Remember, there are over 30 million children living in homes with guns. Regardless of our best efforts to ensure gun owners store their firearms securely, there may be times when a child or teen comes across a firearm. What can they do to ensure their safety and that of others around them? This is where education comes into play.
We want to introduce you to a resource that presents this critical information in a way that's accessible and understandable for children and teens: McGruff's Gun Safety Video. In this short video, Scruff, McGruff's lovable sidekick, breaks down gun safety into four easy steps:
Stop
Don't Touch
Get Away
Tell an Adult
You can watch the video with your child here.
Open the lines of communication, discuss the dangers of firearms, and let your children know that it's okay to talk about guns. They should never feel afraid to report a firearm they come across, even if they or a friend stumbled upon it while exploring places they shouldn't.
We must take it upon ourselves to ensure that our children understand the gravity of gun safety. Use tools like the McGruff video to break down the conversation and make it easier for them to comprehend. And remember, while it's essential to educate our children, the onus of gun safety ultimately rests with us, the adults.