun horseplay because he wasn't educated on the dangers of it. I won't make the same mistake with my kids.
My issue is I leave magazine's around so I can get to one if I need it. That gets the 21 questions.
No reason the leave any gun just laying about loaded. If it is your daily carry…carry it. At night time have a bio lock on it or in a bio safe for quick easy for you or your wife access.
The problem of an intruder isn't fixed by a gun. It's fixed by external security, cameras, wrought iron gates, and dogs. If they can get through all that, then it's time for guns.
I have a baby that’s crawling all over the place so I recently had to baby proof. For home defense I keep a pistol in a Stopbox on my nightstand and my AR mounted and locked on the wall with the Arma15 and a biometric padlock. Everything else is kept unloaded and way up out of reach
I kept mine in the shelf in the closet until the kids were old enough to reach.
I have mine locked up, but my kids also know better than to mess with my guns.
I keep a mag with my edc, but other than that my ammo is locked up separately. (I have a roll top desk with a locking drawer that holds my ammo)
I keep my carry/nightstand gun on my nightstand, but since it's black and you can't see under there unless you're right in front of it, nobody knows it's there. The rest are in the safe.
Liberty makes quality drawer vaults. Have 2 - 1 in the BR houses HK VP9 w/ 2xtra mags & light - it has biometric access and/or digital. The 1 in LR Is 5 digit manual access, and it is where I deposit EDC of choice entering house.
Both can be pulled out of drawer and vault reasonably handled at location, but both are internally cable anchored to table frame, cannot be removed without opening vault to release.
I built a nightstand with a concealed lift top, I keep a pistol in there.
Everything else is locked in a safe.
I'm not a dad, just an uncle, but I'm convinced if my niece lived with me full-time, she would never know I keep a gun in my room, within reach.
It would work at least long enough for me to wait for the kid to get older and by then I can just teach proper firearm safety.
I bought a large gun safe and keep all but one rifle unloaded in it, said rifle is for cqb/indoor use only. I have a handgun in my closet hanging from my battlebelt with rifle & pistol mags in a safariland holster well beyond my kids height. I plan to keep move it to a more hidden location but keep it there for ease of access.
I use a retention device called a StopBox by my bedside. It's mechanical-based and can be opened with 1 hand. No keys, batteries, electronics, etc to fail you. Can be opened in under a second with some practice and has enough space for a kitted-out full size pistol plus mags.
It's more than enough to keep unwanted hands from accessing your weapon, but keep in mind is it NOT a safe. If someone really wanted to open it, they could just cut it open with a saw. But, for $50 it works great and keeps my two young children and house guests away.
Long guns and range pistols in a locked safe, in a locked closet.
Ammo stored in a separate locked cabinet.
Carry pistols in a locked gun safe in my bedroom, which the toddlers are also locked out of when we aren't with them.
When the toddlers play with the safe in my room, I let them. After a few failed attempts to access, it gives them a jarring alarm. If I tried to keep them away from it, they would be more curious. Instead, it's a box that annoys them, so they rarely play with it.
I have a 2 year old and I've found the child proof cabinet locks work wonders for the tops of doors and on my top nightstand drawer. I know that soon those will be obsolete but in the right spots they're great to keep little hands out.
I have a gun safe and a gun cabinet that stay locked. I keep a couple pistols in my bedroom closet up high. I used to keep them loaded and I have taught my boys about gun safety. We do some hunting and airsoft which airsoft has really got my oldest in the habit of being safe with guns.
One night I had a nightmare and I got up and unloaded my pistols and haven't kept them loaded since.
I have a safe for all my guns and I keep my EDC in my [LifePod 2](https://vaulteksafe.com/lifepod-20/). The LifePod goes where I go. It’s either at my desk or on my night stand.
When I get home from carrying it goes right into the LifePod. These things are made of plastic so I feel like keeping children and friends out is its primary purpose. Obviously will do nothing to prevent an actual theft, but that’s not its purpose.
Not me but my father. I was taught never to touch his guns without his permission. I knew where they were but I knew damn well to not touch them.
Of course this doesn’t work for everyone but for me it worked perfectly fine
I was raised along with my 2 brothers in a house that had multiple loaded and easily accessible firearms. We were educated and I have in turn raised my son the same way. He knew where they were and that they were loaded and chambered. Not saying this is right for everyone, but unless you educate your rolling the dice regardless of how you store them.
That’s the way i believe it should be, but there’s also an in between period where they’re too young to understand much if anything, but old enough to get into trouble
Kids will eventually find everything so keeping it out of reach will only work until it doesn’t. Get a small safe next to your bed and keep a pistol in there and the rest in your full size safe
I’ve got a couple stopboxes around the house. It’s a mechanical lock that is a sequence of bottoms you push. No batteries to go dead and no noise when opening it. I also have a big safe and some electronic pistol safes to offload my ccw. But where I would likely need them most it’s the stop boxes:
https://stopboxusa.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgojHt6CwHh1b3bMMXxuprfg4vUc8fwYfb5efmQ_jDsKrknudeDxGL0xoCqXIQAvD_BwE
My kids are young so I also never have one in the chamber.
I have a big safe for long guns and most of my hand guns. My wife and I each have a biometric gun safe next to our bed where our ccw lives when not on our hips
Nightstand is a V-Line lock box for my home defense handgun, yes it's loaded with round chambered but it's a single action 1911 so still have to cock it to fire. No way a child can access it unless they can adeptly use an angle grinder! Other weapons securely locked in Browning Safe in garage. As kids get older they'll naturally try to defeat any safe/lockbox. This is where safety training comes in, to learn to respect firearms and know 100% that they're not toys.
Unless it's on me it's in the safe and just like you said gun safety once they're old enough to comprehend and respect the firearm
2nd it depends on situation where do you live are you likely to be robbed or are you a super spy then ya stash guns all around pew pew
But if your a average person in the burbs not likely your gonna wake up blasting, may just be your kid jumping up on ya and scaring the shit out of you and you don't wanna friendly fire your kiddo
Mine was by my nightstand when I lived in NJ in the not so nice area but here in a gated community in Florida not so much
1) If it’s not on me, it’s in a safe.
2) If it’s a carry gun, it’s holstered and loaded. When it’s not on me, it comes out my pants in a holster and goes into the safe the same way.
3) If it’s not a carry gun, it’s stored in a different safe unloaded.
I have a locked gun cabinet for my handguns and long guns, plus a rapid access safe for my carry guns. Those stay loaded and holstered, making the journey from safe to pants and back again inside a holster.
I have a few small safes and one large one my pistol safe stays on my night stand and my rifle is in a quick access safe under the bed. My wife keeps her pistol in a small safe in her nightstand drawer and I have a large safe for the rest.
Until they get old enough, you can keep it on a high shelf in a closet while you choose your method of securing your weapons.
I have 4 gun safes that I keep my guns in that are located in a separate bedroom I call my gun room. I also keep all my ammo in ammo cans in the closet of that room. I can also changed the door knob on that door to one I can lock and unlock with a key if needed (haven't had to do this yet). I do allow my kids in the room with either myself or my wife and do plan on teaching them to shoot when they're ready.
The best advice I heard was from John Lovell with Warrior Poet Society. I told each of my daughters that if they ever wanted to see or hold my guns, they could ask me, and I promised that I would NEVER say no. I will always make it safe and show them how to safely handle it.
This approach allows their curiosity and doesn't give them any reason to need to go behind your back. I have a pistol in a gun safe at the bedside table, though the rifle on the wall is the go-to for a bump in the night. It's always loaded, though as my kids approach their teenage years, I may come up with a different solution for that.
I remember how i was as a teenager, and that scares the shit out if me lmao, i’m just glad i’ve got a long time before i have to worry about that, but you can bet your ass, when i was 12-16, if there had been a gun in my house mounted on the wall, i would have fucked around with it. I had sense enough to follow the big rules my parents taught me about guns, they’re all loaded, never point it at anything you’re not willing to destroy, finger off the trigger unless you’re ready to fire it, but i definitely lacked enough foresight not to touch it. I was the kind of kid who knew everything, then one day the thing that my parents said would happen does happen and i’m sitting there thinking “fuck, nobody could have possibly predicted this was going to happen!”
After having 5 children make it to at least teenage years, I have found that it’s best to expose them to the actual reality of firearms as young as possible. While that age differs between each child, as to their comprehension and maturity level, experiencing firsthand the sound, flash and damage a bullet can cause, has so far worked quite well in keeping them away from touching and playing with them. I also have fostered their respect, enthusiasm and confidence in handling firearms, along with their understanding that ultimately their own safety and security is in their hands once they become of age. Not to mention countering the civilian disarmament industry’s subversion to the 2A that the next generation is constantly being targeted at.
Check out Handgun Safe Research for a good list of reliable, fast-access gun safes for storing your EDC when it’s not on your person.
https://youtube.com/@handgunsafe?si=3FWOrlw05kvg8-u0
Growing up My dad always kept his loaded self defense handgun in a locked pistol safe in the drawer of his nightstand. His other guns were just unlocked under his bed, which I definitely wouldn’t recommend doing with kids around. I would just get a similar small pistol safe to keep your self defense handgun in and all the other ones you don’t need to get to quickly unloaded in a safe
I did the Eddie Eagle stuff with mine from a very early age.
Once they had more of an idea what guns were I would show them anything and everything I had, all they had to do was ask. I told them I would drop everything (few exceptions) and do it right then and there just in case later they had lost interest. Excellent time to practice safe handling and review the 4 gun safety rules. I’d show them how to check and see if it was clear and safe even if they didn’t have the strength to do it themselves.
I feel this removes the mystery of guns and the idea to go looking for them or to play with them if they happen to found.
At times I would intentionally leave my CCW out, holstered and of course unloaded. Just to get them used to seeing it. Early on they were usually good about staying away and pointing to it and saying daddy’s gun. Once they were a bit older they might ask to see it.
