Weapons and War in Neverland

I don't like guns. I've tried; I've gone to the range for target practice with an open mind. The feel of cold, hard steel in my hands didn't give me any kind of thrill, satisfaction or sense of empowerment. I don't like the idea of them, the danger and real death and destruction that they help cause, and have a hard time accepting that they are a part of the world we live in.

That being said, my boys have nothing short of a small artillery of nerf guns, swords and other weaponry at their disposal. From the minute they could grasp a handle, we've ingrained swordplay into their psyche. Every stick and wrapping paper tube has become a play implement of death, perfect for smiting aliens, bad guys and offending little brothers. Just the other day I encouraged my sons to go outside and shoot each other with their new high-powered nerf guns they got for Christmas.

It's a conundrum that I know many other parents must deal with. Some don't allow gun play or toy weapons at all, and I get it. Others have an artillery of real weapons within their childrens reach. Each individual family has a comfort zone of their own when it comes to exposing their children to weapons. Almost 12 years on as a parent, and i'm still trying to figure out what mine is.

Even if we didn't allow weapon play in our home, it would be hard to avoid it completely in the real world. Almost every single video game, television show and comic book they are interested in features a good vs. evil storyline where you have to use violence, physical force and/or weapons to save the day. If Master Chief had to simply reason and bargain with The Covenant, there would be no Halo after all. Don't even get me started about light sabers.

And for all of the danger that weapons and weaponry play could bring, it has it's positives too. Target practice helps with hand and eye coordination, pairing up with your brother against the neighborhood kids fosters trust and teaches teamwork, and not to mention the fact that it just gets them away from screens and out into the fresh air. We've made so many memories with friends and family pelting each other with improptu nerf wars, taking aim at DIY targets in the back yard with our throwing axes and bow and arrows and splattering our fences with paint balls. I honestly couldn't imagine my life as a parent without weapon play.

I hope that we are tempering our love of play with weapons with enough of a respect for weapon use in the real world. Guns, knives and fire are a few of many shiny red buttons that we have to ease our children into learning about so that when we aren't looking, the temptation won't be too great for them to touch. For now, I'll continue to pluck nerf darts out of my yard and sweep them out from under the couch with a grain of salt and a smile.