You're right the spelling wisecrack was a purdy cheap shot. My bad.
What I should have said was please consider paying a professional to give the kiddos some shooting and gun safety lessons. They won't be little for long and if we fail them as fathers they can be scared for life. It wasn't firearms related but I failed my son a single day at a single afternoon perf and he wears a scar from it. He wanted to get a picture of himself riding roughstock in a hat (no helmet). The same still photographer that shot the PBR finals was there that day and I let him talk me into it.
He acts like he is fine with it, but I still get sick to my stomach when I think about how I didn't protect him.
My boys can teach most of the big gun guys safety lessons and have better gun handling and shoot no shoot situation like nope won't that that shot at that big buck in the ridge because I can't see what's behind it and self control not to than most adults I have been around. Goes the same for them not shooting a nicer buck that walks out after they just filled their buck tag on a smaller buck 16 mins before. Very few adults I know would show the self control my boys have including me when I was younger but much older than than he was at the time.
I once failed to protect one of my sons doing something each and every one off us does and have done every single day and I still do today with my two boys. That was put him in a vehicle in his 5 point side impact tested most expensive car seat on the market. Doing everything right above and beyond and you still can't keep them
safe. And he was still killed due to someone else's neglect and mistake. Yet I failed to be able to keep him safe and allowed him to be in a position to be killed. Irrational though maybe yet I still have it. Just that same as my wife holdes herself responsible for not seeing the truck comment that ran the light and hit us since she was driving. Yes it's Irrational but we still manage to try to blaim ourselves. So with every single thing I alow them the kids to do regardless of how much I try to keep them safe or account for every possible outcome I have that worry. Do I hold them back and not let them ride the dirt bikes or cliff rappel, or any other activities that are generally safe yet pose life and death risk. We can't wrap them in bubble wrap I tell myself. Better they learn at a young age and be given big responsibility that is what build strong men and future leaders. At our country's founding 20 year olds we're leasing the army and saling ships across the ocean. Today 30 year old live in their parents basement and play video games. The difference is there used to be expectations an responsibility give to kids at a very young age.
You ment well he got a scar you both learned a lesson. He learned dad was right wear the safety gear. You learned to stick to your guns about it. Sounds like you got lucky and it could have been worse still dose not make I any easier for you. I understand that feeling of failure to protect as a dad that had his young son killed on his watch an arms length away and I sat there injured with fractured skull and looked at him but was not even with it enough to be able to move my arms and get out of my seat belt or get to him. I could only manage to turn my head and think he was asleep, my wife looked asleep and my daughter 5 at the time was flipping out and I keep trying to get to her but could not move anything but my neck. I see it clear as day still as I type it out and I don't know how because I don't member the life flight or more than a few hours and flashes of the next few weeks .
I train my kids and have no worries about them. It's others that will put them in danger. Knowing that I test them now and then. I have wondered Will they speak up if they end up out with friends and see them doing things Unsafe will they call them out on it, we all hope so but, how do we know? You train them in safety at a very young age right from the start tell its 2nd nature no thought involved. I purposely do something or make it look like I'm getting ready to do something questionable now and then like going to take a.shot with questionable back stop and see If they call me out and do so with authority. . If they are quick to get onto me they should get onto another kid or friend. At least that's about the best I can come up with. My boys have been handling guns from a very young age. My wife was mad she thought they were lighting fire crackers when I was up at the barn with her and not with them. When it turns out that it was my 14 year old shooting extended distance out to 100 with his .22 to learn his drop she apologized for getting mad at him. She know he is and has been good to go with guns for years. But weak firecrackers she was concerned with.
Operating vehicles, equipment, mowers, chain saws, tractors, guns, bows × bows, tools. My boys are good to go better than.most adults. My youngest is the dare devel on some things like ramping his bike high enough to bend the front forks far enough forward to kink the pipes and make it trash, ridding wheelies, or in a wagon down a steep hill. But he won't take chances with guns because I made it very clear there are zero exceptions at a very young age. But shooting and hunting have alway been my primary interest and hobbies. So my kids got interested in what dad likes as most boys tend to do. I have no issues with training just with some "trainers," abilities and bad habits I have witnessed. Also why I don't shoot at public ranges except with rare exceptions. I'm not bullet proof after all.
I'm sure I will get some know it all push back from some but at 4 the kids were packing their empty rifles on "hunts" (walks) with me behind them reminding them about where the muzzle was pointed, finger off the trigger, and not muzzle sweeping me when they turned to talk to me. When we would get to a hot hickory tree I would sit them between my legs let them load it and wait for a shot where I had 100% abilities to control the gun. Then un.load and repeat watching their gun handling on the way back to the house. Man that seem like a lifetime ago now.
My youngest has a nice scare on his forhead from the front peg of his brothers bike when he went down and his brother was following to.close and didn't turn fast enough and clipped him. He doesn't act like it bothers him. Infact I think they like their scars and think they make them look tough.
We.can only do our best to train them to make good decisions..the rest is up to them and God. I'm sure they could use some professional training in many other areas I can't help them much on like riding horses more than just ploping in the saddle and pulling the reingand dirt bikes. Two things I'm at best a beginning amateur at and knowledge training would be a very smart choice. Not just for them but i could use lessons myself as well.