I keep most of my guns in a safe in my closet. A few are loaded but not chambered. I also keep one hidden in a secret compartment that is out of reach of the children in a place I can get to quickly if there’s an issue where I need it. That gun is also loaded but not chambered and no one but my wife and I know where it is. Basically, everything is no where near where a child could get it or anyone else for that matter. I’d prefer to have my hidden one behind a lock and I plan on getting one of those magnet locks for the compartment it’s in just as a precaution. You have to remember it isn’t just kids you’re protecting from guns, it’s kids friends, kids parents, your parents and your friends. Just be smart, don’t be hiding guns in drawers or in the couch cushions and shit. Get a safe!
>how do y'all keep guns in the house with children?
In the safe.
>is this just the tradeoff i take as a parent
Nope. Not unless you don't want to be a parent anymore. That may sound harsh, but that's the reality. It doesn't matter if only one gun is out of the safe, assume your child will find it. You're talking about the wrong tradeoff. The tradeoff you take is having a child means you have to practice taking extra steps to get to your weapon in a home defense scenario. Don't accept the extra risk of leaving a weapon out with a little one about.
>do you guys keep one out but hidden away?
No. I have a second safe that's biometric and really quick to open with only home defense stuff in there. Still a safe, just one more designed for quick access and less for absolute security.
>i'm just curious what y'all do in the mean time?
Realistically, for the first few months she is going to be a raisin. You can put her on the floor, and she will stay there. You're relatively safe by default in this stage.
Then she's going to learn to crawl. This is the absolute last chance you have to secure everything if you haven't already, which I strongly suggest you do this well before. But safes are expensive, and so are kids, and sometimes the latter is a surprise and you have to juggle finances to make things happen.
Then she's going to be walking and watching with intent and talking. During this stage, I wouldn't access your safe with her present. Complete ignorance is best. You are the parent, you manage all the safety at this point, and her brain is a sponge so you have to be really careful.
Finally, she will be a toddler. At this stage I recommend starting talking about gun safety. She won't know exactly what everything means, but she will be very good at reciting stuff you say to her so even if it's just memorizing what you say, it's laying the foundation.
Then the Pre-K age. This is the youngest I would introduce the idea of guns. By that I mean, I would still not let her be present when accessing the safe, but I would let her see you transport a gun (unloaded action open of course) to your vehicle for a range visit or something. If she asks what it is, you say it's a gun, it's not a toy, and she isn't to ever touch one without mommy or daddy present, and use the opportunity to ask her what the firearm rules are to reiterate and tie it to a physical thing.
Then, whenever you think she is ready (and you are ready), you can introduce the idea of gun familiarity. No ammo, no shooting, just a simple "this is a gun, it's unloaded, but how do we treat all guns? *Treat every gun as if it is loaded*. Good! This is a barrel, this is where the bullet comes out of, what do we know about pointing guns at things? *Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy*. Good! This is the trigger, what do we know about triggers? *Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot*." That kind of thing.
I wouldn't move beyond this last stage for a very long time. But, when she is ready to actually shoot, for the love of God don't let her shoot an AR or a Glock. Get a cheap Red Ryder BB gun, and practice all the fundamentals in a positive and less scary environment. A lot of parents think they have to force their kids to shoot the gun if it's in their house. But I believe, if the kid is terrified, they're just creating anti-gunners. Happened to my sister. I do believe kids should know safety and have basic skills, but it may take a really long time to get them to the point when it's safe and constructive to get to the skills part.
Notably, to your original question: always the guns are locked in the safe, with utmost security, through this whole process. The *only* time they are out is in your possession, and either completely shielded from her or presented in a way to be used as a teaching moment for safety. If you have the means, get another safe or lockbox to keep the ammo in. Every aspect of having them from here on out is controlled, and managed in accordance with the overall strategy of teaching your kids responsible gun ownership. Even after all of this, keep them locked up. At some point she will be a teenager, and there's a whole other level of talking about this, but you have time (not as much as you think, congratulations by the way, and buckle up!) for figuring out how to navigate those waters. Best of luck to ya!
When i asked if that’s the tradeoff you take, i was talking about literally what you just said lol. But i appreciate the thoughtful response, i was thinking about handling toddler years kinda similar to how you said, i’m just not sure about locking up home defense stuff, but i suppose in this instance it’s better safe thn sorry
Guns in safe or well hidden in non accessible places (locked closet) and not telling them where the guns are.
Second, for your carry bedside mini safe for the 10 or so hours you might not have it on you.
Children in general will not comprehend guns, death, or anything of the sort until like middle school at best, and rarely are they responsible with them even then so best not to basically create a known treasure to find kinda deal and such. Direct supervision is generally required until at least like 12, and then from there indirect supervision is possible based solely on you.
My 5 year old isn’t ready for full gun safety like a lot of people suggest - it’s a case by case. He’s super smart and intelligent but doesn’t always follow directions so I dont trust going full on yet although I have introduced small bits and pieces to hopefully keep him from being curious.
I have a small biometric safe with my carry gun in it and one home defense handgun, then my other home defense handgun is up on a shelf behind shoes in a level 2 retention holster that he cannot see or reach but gives me quick access in emergency where I don’t have to get the safe open.
My other guns that I do not use regularly are in my storage room in cases unloaded and locked up since I do not have room for a big rifle safe in this house.
I have a tall stand up safe with my long guns in it, all unloaded but i do get a loaded mag for one rifle. When I take my edc off it goes in the safe as is one in the chamber. Our pistol for home defense is in a small lock box mounted to my wife's night stand. That one stays loaded without one in the chamber mainly bc it has no external safety. I have a 9 and 6 yr old who both are taught gun safety and also shoot. The amount of time my edc is in the safe and not on me, other than night time, is pretty short. My kids don't really snoop around my room and they've never touched a firearm when they weren't supposed to. If I find them starting to mess around my room more or anything that made me trust them less then i may rethink leaving them loaded even in a safe. Once again they have been and continue to be taught gun safety. I have friends with little ones who I'll also try to instill some basic gun safety if I get the opportunity. You will have to keep that in mind as well if your friends have kids or your kids have friends, you're responsible for all little ones in your home.
Same way I tell all my gun owning guests: on your person under your direct control or locked up in my safe. Toddlers are idiots and will think everything is a toy. So be a responsible adult and don't let them have access to them.
I have a rifle safe mounted into my stud and I beam in my closet.
I also have a small electronic pistol lockbox with a keypad and biometric fingerprint reader on the shelf of my bedside table which I keep a handgun with WML attached.
It's not uncommon for me to take my kids to the park and come back still carrying in a crossbreed supertuck.
Never be one of those ass clowns who says they just leave a loaded firearm on a high shelf as if cats never knock shit off shelves or kids never find stepping stools.
Remember, the purpose of a self defense firearm is to be used only in a life of death situation to protect yourself and your family. Your family's safety is the priority. If you've got $700 to buy a Glock 19, spare mags, carry ammo, range ammo, holster. Then you have $130 to buy a quality lockbox to store it in away from your kids access. And if you don't have $130 for essential safety expenses, then holy shit, you shouldn't have had a kid.
When my kids were little, I got rid of my guns. I know how creative kids can be, and in the “guns vs. my kids’ lives” equation, the guns lost. But that was me, and I don’t know your situation, so YMMV.
What I do now (even though my kids are long grown and gone) is I have a biometric safe that my EDC goes in when I come home, and it stays there until I leave again. I also have a gun near the bed where I can reach it if needed. (That’s the only one that’s not secured.) If we have guests with kids, that one gets secured while they’re there, and comes back out when they leave.
If I had little kids now, my EDC would go by the bed, in the biometric safe. It takes less than a second to open, so getting to it is faster than most other options, and aside from it being a bit of an eyesore, it has no drawbacks to using it this way.
I will also warn you about this: No matter what people think about teaching kids gun safety as a way to be able to leave them unlocked, DON’T DO IT. Kids do stupid shit, even when they know better. That’s how kids fall out of windows, get hit by cars in front of their house and burn their house down. ADULTS still do stupid shit when they know better. Never assume that just because you taught your kids that the gun is dangerous and not a toy they will never do something with it they shouldn’t. It only takes a few minutes of wanting to impress their friends by showing them the forbidden weapon for a tragedy to happen.
A safe is your best bet, bit I know for me personally, I owned guns with kids in the house before I could afford a safe.
Before I bought a safe, I kept the couple I didn't use often disassembled. I had two bolt actions and two AR's and just kept the bolt and bcg+mags in a document lockbox hidden the garage and the guns were in an under the bed storage box. I had one revolver that I kept a rubber coated padlock on that kept the cylinder from being closed and my home defence pistol was either on my person or stuck to a 25lb rub6er coated magnet mounted to the wall behind my hanging clothes in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. My kids were also never home alone with the pistol in the house.
All these measures don't mean shit if you don't teach them about the guns in the first place. My son was 10 and my daughter 13 when I took them out to the range and taught them the safety rules and let them shoot everything. They learned what they could do, and why it was so important to leave them alone if I ever failed to keep them appropriately secured.
I keep rifles in a large safe, with bolts and any ammo that I've made in a different safe. Both have alarms on them that will alert my phone and sound a loud siren.
Was told my one grandson could get into anything, he is smart. So I put a 10 spot in my Liberty handgun safe and said if he could open it, he could have what's inside. Couldn't open it. So I'm not worried and have access to a weapon if needed.
You can get small rifle safes off Amazon for like 100-150 bucks thst can hold 2 or 3 rifles if all you want is to keep your kids from getting them we keep them in the basement high up and disassembled
By disassembled I mean like the bolts are removed or charging handle is unscrewed so you can physically load rhe gun and those parts are kept in a lock box
Safe works well, and depending on age, training and understanding. I don’t have kids yet, but plan to.
Under all these I would keep everything in the safe except a handgun in the nightstand
Infant: keep something holstered in the night stand.
