I was wondering the best way to go about introducing my daughter to firearms.  Right now to her at four it's just another thing in the house she can't touch.  She sees me come home from work every night in the patrol car, geared up.  I don't want her to think it's a big secret and make her more curious.   I was just wondering the best time to explain to her the whats what?

When my son was 5 he could break down  my AR and name each part and its function. Sometimes I would have to push a pin or something he didn't have strength to do, but he knew what to do  .  I just started with letting him sit around and watch me clean my guns, and I would tell him what each piece was and how it functioned as I went. One day I let him try.... the rest is history..... of course I always worked gun safety into it as I taught him as well, you know  just when I would 1st down  tell him things like never point his gun at anything he didn't intend to destroy, and always check to see if it is loaded upon first picking it up etc etc.....

Any time is a good time to explain - especially the safety part. Girls do not tend to be interested in guns. I have two boys and two girls and the boys were making gun noises from shortly after they could speak. The girls...meh not really interested in making noises or playing cops/robbers or cowboys/native americans. But don't let that deter you against teaching her the safety aspects or taking her shooting when she is a couple years older.

Scary story.

My kids know not to touch a firearm with dad or grandpa.  However, they also can ask I will let them see and handle any firearm.  They know that if they touch without permission they are in big trouble, and if they find a gun outside or at another house they are not to touch and they are to leave.

They are now six and we have all been to the local gun shop to see a nice shiny Ruger 10/22 which will someday be their first collective rifle, as it was mine.

O.K., you get the picture.

So, one day they are having a friend over.  I am in my room holding an AR.  The kid, a good and orderly kid, runs into my room.  See me with the gun, yells "cool" and runs at me and grabs at the gun.  

Wow. Now he lives with just his mother and has never seen a real gun, much less ever talked gun safety.  But scary about the attraction of guns to little boys.

My two boys came running in on his heals.  They saw the whole thing.  I immediately asked them what happened, and they correctly told me what their friend did wrong and what the rules are.

I guess the purpose of this post is just to remind everyone that they can educate their own kids, but must think about all the other kids whose parents, for what ever reason, fail to teach their children gun safety.

On a side note, I always have felt that the conservative, like me, often fail to teach sex education to their kids thus putting them at risk.  And the liberals fail to teach gun safety, probably putting their kids at even greater risk.

My kids are allowed to 'touch guns' only in my presence.  Otherwise it is a spanking.

The five year old will occasionally ask me if I can open the safe, so he can see if I have on like was on the show we were just watching.  

I drop what I am doing and comply.  Not because I am a pushover, or am curious to see as well , but to remove the 'forbidden fruit' allure from them.

Thus far, no problems.  

I have had to have 'the talk' with the older kids, that the guns are not to be discussed with folks outside the house, especially neighborhood kids.  

Something to think about there.  Don't want all the neighbors knowing when your form 4 comes in.

Its not how old they are.

Its how old they act.

You will know when the time is right.

This+1

They can also shoot with me at the range while I am behind them.

My kids do not mess with my stuff without my permission and my presence. They don't take their friends into my area.

The get toy guns and also build from tinker toys.

If SHTF they know which iron is assigned to them should someone get past me.

StagPower

I'd start with a BB gun or something that doesn't make a ton of noise or kick. I know I was a little intimidated the first time I ever handled a gun. It was mainly because of how they taught me how dangerous they were.

It was important that I understood the concept of life and our immortality. I remember being so young as to not "get it" that people could die and never be around again. I think it was also important that I got a few "boo boos". Getting hurt a little teaches how getting hurt bad can feel.

With that being said, a buddy and I were hunting small game out in the woods at age 8.

oh yeah, the movie The Patriot got it right, IMO. Teach em young aim small miss small.

And this +1

My kids act proper with guns, but their every day actions tell me that our original everyday rules remain. They still have a few years before those rules change.

StagPower

On CNN Headline news this morning, they were talking about the 8 year old in AZ that killed his dad and another guy. The host exclaimed that it was "Horrific" that the father had taught the son to kill by having him practice on groundhogs.

More to that story, no doubt.

I have 2 young girls 5 and 8.  I bought a .22 Crickett.  They like shooting, but need lots of practice.

Santa is bringing a BB rifle so they can get lots of practice on the deck using milk bottles and what not.

I jumped the gun so to speak as theyhave the concept of aiming, just not the reality of it down pat.

I had mine shooting a .22 at age 4.  They could handle them sitting on my lap all they wanted to, with constant input from me on safety and watching where it is pointed.

It's never too early to get them started and get them used to it.

When they are old enough to show an interest. Trying to push them to enjoy YOUR hobby at too young an age will be counterproductive. I remember my dad dragging the kids along to his barbershop quartet concerts and everything HE liked to do, stuff that bored a young kid to death. Don't push the next generation away from an interest in firearms by being too eager.

Tell em they're not allowed... too young.

They'll want to do it more than anything

communication and exposure are paramount.

take all the mystery out of firearms and get them shooting as early as you can

emphasis on safety at all times

My daughter was 1 year old and my son was 1 month old when I took them to their first gun show.  My son started shooting a 10/22 at age 5 and my daughter shot her first deer at age 13 at over 200 yards.  
Kds are never too young to teach safety and as was mentioned, take the mystery out of guns.  Show them what happens when a small animal is shot.  They need to understand that guns are for killing.  Target practice helps make you a better hunter whether you plan on hunting or not.