I read this post recently about a mom blogger, Shamelessly Sassy, who gave out candy cigarettes for Halloween. I thought that was funny but apparently she had a parent RETURN the candy at the end of the night.
I don't approve of smoking. I think it's horrible, and I've never touched one myself. But, that doesn't mean I think candy that looks like a cigarette is bad. It's pretend. And if anything, it provokes conversation with our children about the subject of smoking.
And I think kids get the difference between real and pretend.
Her post reminded me of something I saw on Halloween.
I saw a little boy dressed up like a policeman...but without a gun.
In fact, I heard his mother commenting that he wasn't allowed to have a gun with his costume.
I was shocked.
If he'd been a ninja, would she have not let him carry sword? If he'd been a lion tamer, could he not carry a whip? A pirate? A soldier? A Jedi without a light saber? Costumes are all about the props.
What about water guns? Are those inappropriate?
My son Remy was a Star Wars Storm Trooper, and I bought him a blaster gun that made authentic noises. He loves it. He knows it's not real...but we still teach him not to point it at people unless they're playing pretend with him. We teach him real gun safety.
I also have noticed most kids, when playing with pretend weapons, are usually fighting the bad guys. They aren't trying to shoot the good guys or the women and children. Wanting to protect the good and fight the bad is normal...and a good attitude to promote.
The thing I've noticed about boys...they turn everything into weapons. And I think the key to dealing with this, in my opinion, is to teach them safety.
What do you ban from your kids? Girls or boys.
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