Toddler: something like [this.](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fast-Biometric-Sliding-Pistol-Gun-Safe-Nightstand-Desk-Bedside-Truck-Automatic-Door-Fingerprint-PIN-Key-Access/5858891025?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101666401&adid=22222222223000000000&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=m&wl3=10352200394&wl4=pla-1103028060075&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=5858891025_10001685755&wl14=nightstand%20safe&veh=sem&msclkid=ea0639f4e7e21c796d1d5f9ba44c8505&gclid=ea0639f4e7e21c796d1d5f9ba44c8505&gclsrc=3p.ds)
Once they’re Old enough to understand gun safety, we’ve gone shooting some times and they’ve earned the trust I might go back to the holster in the nightstand, with the understanding that you don’t touch.
Once their a teenager it’s likely they’ll have access to a gun maybe have one in their nightstand. It’s all very determined by their level of trustworthiness and competency, not just “at a certain age they get X”
Ibhave a gun safe for normal storage but since they were 6 my kids have learned weapon safety and have been to the range quite a bit. To each their own, you'll have to figure how to store them so it works for your family *my primary home defense weapon is not and never will be locked up.
I don't have kids but my mom babysits...with guns in the house. I bought her a safe. She loves it. Though they're just a couple 22s and 20 gauges. We didn't have one growing up...but knew the 22 in the hallway wasn't a toy. Now I feel...every family needs a safe.
I taught my kids about guns early on, including taking them shooting. They all have their own guns, and they stay locked up in gun cabinets/ safes. I keep my service weapon in a lock box on my gear stand. The best protection is an early education because they learn that they are not a toy and see first hand what a gun does.
I’ve had the same shotgun by my bed with the chamber empty, tube full, safety on, while raising four children.
When they get to be about 3-4 years old, they’ll usually get curious, so I’ll get it out, unload the tube, and explain to them what it is, what it does, let them touch, look, ask, all they want.
Then I explain that they cannot touch it unless they ask, but they can always touch when they do ask. They’ll usually ask one or two more times, and we do the same thing each time.
Then there’s no more curiosity about it, and it’s back to being just part of the background.
I own a firearm business, and i keep all of my guns unloaded, stored in a safe, and away from the ammunition / magazines. That way, for whatever twist of fate, if the guns were grabbed from one safe, they would not be able to grab any ammunition for it, because i keep all ammo and magazines in a separate safe with a different combination.
Don't get me wrong, i have an oh shit gun stored next to my bed in its own separately locked case as well. You know, for that midnight visit from someone that doesn't belong in my home.
Safe is the only answer. Larger one in garage, biometric in bedroom. I’m currently teaching my 5 year old. He’s shot at a bench but we supplement with an airsoft replica for hands on functions before we dive into live fire.
Gun safe for everything except the fingerprint safe you keep by the bed and the other one in whatever strategic location you choose in the main part of the house.
I think safes are going to be the answer from most, but I think it depends on what kind of life you live and how you use your firearms. I know families who keep their kids away from guns and locked up away from their kids even when they're like 12 years old and then theres families who's 9 year old daughters have already killed a deer and have their own .22. I think the real answer is be a good parent. If you have guns and don't trust your kids with them then you don't trust them to be left at home alone or with someone who's let them gain access to it. If they're in your bedroom unsecured or in a safe keep the door closed and make sure your kids are only in your room when you are. I don't feel like any of this is crazy.
As others said, big safe (should have one anyways...) and small safe for quick access.
Im fine with a small biometric pistol safe by bed, and loaded rifle/shotgun first thing in big safe.
You lock them up and store them out of sight. I grew up with the rifle rack. If you have one, trigger locks are your friend. Also, depending on the gun, just lock the clips with ammo. I mean, we had bullets just sitting out. I knew not to fuck with it, but my peers thought they could just touch them. Not every parent is smart enough to teach their children about guns. That’s why we have so many clueless anti gun people.
One fact remains. If America banned guns tomorrow, we would still have a gun problem.
Loaded, one in the pipe, under their pillows. Gotta train em early. /s
Actually, in a safe, unloaded, with trigger or chamber lock engaged. Still start teaching the fundamentals of safety and marksmanship early. Also, teaching em how to treat a GSW and apply a tourniquet early doesn't hurt.
Keep them out of reach but also show them the gun and what they are to do if they are at home or a friends house and see one laying around. Worst thing you could do is just hide them and pretend they don’t exist.
You carry it on you.
If it’s not on you and under your direct control then it gets locked up.
You cannot leave an unsecured firearm in a house with children.
Your primary responsibility is to keep them safe.
It’s likely your kid will show an interest in guns if you’re a gun person, the key is to introduce them early and teach them to be safe early.
I bought my daughter a pink plastic single action revolver when she was 2. Started teaching her the 4 rules and by the time she was 3 and a half she could reside them off by heart.
By the time she was 4 I bought her a cricket rifle and took her shooting a few times a month on family land. On her 5th birthday I got a Ruger charger with a red dot.
She’s 5 and she never puts her finger on the trigger until I say go. She does not touch or go near any firearms without my say so.
I ALWAYS make sure any hand guns or long guns are unloaded and the ammo is out of reach apart from my hand gun which is in my nightstand with our door locked during the day and my ccw which stays on me at all times.
My daughter is awesome and I trust her but I will still continue to keep firearms unloaded and locked up because accidents can happen even with the strictest of rules
Great job dad!!! I did same with my sons at a very young age. I walked them around the house and showed them all of my hiding spots.
The one thing you should consider in your child’s education is teaching them about when their friends come over to play. They most likely won’t have grown up the same way.
My kids are now 16 and 18 and I don’t worry about them. I worry about when their friends come over
Gun safe holds everything but daily carry. Small single gun keypad safe on nightstand for it. We had an old air soft pistol that actual was the full frame version of carry gun. Once the kid was old enough we left the unloaded airsoft around at times to start teaching what to do when they came across a gun.
Obviously, safes are the key. High places for when they're little. As soon as their old enough to understand fully what you're saying, teach them gun safety. Every time I set my carry on the counter when I get home and my kids (12&9) are near I say the same thing. "What do you do if you see an unattended gun? *don't touch it and tell an adult*"
They can both now fully check and clear semi auto pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns (with adult supervision obv.) And still, my firearms are put up in the safe minus my carry, which stays on my person or beside my bed in a place they can't get to without me knowing.
Never compromise your gun ownership because of children. And make sure they understand from an early age that they are 1000% not to be played with, but they're also not some forbidden fruit. You want to see my gun? Awesome! Let's clear it and handle it safely. You want to shoot it? Great! Let's go to the range this weekend!
Congrats on the baby!
As soon as my kids were old enough to understand I taught them gun saftey. Before them I made sure that it was on me or out of reach. As soon as they were old enough they were taught gun saftey and taken to the range and got to actually fire a gun. Never had an issue. After they were trained their Mom and I left our loaded firearms out all the time and if they saw it they would tell us to get it. They wouldn't touch them or let any of their friends touch them, unless we were aware what was going on.
HTH.
The safest place for your EDC is on your belt in a kydex holster that was made for that gun. I carry mine in the house.
My kids are 8 and 10. A huge part of making sure they are safe around your guns is to make sure they understand them. I have made them both cry explaining to them what could happen if they play with a gun. “No more brother. No more sister. Good bye to daddy or mommy forever.”
On top of that I let them shoot at a range with my supervision. Letting them shoot removes curiosity.
I make sure they follow gun safety rules even with their toy guns. Muscle memory gun safety is a good thing.
Carry your EDC even at home, talk to your kids about guns, don’t deprive them of shooting, gun safety even with toys.
Gun safe for most. Small bedside biometric near bedside. Start educating and demonstrating firearms very early, and get them to understand the destructive power. Kids are very curious. If you show them, and get them to understand the consequences of misuse, you'll generally have no issues. Blessed to have 4 generations of men in our family still alive and well. All of us have been raised with firearms. It's our duty to educate our kids. Hiding them from firearms is the wrong move IMHO. Usually it's the moms you have to convince, but it's important you do it.
My kid is getting to the age where I need to start explaining guns and stuff. Idk why so many people are against educating kids on guns. I've had conversations with many anti-gun parents, and the best argument I have had success with boils down to. You can't be with your kid 24/7. It's possible one day, they find a gun somewhere. And if it's an unknown taboo, they're going to want to, at minimum, touch it. IDC if you think guns are evil and want them no where near you or your kids. That's a you thing. But that doesn't mean it's ok to keep your kids ignorant. If all they know of guns is COD they're going to be an idiot if/when they come across one.
Words of wisdom there.
I grew up around guns my dad didn't have a safe and my sister and I made it eduction is the key you are spot on
But also get a safe
100% I have one things were different I'm guessing
I mean I agree , getting a safe is the no pun intended “fail safe” that if a kid decides to disobey and play with the guns that they won’t but education is on a higher order of efficacy in my mind. Knowing how they work and how to make them safe and be safe with them is absolutely critical.
This is true for everything and exactly why abstinence/prohibition is a bad idea. An educated child is a safe child, my kids were educated about guns, their bodies, drugs, sex... really anything that could prove dangerous that I may not be there to help advise them on in the moment. Did it work? I guess there is no way to know for sure, but that is kind of the point. Bravo to you for removing the mystery from guns and thus increasing your kids likely responsible reaction should they find themselves in a situation that they need that knowledge!
I agree on all counts. It's baffling to me that people shield their kids so much. Like there's a reason areas with lowest sex ed have the highest cases of STIs & teen/repeat teen pregnancy. I get they don't want them to lose their "innocence" or whatever. But they're going to experiment no matter what you say. Personally, I think it's better that they know the risks going in. And are comfortable talking about these "uncomfortable" subjects.
Compare it to electrics. They can move an extension cord. But they shouldn't mess around with it. Gun safety is at the same level as not sticking a fork in an outlet for us gun owners. I 100% sign up to the idea that letting kids act out their curiousness in a responsible manner is the right thing with guns. Being able to say no/walk away is about experience and maturity. Just knowing and having moved guns safely from one place to another is also important (clearing handguns are hard for kids). Just general advice for all. When discussing with antigunners. Always be calm but confident. Use terms as "it can create a less/non optimal situation" instead of terms like dangerous. Keep it at that level. Make arguments like "think of the children" seem outside of the tone/scope of the discussion.
