by Maggie Downs posted in Parenting

First my son shot me dead over dinner with a finger pistol.
Then he aimed at my husband and pulled the trigger again, complete with ?pew pew? sound effects.
So I asked my son what he was pretending to do with his fingers. He said, "Guns, mommy."
And my heart broke.

To be very clear: We?re not a family who keeps guns. We don?t have toy guns, not even the kind made of plastic in neon colors. We don?t let our son watch any shows where characters use weapons, and we are conscious of violent language (like ?taking a shot in the dark,? ?bite the bullet,? ?under the gun,? etc.) None of my son?s close friends have toy guns, and we always inquire whether guns are secured safely when we visit someone else?s home. That is why my heart broke. My son is a gentle and sensitive soul. He dotes on stuffed animals and plays with blocks and puzzles. He always stops to sniff flowers. Until the moment he pointed a finger pistol at my face, I didn?t think he even knew weapons existed.
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