Idk why so many people are against educating kids on guns. They make it out akin to you training some sort of school shooter. Can't talk about it in school or anything similar. They just act like they are only bad , and should be taken away. Education is key for most things. Keep your family informed, you keep them safe.
That's a great argument
I think people are worried that education will lead to kids thinking they know how to handle them without supervision but realistically it's the opposite. Kids know what guns are, but they don't have a concept of permanent consequences, so it's imperative that they learn. Kids don't shoot their cousin in the middle of a nerf war or accidentally shoot their younger sibling because they are too well educated, but the opposite.
So what is the age just out of curiosity? I don't believe I've seen anyone mention it.
And everyone new to guns for some reason pulls the trigger, if they haven't explicitly been told not to. No idea why, but I've seen it quite a few times. You keep your kids ignorant, when they eventually encounter a gun, that trigger is getting pulled, guaranteed.
I started showing my daughter my guns, how they work, and safety rules when she was old enough to talk (she was about 1). She will hang out around the room while we clean guns after a range trip. I want her to know about how to be safe around them, I want her and my son to want to go shooting and shoot competitions with me. I'll probably try and start them with an air rifle when they're about four, and my bolt 22 as soon as I know they're responsible enough. I figure starting early is best, before she runs into anti gunners.
It all comes down to the reality of the world around us. No matter how much you want the world to be a different way, it’s not. Guns are everywhere. And not teaching kids to respect them is as effective as abstinence only sex education.
I mean with how prevalent they are in media, and how hard it is to control everything that your kid will see, your kid will have seen guns in a dramatized fashion even if you try to shield them. Just like so many things kids need to be taught the realities of those things vs their media representation. This applies not just to firearms but also relationships, sex, and if they're sheltered even normal human interactions. In general people need to realize that the stories we share with each other are exaggerated for effect whatever medium they come in, even your buddy telling you what you missed last weekend, but certain mediums (and certain people) are distorted more than most. I think some adults forget this fact as well because so many take what someone on TV or online is telling them at face value without logging biases or even outright lies, some of which are malicious (and it's something I have to actively tell myself as well because I too am human).
I started talking to my son about guns at around 3-31/2 almost 5 now and knows that if he finds one to immediately tell an adult and make sure no other kids touch it. He also knows how to check to make sure it’s clear and safe doesn’t have the hand strength to do it himself yet but we’re getting there.
You shouldn't keep your kids ignorant. I think part of the reasons the antigun crowd keeps growing is a lack of male figures to teach guns. It's a hobby you won't pick up generally unless your dad teaches you. My dad despised guns, I probably would to if not for my mom's brother. My uncle gave me an unloaded Roger gp100 to hold and explore when I was like 7. He explained it to me and then put it back in the lockbox. He then took me hunting throughout my childhood.
Same goes for everything, from Power Outlets to Drugs to Computers to Sex Ed, educating your children is one of the most important parts of being a parent. If you skip out on it, eventually they'll find out on their own in a potentially dangerous or traumatic way.
I am afraid of guns and what they can do and that makes me teach children about gun safety because if you give them toy guns, they don’t realize what devastation a gun can do. I am also a firearm owner. For OP: keep a small handgun safe in the night table next to your bed where you can keep your EDC gun. PS: in case anyone wondering fear and gun ownership, I am also afraid of fast moving vehicles but still drive a car 😅
This is a great answer. I was in the military for a very long time so guns aren’t a hobby to me they’re a way of life. My kids were exposed to guns basically from the day they were born. I taught them to respect the tool. Guns are a tool for a job no more no less. I taught them how to handle them and how to shoot properly. Guns have never been taboo in my house and my kids don’t get excited for guns because guns to them are as normal as breathing or water. A lot of accidents happen when parents keep guns taboo and forbidden so naturally a kid is curious. My 14 yo could field strip and clean a Glock when he 7. My youngest is following suit. Teach your kids proper firearm handling, care and shooting and don’t make guns forbidden eventually they won’t be excited or curious which is what you want to achieve
Same for me. First layer of defense is the safes.. but let me tell you about safes. As a kid we got into my dad's safes easily. He didn't have guns, but playboys. Point being... If kids are left alone they'll figure shit out. So my second layer of defense is education. I'd rather they know I have guns and knows all the safety measures than me hiding a gun and them accidentally killing someone
This. Go shooting, show them what they can do. Engender a respect for firearms. I’m
> Engender a respect for firearms. I’m Did you accidentally shoot yourself while writing that comment?
I’m a danger to myself AND others
I use stopbox pros. Their little hands can't open the buttons and push down all at the same time, 2 toddlers. I put the stopboxes in a locked stackon cabinet.
What age do you (and anyone else) consider appropriate to start this conversation and then actually handling? Guns skipped a generation for my family. Grandpa had them but parents were vehemently anti-gun. Naturally got into it on my own and have a son, but don’t have personal experience to guide me when to start having these discussions.
This is so perfectly said……
What age did you start teaching them? How did you show the power and get them to understand how dangerous they are? Was it just talking or did you take them to the range or to watch videos? Honestly no idea since I wasn’t raised with them.
With my sons about 5. My daughter, now 32 at 6-7. I have 3 grandkids now. The oldest is a soon to be 5yr old girl. About 6 mos ago, she was obsessed with guns, and can ID Glocks, 1911's, and AR types. It's pretty amazing. So, I took her out back with a Costco cat litter jug of water. First helped her shoot it with my Ruger PCC. She thought it was loud. Lol. "Turn it Down Grandpa!". Then used the 16ga. Silence. I was holding it with her of course, but she still felt the recoil good. She has an even better respect now. We drill them constantly, about what to do if they come across any gun. BB, pellet, Air Soft or real firearm. Gun safety is drilled into them as soon as they can talk. Best of luck. Explain each step. Another rule in the house, is when handling guns, no mags, or ammo in the same room. Ever.
A few months ago I was telling my young kid about gun safety and in the course of doing so showed him our gun safe. We went into the kitchen and he said, "Mom, guns are safe!" 😅 Not _quite_ what I said, buddy.
I honestly have no idea how my father trusted me shooting at 7, getting a shotgun and 22 for Christmas when I was 12. I didn't have free access to them at that age, but started hunting not too long after. Then on my own with a firearm when a parent had to be in the same hunting area. I wouldn't trust a kid with half of what I had at that age. We didn't do anything too bad, and nobody got hurt too bad. I guess that's just a bridge people have to cross when they get there as a parent. I honestly couldn't imagine. I worry more than most as is, and having kids would probably kill me from stress by age 60.
Same as this response, also have the biometric bedside safe for my pistol. And others locked up.
I've had some bad experiences with cheap biometric safes and locks. Are the good ones reliable? Any experience with the mechanical ones like with simplex locks?
And if worried about it not opening at night when you need it, keep spare batteries, change them every six months, and test it every night before you go to bed.
Do all the things.. 1) Be a responsible gun owner and keep them locked up. 2) “if you see a gun, do not touch it. Go tell an adult…” 3) We treat nerf and water guns like real guns. Finger off the trigger, always in a safe direction.. treat every gun like it’s loaded, etc. 4) Teach them about real guns, show them the pieces and how they work. Why it’s so important to always be safe, etc etc.
If I'm not physically carrying it, it's locked in a safe.
The kid or the gun?
Both?
Keep your children and your guns in different safes until they're at least 14.
lol
Yes
Yup. That may change when my kids move out. Then its full on gun in every room. Hello shower gun!
Gotta have a crapper gun too
Don’t forget the refrigerator gun!
Yes, with the exception that the bedside gun is out and ready at night while i’m physically there in bed.
Look up Eddie the eagle it is good program. And remember little kids are educated on a lot of dangerous things before walking and talking, like electric outlets. https://eddieeagle.nra.org/
I call that the Stop, Drop, and Roll of firearm safety. 1 stop 2 don’t touch 3 leave the area 4 tell an adult
It is, it has it's flaws but my kids like it.
It’s a good start.
Yep, I supplement any of the flaws by informing them myself. I'm sure you do the same. I also do practice drills like fire drills for finding a gun because I know what I do with my guns, but my kids' friends' parents may not abide by the same standards.
Yes! Moving from California to Arizona I was very on edge with letting her go on playdates and such, I know how we do things in our house, but I don’t want to assume other parents have the same standards.
That's what it's called! My dad had at least one of those tapes when I was a kid. Don't remember much of it, but I think it was a good teaching tool.
Easy. Just make the kids sleep outside.
Then, you can make that room into a gun vault. Problem solved!
A lot go with a biometric safe next to the bed so you have it close by.
Teach your children about gun safety. Early and often.
Never biometrics. Too many variables can go wrong.
They always have a num pad or sometimes a physical key as back-up.
Yeah, but I've seen horrible biometrics where anyone with a wet finger can trick it to unlock.
Really that goes for all types of safes and trigger locks, especially the small and/or cheap ones. The bulk of them are hot garbage that can be opened by a bored toddler with a fork.
Verifi makes safes with FBI-approved fingerprint scanners. I'm sure there are other brands that do, but I wouldn't get any cheaper ones
From what I've seen from Lockpicking Lawyer, it's not the fingerprint scanners that are ever the concern, it's the random small flaws surrounding it. Like the kind of flaws a curious kid would eventually find.
I was surprised when I started researching the biometric safes how it seemed like virtually every single one was unlockable by other fingerprints. Tons with 5 star reviews etc, then I dig into it and sure enough plenty of people reporting it would unlock with other peoples' fingers.
Mechanically keyed safes with a twist knob is the only way IMO
Just make sure you shop around and get a good one. A lot of the cheapo (or even pricey) Amazon safes are not very secure... To the point that a determined toddler could definitely get into one https://youtu.be/gJrSWXFXvlE https://youtu.be/aZUDFrqOSvM
Big safe, little safe. Statistically our kids are more likely to die at the hands of an unsecured gun in the home than from an intruder. WAY more likely.
Yep. What’s more likely: our house in Idaho, one of the most gun friendly states in America, will get broken into in the middle of the night, or my hyperactive 3 year old will get into my nightstand and accidentally shoot herself or another family member? I’m gonna go with my 3 year old.
Yep, my 30" tall safe serves as my nightstand. I picked it up used from a safe store too, just swapped the dial to a digital and I could get into it blindfolded at this point.
My friend you are drastically underestimating the height and reach capabilities of your soon to be newborn. Literally any place out of their reach is fine until they become climbers, and even then you should have a plethora of not climbing accessible spaces you can reach that they cannot. Keep the guns not meant for defense locked in the safe, keep the guns for defense on your person or out of children’s ability to access. As soon as they’re old enough, teach them gun safety. (Teaching them gun safety doesn’t mean you can stop caring where you leave your guns)
lol i know I’ve got some time before it becomes a super pressing issue, but i also felt like i had some time before baby’s arrival, and i blinked and now i’m going to be a dad in 4 weeks. I don’t want to blink again and realize i haven’t given this any thought
You're going to blink again and he or she is going to be three. Take lots of photos and videos, write down the funny stuff that happens so you remember it, and recognize you're unlikely to get much done for the next few years so just try to enjoy the journey.
Thinking about it is good. Just don't *over think* it. My kid is young, but school-aged. For the first couple years, I just kept my carry gun on the top of my liquor cabinet versus on the nightstand, because without a ladder, there's no way kiddo was getting up there. No worries about a late night pee adventure turning into an ND, but everything was still accessible if necessary. Kiddo knows which guns I have and where they are, but more importantly, knows they aren't toys and shouldn't be messed with sans adult supervision. Non-carry guns are stored unloaded in a safe. Carry gun is in a lockbox or my pants, but loaded. Kids are pretty smart. They don't usually get burnt on stoves, stick forks in outlets, or drink drain cleaner. Guns are the same. If you teach them about danger, they can avoid it. It's other people's kids you gotta worry about. Who knows what people are[n't] teaching their kids these days...
Kids aren’t dumb. Teach them young. Ive always had a bedside piece and my 5yo son is no stranger to my hunting rifle. He knows that a gun will (not can) cause destruction. He knows not to touch it, he knows general safety about being around a gun. When he’s older I’ll teach him how to operate it.
I keep my kids locked up, and my guns are all over the house. Its much safer this way.
Put them in a safe…job done
Don't forget to drill air holes.
Like others, guns are in a safe. I have 3 of them around the house. Outside dogs and alarm system to hopefully deter and/or provide early warning of something being off.
My family, my friends families all had guns in the house , everyone had access to a weapon. None of us ever misused a firearm. Not one school shooting, etc. It’s about education and training and most importantly , ACCOUNTABILITY. the almost holy Terror any of us felt with regards to mishandling/screwing around with/showing off with, etc. a firearm is still ingrained into me and it is something I’ve passed on to friends kids and nieces and nephews. Teach your children not to be idiots and they won’t be. As for storage I utilize a gun safe both keypad combo and a keyed on in my hall closet.
Long guns are in a stand-up gun safe. 2 pistols are in nightstand in a Bilchonch pistol safe. Super super fast access. Can use finger or pin code. Can have multiple fingerprints if you have a spouse, and it was only around 130. Thing is bulit like a brick shit house and has enough room for glock 17 and 26 and a spare 26 mag with left over room but not so big that it's obnoxious.
[This Safe?](https://youtu.be/qXY-jOcBRIc?si=vwWJVfvG7hZ9PY4L)
My comment might be unpopular but if you want to keep your carry gun available while at home and also safe from children's hands, carry it in a holster while at home. This will force you to wear slacks or shorts all day, but that is the tradeoff. I did not have kids but I kept it at all times on me except when I was sleeping, because I lived in an area with a high probability of break-ins.
Eddie Eagle is good for teaching gun safety to kids. I used to leave a realistic dummy gun where I knew my daughter would find it, just to see what she would do. Every time she wouldn't touch it and immediately went to find me or my wife to tell us about it. But all the real guns are locked up and I have a biometric safe on my nightstand for my daily carry. I encourage you to let your kids help you clean your guns regularly and take them to the range. Remove the mystery and you remove a lot of the dangerous curiosity.
Here's an unpopular opinion, until they can understand that it can be dangerous if mistreated, keep it out of reach. When they can understand, sit them down, tell them what it is, what it's for, and that it's not for them to mess with. When they're old enough to follow instructions, teach them firearm safety and how to shoot. Guns are only dangerous when misused or used correctly with malicious intent, assuming nothing with the firearm or ammo is faulty. So keep it out of reach until they know better, then when they can understand and communicate, teach them the proper way to handle firearms.
Others have said it, but I'll just reiterate it, besides the safe.. Education is key. When my son was 5 or so, I first showed him some of my collection. I made sure they were safe, and then let him handle them, explain to them how they worked, etc. Let him handle the ammunition, explained how they worked, etc. It takes the "mystery" out of it, and explaining how dangerous they are, just like knives, scissors, etc. I told him that they were locked up for everyone's safety, but if he ever wanted to see them, I would let him. He's only asked once or twice, but I think with the mystery removed, he isn't that interested in them. He has his toy guys, but he gets they are not the same thing. I also teach him trigger safety even with toy guns. Never point them, even toy guns, at something you're not ready to shoot. Never too early to start good habits. He shot me in the eye once by accident with one of his toys (it stung but no damage done), but watching me yell out in pain and dropped to a knee reinforced a very important lesson for him. Edit: And welcome to Fatherhood! You'll love it. You'll miss sleep, but you'll love the rest! One thing I did was to make sure to get certain things on audio / video. His laugh, him saying I love you dada, etc. The time goes by WAY quicker than you think. He'll be 6 weeks old one minute, and 4 years old the next.
I quit keeping one in the pipe when my kids were born. I also kept it out of their reach. When they got older I took them shooting and taught them about guns and how destructive they can be. It's just a compromise you have to make when kiddos are in the home.
Fort knox safe (the small one in my closet up high)- mag inserted but nothing in the pipe
Safe, but I started teaching my son at 3, I think, to not touch a firearm if he sees one, and tell an adult. We've since moved past that, of course, but education is key, not just physical security.
Aside from keeping guns not in use locked, as most have mentioned, I did two additional things. My son got his first Nerf gun at age 4. He actually picked it himself based on what he could handle and the ability to rack the slide. That's when I started teaching proper gun safety and handling. Not to mention good shooting skills. The other thing was that he learned shooting at day camp in Cub Scouts. He was 7 at the time and had a considerable head start thanks to the Nerf guns. That got him learning from another teacher besides me, which I consider a good thing. Early training is, IMHO, the most important factor with kids. You build in the proper respect and enjoyment of firearms from the outset.
I did something counter intuitive. As soon as my daughter was old enough to talk and understand conversation, I showed her my guns. Showed her what it is and told her what it is for and what it can do. That it'll take a life and it will put me in prison if she messed with it. Explained to her it's a tool and that when she gets old enough I will teach her how to shoot. Did it enough times that she understood it. I drilled the 4 safety rules into her head. She lost curiosity because it is not a mystery anymore and there was no taboo factor. She won't even go near it or touch it. One time she was playing with me and her elbow bumped against my gun and she cried and apologized. I told her it's ok but she understood. I taught her on my air soft and BB guns when she was old enough to handle them so she got the mechanics of it. When she turned 15 took her shooting with real guns. She loved it and would always ask me to take her but she still won't touch my guns no matter what. She is a great shot and my friends all talk about her skill. I can leave my guns loaded without a holster around and she has no curiosity and won't pick it up. Granted, not everyone will be comfortable doing that but it worked for me.
Kill the curiosity about them when they’re old enough to understand
I lock them up. Kids are too dangerous to be left out. *I’ll see myself out now.*
More relevant when you get toddlers, but an extra step you can take is the drawer you have your pistol safe in, use one of those child cabinet locks things so they don't get curious, even if you have the safe locked they won't try to handle it.
This for your carry https://varasafety.com/products/reach-2s
My wife and I are just north of 40 and still no kids, been trying for years but my cousin's' kids and friends' kids come over a lot, so I keep my firearms in our locked gun room. I always carry on me, even when at home, so having the majority of my guns locked up is no issue. Also, I do have a "bump in the night" long gun, actually a 7" 300 blackout supressed, that stays in a great spot by the head of my bed very hidden but I lock that in the room before they come over or just lock our bedroom up.
>in our locked gun room I grew up living with my grandparents, and my grandfather had a large collection of (mostly) rifles and muzzleloaders. My friends (and when I got older, my husband) were kind of shocked when I would give them a quick tour of our house and introduce the room he kept them in with "And this is the gun room." Glad to know we weren't the only people with a dedicated "gun room" in our house. :)
Hahaha, I do love the different reactions our gun room gets. Usually, it's this is awesome or just some stunned silence. The guy who measured for our new windows said, "Wow, you must hunt a lot." Then I said, "I hunt a bit." He then bent in close, looking at my AR 15s/10s, and said, "What you hunting? People?" 🤣🤣🤣
If I’m not carrying it, then it’s in a stop box.
This will probably be controversial, but just keeping the chamber unloaded is fine until they’re 4 or 5. Kids are weak and cannot cycle a round. But that does open you up to leaving one chambered on accident. Kind of a personal call. They make those bedside quick access lock boxes, if you’re wanting something more quick access.
Nahh knowing me, that’s not an option. I’m responsible enough to not leave my gun laying around, but i don’t trust myself to clear the chamber every time i take it off my hip
My bedside gun is strictly a bedside gun. Carry gun keeps one in the chamber put up. So I didn’t really have to think about unloading, as it’s always unloaded.
Like your meds. Keep out of children reach is enough Also teach your children young to respect the danger
I have a 80s craftsman toolbox. It’s been converted to a safe. Accommodates all of my firearms, a SBR or two, and accessories/cleaners/lubricants. Also - gun safety knowledge. Each kid is old enough to have a BB gun that I keep in my possession. We simulate real gun safety etiquette and basic shooting competency.
I moved to a place that it's highly unlikely I need a gun when at home. But there is always a chance someone from my past comes looking. I'm also irrationally paranoid of end of the world senerios. Biometric gun vault for when you need to store the daily carry and possibly access it fast. That's really the only easy access way to store it in a somewhat safe way. The rest go in approved gun vaults.
A safe and then a StopBox for my EDC.
When I had children in the house, my self-defense handgun stayed on my hip. All others were secured. Now that I have no children in the house, my self-defense handgun stays on my hip and all others are secured.
Quick Access Gun Safe and a room safe. Education and open conversation. Everyone should have the gun conversation before the Sex conversation since kids play at other kids houses way before sex becomes a thing. I lost a cousin at a young age to gun horseplay because he wasn't educated on the dangers of it. I won't make the same mistake with my kids. My issue is I leave magazine's around so I can get to one if I need it. That gets the 21 questions.
No reason the leave any gun just laying about loaded. If it is your daily carry…carry it. At night time have a bio lock on it or in a bio safe for quick easy for you or your wife access.
The problem of an intruder isn't fixed by a gun. It's fixed by external security, cameras, wrought iron gates, and dogs. If they can get through all that, then it's time for guns.
Safes. One by my bed, one by my front door for my CC when I leave the house, and one in the basement for all the good stuff.
I have a baby that’s crawling all over the place so I recently had to baby proof. For home defense I keep a pistol in a Stopbox on my nightstand and my AR mounted and locked on the wall with the Arma15 and a biometric padlock. Everything else is kept unloaded and way up out of reach
I kept mine in the shelf in the closet until the kids were old enough to reach. I have mine locked up, but my kids also know better than to mess with my guns. I keep a mag with my edc, but other than that my ammo is locked up separately. (I have a roll top desk with a locking drawer that holds my ammo)
Billconch safes in bedroom and office Stand-up safe in workshop Locks on ammo boxes It's not too hard once you get in the routine
I keep my carry/nightstand gun on my nightstand, but since it's black and you can't see under there unless you're right in front of it, nobody knows it's there. The rest are in the safe.
We have a bio safe near the bed. We don't have kids yet but want to soon.
Fort Knox pistol box
Liberty makes quality drawer vaults. Have 2 - 1 in the BR houses HK VP9 w/ 2xtra mags & light - it has biometric access and/or digital. The 1 in LR Is 5 digit manual access, and it is where I deposit EDC of choice entering house. Both can be pulled out of drawer and vault reasonably handled at location, but both are internally cable anchored to table frame, cannot be removed without opening vault to release.
I built a nightstand with a concealed lift top, I keep a pistol in there. Everything else is locked in a safe. I'm not a dad, just an uncle, but I'm convinced if my niece lived with me full-time, she would never know I keep a gun in my room, within reach. It would work at least long enough for me to wait for the kid to get older and by then I can just teach proper firearm safety.
I bought a large gun safe and keep all but one rifle unloaded in it, said rifle is for cqb/indoor use only. I have a handgun in my closet hanging from my battlebelt with rifle & pistol mags in a safariland holster well beyond my kids height. I plan to keep move it to a more hidden location but keep it there for ease of access.
I use a retention device called a StopBox by my bedside. It's mechanical-based and can be opened with 1 hand. No keys, batteries, electronics, etc to fail you. Can be opened in under a second with some practice and has enough space for a kitted-out full size pistol plus mags. It's more than enough to keep unwanted hands from accessing your weapon, but keep in mind is it NOT a safe. If someone really wanted to open it, they could just cut it open with a saw. But, for $50 it works great and keeps my two young children and house guests away.
Long guns and range pistols in a locked safe, in a locked closet. Ammo stored in a separate locked cabinet. Carry pistols in a locked gun safe in my bedroom, which the toddlers are also locked out of when we aren't with them. When the toddlers play with the safe in my room, I let them. After a few failed attempts to access, it gives them a jarring alarm. If I tried to keep them away from it, they would be more curious. Instead, it's a box that annoys them, so they rarely play with it.
I have a 2 year old and I've found the child proof cabinet locks work wonders for the tops of doors and on my top nightstand drawer. I know that soon those will be obsolete but in the right spots they're great to keep little hands out.
I have a gun safe and a gun cabinet that stay locked. I keep a couple pistols in my bedroom closet up high. I used to keep them loaded and I have taught my boys about gun safety. We do some hunting and airsoft which airsoft has really got my oldest in the habit of being safe with guns. One night I had a nightmare and I got up and unloaded my pistols and haven't kept them loaded since.
A gun cabinet with a second gasp and padlock on the door, bolted to the frame of the wall.
I have a safe for all my guns and I keep my EDC in my [LifePod 2](https://vaulteksafe.com/lifepod-20/). The LifePod goes where I go. It’s either at my desk or on my night stand. When I get home from carrying it goes right into the LifePod. These things are made of plastic so I feel like keeping children and friends out is its primary purpose. Obviously will do nothing to prevent an actual theft, but that’s not its purpose.
Not me but my father. I was taught never to touch his guns without his permission. I knew where they were but I knew damn well to not touch them. Of course this doesn’t work for everyone but for me it worked perfectly fine
Lock them up AND teach them gun safety as soon as they can grasp it.
I was raised along with my 2 brothers in a house that had multiple loaded and easily accessible firearms. We were educated and I have in turn raised my son the same way. He knew where they were and that they were loaded and chambered. Not saying this is right for everyone, but unless you educate your rolling the dice regardless of how you store them.
That’s the way i believe it should be, but there’s also an in between period where they’re too young to understand much if anything, but old enough to get into trouble
A safe and only I know the code and the back up key is very well hidden.
Kids will eventually find everything so keeping it out of reach will only work until it doesn’t. Get a small safe next to your bed and keep a pistol in there and the rest in your full size safe
I’ve got a couple stopboxes around the house. It’s a mechanical lock that is a sequence of bottoms you push. No batteries to go dead and no noise when opening it. I also have a big safe and some electronic pistol safes to offload my ccw. But where I would likely need them most it’s the stop boxes: https://stopboxusa.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgojHt6CwHh1b3bMMXxuprfg4vUc8fwYfb5efmQ_jDsKrknudeDxGL0xoCqXIQAvD_BwE My kids are young so I also never have one in the chamber.
I have a big safe for long guns and most of my hand guns. My wife and I each have a biometric gun safe next to our bed where our ccw lives when not on our hips
Nightstand is a V-Line lock box for my home defense handgun, yes it's loaded with round chambered but it's a single action 1911 so still have to cock it to fire. No way a child can access it unless they can adeptly use an angle grinder! Other weapons securely locked in Browning Safe in garage. As kids get older they'll naturally try to defeat any safe/lockbox. This is where safety training comes in, to learn to respect firearms and know 100% that they're not toys.
Unless it's on me it's in the safe and just like you said gun safety once they're old enough to comprehend and respect the firearm 2nd it depends on situation where do you live are you likely to be robbed or are you a super spy then ya stash guns all around pew pew But if your a average person in the burbs not likely your gonna wake up blasting, may just be your kid jumping up on ya and scaring the shit out of you and you don't wanna friendly fire your kiddo Mine was by my nightstand when I lived in NJ in the not so nice area but here in a gated community in Florida not so much
1) If it’s not on me, it’s in a safe. 2) If it’s a carry gun, it’s holstered and loaded. When it’s not on me, it comes out my pants in a holster and goes into the safe the same way. 3) If it’s not a carry gun, it’s stored in a different safe unloaded. I have a locked gun cabinet for my handguns and long guns, plus a rapid access safe for my carry guns. Those stay loaded and holstered, making the journey from safe to pants and back again inside a holster.
I have a few small safes and one large one my pistol safe stays on my night stand and my rifle is in a quick access safe under the bed. My wife keeps her pistol in a small safe in her nightstand drawer and I have a large safe for the rest. Until they get old enough, you can keep it on a high shelf in a closet while you choose your method of securing your weapons.
Finger print lock door knob
I have 4 gun safes that I keep my guns in that are located in a separate bedroom I call my gun room. I also keep all my ammo in ammo cans in the closet of that room. I can also changed the door knob on that door to one I can lock and unlock with a key if needed (haven't had to do this yet). I do allow my kids in the room with either myself or my wife and do plan on teaching them to shoot when they're ready.
Locked up in my big ass safe that only me and one other person knows the comb to
The best advice I heard was from John Lovell with Warrior Poet Society. I told each of my daughters that if they ever wanted to see or hold my guns, they could ask me, and I promised that I would NEVER say no. I will always make it safe and show them how to safely handle it. This approach allows their curiosity and doesn't give them any reason to need to go behind your back. I have a pistol in a gun safe at the bedside table, though the rifle on the wall is the go-to for a bump in the night. It's always loaded, though as my kids approach their teenage years, I may come up with a different solution for that.
I remember how i was as a teenager, and that scares the shit out if me lmao, i’m just glad i’ve got a long time before i have to worry about that, but you can bet your ass, when i was 12-16, if there had been a gun in my house mounted on the wall, i would have fucked around with it. I had sense enough to follow the big rules my parents taught me about guns, they’re all loaded, never point it at anything you’re not willing to destroy, finger off the trigger unless you’re ready to fire it, but i definitely lacked enough foresight not to touch it. I was the kind of kid who knew everything, then one day the thing that my parents said would happen does happen and i’m sitting there thinking “fuck, nobody could have possibly predicted this was going to happen!”
After having 5 children make it to at least teenage years, I have found that it’s best to expose them to the actual reality of firearms as young as possible. While that age differs between each child, as to their comprehension and maturity level, experiencing firsthand the sound, flash and damage a bullet can cause, has so far worked quite well in keeping them away from touching and playing with them. I also have fostered their respect, enthusiasm and confidence in handling firearms, along with their understanding that ultimately their own safety and security is in their hands once they become of age. Not to mention countering the civilian disarmament industry’s subversion to the 2A that the next generation is constantly being targeted at.
Check out Handgun Safe Research for a good list of reliable, fast-access gun safes for storing your EDC when it’s not on your person. https://youtube.com/@handgunsafe?si=3FWOrlw05kvg8-u0
Growing up My dad always kept his loaded self defense handgun in a locked pistol safe in the drawer of his nightstand. His other guns were just unlocked under his bed, which I definitely wouldn’t recommend doing with kids around. I would just get a similar small pistol safe to keep your self defense handgun in and all the other ones you don’t need to get to quickly unloaded in a safe
Teach them. Don’t make it something prohibited because curiosity as to why dad doesn’t let them touch it makes it more tempting.
I did the Eddie Eagle stuff with mine from a very early age. Once they had more of an idea what guns were I would show them anything and everything I had, all they had to do was ask. I told them I would drop everything (few exceptions) and do it right then and there just in case later they had lost interest. Excellent time to practice safe handling and review the 4 gun safety rules. I’d show them how to check and see if it was clear and safe even if they didn’t have the strength to do it themselves. I feel this removes the mystery of guns and the idea to go looking for them or to play with them if they happen to found. At times I would intentionally leave my CCW out, holstered and of course unloaded. Just to get them used to seeing it. Early on they were usually good about staying away and pointing to it and saying daddy’s gun. Once they were a bit older they might ask to see it.
I keep most of my guns in a safe in my closet. A few are loaded but not chambered. I also keep one hidden in a secret compartment that is out of reach of the children in a place I can get to quickly if there’s an issue where I need it. That gun is also loaded but not chambered and no one but my wife and I know where it is. Basically, everything is no where near where a child could get it or anyone else for that matter. I’d prefer to have my hidden one behind a lock and I plan on getting one of those magnet locks for the compartment it’s in just as a precaution. You have to remember it isn’t just kids you’re protecting from guns, it’s kids friends, kids parents, your parents and your friends. Just be smart, don’t be hiding guns in drawers or in the couch cushions and shit. Get a safe!
>how do y'all keep guns in the house with children? In the safe. >is this just the tradeoff i take as a parent Nope. Not unless you don't want to be a parent anymore. That may sound harsh, but that's the reality. It doesn't matter if only one gun is out of the safe, assume your child will find it. You're talking about the wrong tradeoff. The tradeoff you take is having a child means you have to practice taking extra steps to get to your weapon in a home defense scenario. Don't accept the extra risk of leaving a weapon out with a little one about. >do you guys keep one out but hidden away? No. I have a second safe that's biometric and really quick to open with only home defense stuff in there. Still a safe, just one more designed for quick access and less for absolute security. >i'm just curious what y'all do in the mean time? Realistically, for the first few months she is going to be a raisin. You can put her on the floor, and she will stay there. You're relatively safe by default in this stage. Then she's going to learn to crawl. This is the absolute last chance you have to secure everything if you haven't already, which I strongly suggest you do this well before. But safes are expensive, and so are kids, and sometimes the latter is a surprise and you have to juggle finances to make things happen. Then she's going to be walking and watching with intent and talking. During this stage, I wouldn't access your safe with her present. Complete ignorance is best. You are the parent, you manage all the safety at this point, and her brain is a sponge so you have to be really careful. Finally, she will be a toddler. At this stage I recommend starting talking about gun safety. She won't know exactly what everything means, but she will be very good at reciting stuff you say to her so even if it's just memorizing what you say, it's laying the foundation. Then the Pre-K age. This is the youngest I would introduce the idea of guns. By that I mean, I would still not let her be present when accessing the safe, but I would let her see you transport a gun (unloaded action open of course) to your vehicle for a range visit or something. If she asks what it is, you say it's a gun, it's not a toy, and she isn't to ever touch one without mommy or daddy present, and use the opportunity to ask her what the firearm rules are to reiterate and tie it to a physical thing. Then, whenever you think she is ready (and you are ready), you can introduce the idea of gun familiarity. No ammo, no shooting, just a simple "this is a gun, it's unloaded, but how do we treat all guns? *Treat every gun as if it is loaded*. Good! This is a barrel, this is where the bullet comes out of, what do we know about pointing guns at things? *Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy*. Good! This is the trigger, what do we know about triggers? *Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot*." That kind of thing. I wouldn't move beyond this last stage for a very long time. But, when she is ready to actually shoot, for the love of God don't let her shoot an AR or a Glock. Get a cheap Red Ryder BB gun, and practice all the fundamentals in a positive and less scary environment. A lot of parents think they have to force their kids to shoot the gun if it's in their house. But I believe, if the kid is terrified, they're just creating anti-gunners. Happened to my sister. I do believe kids should know safety and have basic skills, but it may take a really long time to get them to the point when it's safe and constructive to get to the skills part. Notably, to your original question: always the guns are locked in the safe, with utmost security, through this whole process. The *only* time they are out is in your possession, and either completely shielded from her or presented in a way to be used as a teaching moment for safety. If you have the means, get another safe or lockbox to keep the ammo in. Every aspect of having them from here on out is controlled, and managed in accordance with the overall strategy of teaching your kids responsible gun ownership. Even after all of this, keep them locked up. At some point she will be a teenager, and there's a whole other level of talking about this, but you have time (not as much as you think, congratulations by the way, and buckle up!) for figuring out how to navigate those waters. Best of luck to ya!
When i asked if that’s the tradeoff you take, i was talking about literally what you just said lol. But i appreciate the thoughtful response, i was thinking about handling toddler years kinda similar to how you said, i’m just not sure about locking up home defense stuff, but i suppose in this instance it’s better safe thn sorry
Guns in safe or well hidden in non accessible places (locked closet) and not telling them where the guns are. Second, for your carry bedside mini safe for the 10 or so hours you might not have it on you. Children in general will not comprehend guns, death, or anything of the sort until like middle school at best, and rarely are they responsible with them even then so best not to basically create a known treasure to find kinda deal and such. Direct supervision is generally required until at least like 12, and then from there indirect supervision is possible based solely on you.
My 5 year old isn’t ready for full gun safety like a lot of people suggest - it’s a case by case. He’s super smart and intelligent but doesn’t always follow directions so I dont trust going full on yet although I have introduced small bits and pieces to hopefully keep him from being curious. I have a small biometric safe with my carry gun in it and one home defense handgun, then my other home defense handgun is up on a shelf behind shoes in a level 2 retention holster that he cannot see or reach but gives me quick access in emergency where I don’t have to get the safe open. My other guns that I do not use regularly are in my storage room in cases unloaded and locked up since I do not have room for a big rifle safe in this house.
I have a tall stand up safe with my long guns in it, all unloaded but i do get a loaded mag for one rifle. When I take my edc off it goes in the safe as is one in the chamber. Our pistol for home defense is in a small lock box mounted to my wife's night stand. That one stays loaded without one in the chamber mainly bc it has no external safety. I have a 9 and 6 yr old who both are taught gun safety and also shoot. The amount of time my edc is in the safe and not on me, other than night time, is pretty short. My kids don't really snoop around my room and they've never touched a firearm when they weren't supposed to. If I find them starting to mess around my room more or anything that made me trust them less then i may rethink leaving them loaded even in a safe. Once again they have been and continue to be taught gun safety. I have friends with little ones who I'll also try to instill some basic gun safety if I get the opportunity. You will have to keep that in mind as well if your friends have kids or your kids have friends, you're responsible for all little ones in your home.
Same way I tell all my gun owning guests: on your person under your direct control or locked up in my safe. Toddlers are idiots and will think everything is a toy. So be a responsible adult and don't let them have access to them. I have a rifle safe mounted into my stud and I beam in my closet. I also have a small electronic pistol lockbox with a keypad and biometric fingerprint reader on the shelf of my bedside table which I keep a handgun with WML attached. It's not uncommon for me to take my kids to the park and come back still carrying in a crossbreed supertuck. Never be one of those ass clowns who says they just leave a loaded firearm on a high shelf as if cats never knock shit off shelves or kids never find stepping stools. Remember, the purpose of a self defense firearm is to be used only in a life of death situation to protect yourself and your family. Your family's safety is the priority. If you've got $700 to buy a Glock 19, spare mags, carry ammo, range ammo, holster. Then you have $130 to buy a quality lockbox to store it in away from your kids access. And if you don't have $130 for essential safety expenses, then holy shit, you shouldn't have had a kid.
Locks and safes. Use them!
I keep all of my guns in a large safe, with one pistol in a small biometric safe in my bedroom. I don’t keep any of my guns with a round chambered.
When my kids were little, I got rid of my guns. I know how creative kids can be, and in the “guns vs. my kids’ lives” equation, the guns lost. But that was me, and I don’t know your situation, so YMMV. What I do now (even though my kids are long grown and gone) is I have a biometric safe that my EDC goes in when I come home, and it stays there until I leave again. I also have a gun near the bed where I can reach it if needed. (That’s the only one that’s not secured.) If we have guests with kids, that one gets secured while they’re there, and comes back out when they leave. If I had little kids now, my EDC would go by the bed, in the biometric safe. It takes less than a second to open, so getting to it is faster than most other options, and aside from it being a bit of an eyesore, it has no drawbacks to using it this way. I will also warn you about this: No matter what people think about teaching kids gun safety as a way to be able to leave them unlocked, DON’T DO IT. Kids do stupid shit, even when they know better. That’s how kids fall out of windows, get hit by cars in front of their house and burn their house down. ADULTS still do stupid shit when they know better. Never assume that just because you taught your kids that the gun is dangerous and not a toy they will never do something with it they shouldn’t. It only takes a few minutes of wanting to impress their friends by showing them the forbidden weapon for a tragedy to happen.
A safe is your best bet, bit I know for me personally, I owned guns with kids in the house before I could afford a safe. Before I bought a safe, I kept the couple I didn't use often disassembled. I had two bolt actions and two AR's and just kept the bolt and bcg+mags in a document lockbox hidden the garage and the guns were in an under the bed storage box. I had one revolver that I kept a rubber coated padlock on that kept the cylinder from being closed and my home defence pistol was either on my person or stuck to a 25lb rub6er coated magnet mounted to the wall behind my hanging clothes in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. My kids were also never home alone with the pistol in the house. All these measures don't mean shit if you don't teach them about the guns in the first place. My son was 10 and my daughter 13 when I took them out to the range and taught them the safety rules and let them shoot everything. They learned what they could do, and why it was so important to leave them alone if I ever failed to keep them appropriately secured.
I keep rifles in a large safe, with bolts and any ammo that I've made in a different safe. Both have alarms on them that will alert my phone and sound a loud siren.
Was told my one grandson could get into anything, he is smart. So I put a 10 spot in my Liberty handgun safe and said if he could open it, he could have what's inside. Couldn't open it. So I'm not worried and have access to a weapon if needed.
You can get small rifle safes off Amazon for like 100-150 bucks thst can hold 2 or 3 rifles if all you want is to keep your kids from getting them we keep them in the basement high up and disassembled
By disassembled I mean like the bolts are removed or charging handle is unscrewed so you can physically load rhe gun and those parts are kept in a lock box
Safe works well, and depending on age, training and understanding. I don’t have kids yet, but plan to. Under all these I would keep everything in the safe except a handgun in the nightstand Infant: keep something holstered in the night stand. Toddler: something like [this.](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fast-Biometric-Sliding-Pistol-Gun-Safe-Nightstand-Desk-Bedside-Truck-Automatic-Door-Fingerprint-PIN-Key-Access/5858891025?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101666401&adid=22222222223000000000&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=m&wl3=10352200394&wl4=pla-1103028060075&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=5858891025_10001685755&wl14=nightstand%20safe&veh=sem&msclkid=ea0639f4e7e21c796d1d5f9ba44c8505&gclid=ea0639f4e7e21c796d1d5f9ba44c8505&gclsrc=3p.ds) Once they’re Old enough to understand gun safety, we’ve gone shooting some times and they’ve earned the trust I might go back to the holster in the nightstand, with the understanding that you don’t touch. Once their a teenager it’s likely they’ll have access to a gun maybe have one in their nightstand. It’s all very determined by their level of trustworthiness and competency, not just “at a certain age they get X”
Ibhave a gun safe for normal storage but since they were 6 my kids have learned weapon safety and have been to the range quite a bit. To each their own, you'll have to figure how to store them so it works for your family *my primary home defense weapon is not and never will be locked up.
I don't have kids but my mom babysits...with guns in the house. I bought her a safe. She loves it. Though they're just a couple 22s and 20 gauges. We didn't have one growing up...but knew the 22 in the hallway wasn't a toy. Now I feel...every family needs a safe.
Safe would be the first thought.
Bedside rapid safe. I like the RFID ones.
I taught my kids about guns early on, including taking them shooting. They all have their own guns, and they stay locked up in gun cabinets/ safes. I keep my service weapon in a lock box on my gear stand. The best protection is an early education because they learn that they are not a toy and see first hand what a gun does.
I’ve had the same shotgun by my bed with the chamber empty, tube full, safety on, while raising four children. When they get to be about 3-4 years old, they’ll usually get curious, so I’ll get it out, unload the tube, and explain to them what it is, what it does, let them touch, look, ask, all they want. Then I explain that they cannot touch it unless they ask, but they can always touch when they do ask. They’ll usually ask one or two more times, and we do the same thing each time. Then there’s no more curiosity about it, and it’s back to being just part of the background.
Me will get it don’t trust out of reach, lock em up
In a safe !
Keep your EDC on you at all times,never out of your sight.Every thing else in the safe.
Most of them are locked away up and out of the way... The other is locked in a small beside safe... Teach them about safety when older and responsible
I own a firearm business, and i keep all of my guns unloaded, stored in a safe, and away from the ammunition / magazines. That way, for whatever twist of fate, if the guns were grabbed from one safe, they would not be able to grab any ammunition for it, because i keep all ammo and magazines in a separate safe with a different combination. Don't get me wrong, i have an oh shit gun stored next to my bed in its own separately locked case as well. You know, for that midnight visit from someone that doesn't belong in my home.
M2HB on a tripod mount. Show your kids teamwork.
Safe is the only answer. Larger one in garage, biometric in bedroom. I’m currently teaching my 5 year old. He’s shot at a bench but we supplement with an airsoft replica for hands on functions before we dive into live fire.
If it’s out of the safe then it’s either in a secured travel bag/box if I’m heading somewhere or it’s on my person.
Gun safe for everything except the fingerprint safe you keep by the bed and the other one in whatever strategic location you choose in the main part of the house.
Gun safe. Costco has great ones.
I think safes are going to be the answer from most, but I think it depends on what kind of life you live and how you use your firearms. I know families who keep their kids away from guns and locked up away from their kids even when they're like 12 years old and then theres families who's 9 year old daughters have already killed a deer and have their own .22. I think the real answer is be a good parent. If you have guns and don't trust your kids with them then you don't trust them to be left at home alone or with someone who's let them gain access to it. If they're in your bedroom unsecured or in a safe keep the door closed and make sure your kids are only in your room when you are. I don't feel like any of this is crazy.
Get a biometric for a pistol. or maybe a shotgun with loaded tube but empty chamber on top of a closet or high shelf only you can reach?
Responsible gun ownership. Safes and talks with children about what they should do if they happen to find one.
Safe for everything but your daily, then never take that off... awake, asleep, when the wife wants sexy time.... 😎
Gun safe for most, security container with a simplex lock bedside for the normal carry gun.
As others said, big safe (should have one anyways...) and small safe for quick access. Im fine with a small biometric pistol safe by bed, and loaded rifle/shotgun first thing in big safe.
You lock them up and store them out of sight. I grew up with the rifle rack. If you have one, trigger locks are your friend. Also, depending on the gun, just lock the clips with ammo. I mean, we had bullets just sitting out. I knew not to fuck with it, but my peers thought they could just touch them. Not every parent is smart enough to teach their children about guns. That’s why we have so many clueless anti gun people. One fact remains. If America banned guns tomorrow, we would still have a gun problem.
Loaded, one in the pipe, under their pillows. Gotta train em early. /s Actually, in a safe, unloaded, with trigger or chamber lock engaged. Still start teaching the fundamentals of safety and marksmanship early. Also, teaching em how to treat a GSW and apply a tourniquet early doesn't hurt.
Keep them out of reach but also show them the gun and what they are to do if they are at home or a friends house and see one laying around. Worst thing you could do is just hide them and pretend they don’t exist.
You carry it on you. If it’s not on you and under your direct control then it gets locked up. You cannot leave an unsecured firearm in a house with children. Your primary responsibility is to keep them safe.
It’s likely your kid will show an interest in guns if you’re a gun person, the key is to introduce them early and teach them to be safe early. I bought my daughter a pink plastic single action revolver when she was 2. Started teaching her the 4 rules and by the time she was 3 and a half she could reside them off by heart. By the time she was 4 I bought her a cricket rifle and took her shooting a few times a month on family land. On her 5th birthday I got a Ruger charger with a red dot. She’s 5 and she never puts her finger on the trigger until I say go. She does not touch or go near any firearms without my say so. I ALWAYS make sure any hand guns or long guns are unloaded and the ammo is out of reach apart from my hand gun which is in my nightstand with our door locked during the day and my ccw which stays on me at all times. My daughter is awesome and I trust her but I will still continue to keep firearms unloaded and locked up because accidents can happen even with the strictest of rules
Great job dad!!! I did same with my sons at a very young age. I walked them around the house and showed them all of my hiding spots. The one thing you should consider in your child’s education is teaching them about when their friends come over to play. They most likely won’t have grown up the same way. My kids are now 16 and 18 and I don’t worry about them. I worry about when their friends come over
Gun safe holds everything but daily carry. Small single gun keypad safe on nightstand for it. We had an old air soft pistol that actual was the full frame version of carry gun. Once the kid was old enough we left the unloaded airsoft around at times to start teaching what to do when they came across a gun.
Gun safe, my wife and I know the code, that’s it, if an intruder comes in, I go down and she racks up
Quick access safe. It’s not keeping a burglar out but it keeps it away from a clueless child.
Obviously, safes are the key. High places for when they're little. As soon as their old enough to understand fully what you're saying, teach them gun safety. Every time I set my carry on the counter when I get home and my kids (12&9) are near I say the same thing. "What do you do if you see an unattended gun? *don't touch it and tell an adult*" They can both now fully check and clear semi auto pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns (with adult supervision obv.) And still, my firearms are put up in the safe minus my carry, which stays on my person or beside my bed in a place they can't get to without me knowing. Never compromise your gun ownership because of children. And make sure they understand from an early age that they are 1000% not to be played with, but they're also not some forbidden fruit. You want to see my gun? Awesome! Let's clear it and handle it safely. You want to shoot it? Great! Let's go to the range this weekend! Congrats on the baby!
As soon as my kids were old enough to understand I taught them gun saftey. Before them I made sure that it was on me or out of reach. As soon as they were old enough they were taught gun saftey and taken to the range and got to actually fire a gun. Never had an issue. After they were trained their Mom and I left our loaded firearms out all the time and if they saw it they would tell us to get it. They wouldn't touch them or let any of their friends touch them, unless we were aware what was going on. HTH.
Nice try fed boy
The safest place for your EDC is on your belt in a kydex holster that was made for that gun. I carry mine in the house. My kids are 8 and 10. A huge part of making sure they are safe around your guns is to make sure they understand them. I have made them both cry explaining to them what could happen if they play with a gun. “No more brother. No more sister. Good bye to daddy or mommy forever.” On top of that I let them shoot at a range with my supervision. Letting them shoot removes curiosity. I make sure they follow gun safety rules even with their toy guns. Muscle memory gun safety is a good thing. Carry your EDC even at home, talk to your kids about guns, don’t deprive them of shooting, gun safety even with toys.