3 Ways to Tell When Your Kid is Ready to Learn About Guns
Last updated: June 7, 2026 · Originally published: August 19, 2020
There’s no “magic number,” but there are signs to look for.
Here’s a parenting question that Dr. Spock somehow neglected: “How can I tell when my child is old enough to learn about guns?” There aren’t any cut-and-dried answers, because every child and every family is different. You probably know some eight-year-olds that you’d happily trust next to you in a duck blind—and some 18-year-olds you wouldn’t. However, there are three signs that your child is ready to get some hands-on experience with firearms and gun safety.
Empathy
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The first developmental milestone you should look for is your child’s capacity for empathy. Although empathy is a near-universal human trait, we aren’t born with it. Any parent can attest that very small children can be remarkably cruel—and that’s because learning that other people are independent entities with their own feelings and inner landscape doesn’t happen right away. Look for signs that your child understands when he or she has hurt someone’s feelings, and makes an effort to apologize (and this is crucial) without being made to do so by you or another authority figure.
Understands the Difference Between Real and Make-Believe
Everybody either knows (or was) the kid who tied a towel around his neck and took a leap off the roof trying to fly. That’s because it’s normal for small children to confuse reality with fiction in their attempts to reconcile cartoon physics with real-world physics in kinetic experiments that often result in plaster casts and missing out on a summer of swimming. (Not that I would know anything about that.) In cartoons, Daffy Duck can shoot Elmer Fudd, and Fudd will be right back at his antics in the next reel…so it’s crucial that your child understands that that’s not how it works in the real world. You’re looking for a kid who no longer talks to an invisible friend; a kid who points out things she knows aren’t true on TV; a kid who claims to still believe in Santa (duh, more gifts!), but doesn’t seem particularly concerned about the Elf on the Shelf and what that creepy little bugger might be reporting back to old St. Nick.
Responsibility
This last—and most important—milestone can’t come until your child masters the first two…and the age at which it comes is different for every child. Perhaps the best indicator that your child is ready to learn about guns is when you feel comfortable leaving him or her in charge of a pet. What you’re looking for is a kid who feeds, walks, cleans the cage or litter box—without you needing to force or constantly remind them to do so. It means they understand that that turtle or budgie is a living being that requires their consistent care and attention.
When your child has consistently displayed empathy, the ability to distinguish reality from make-believe, and the responsibility required to keep a living being healthy, that’s when you’ll know that your child is ready to begin learning about gun safety and the fundamentals of shooting.
The people writing Negative reviews to this article, have TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT.
The article is about: KNOWING WHEN IT’S SAFE TO TEACH A KID ABOUT GUNS.
Which is about GUN SAFETY AND RESPONSIBLE GUN HANDLING.
NOT, TEACHING THEM TO BE EXPERT SHOOTERS.
As an assistant coach for 8 years to one of the TOP FOUR Junior Olympic Rifle Teams in the country.
I’ve worked with 10 year to 20 year old kids. The FIRST and ONLY important thing is SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY. Our JR rifle team consisted of about 21 kids at any time.
I’ve had several 10 year old girls that were mature enough to learn to SAFELY handle and shoot rifles.
I have also found most boys about 15 years old, that someone gave them a BB gun and they learned to shoot Gallon Milk Jugs at 15 feet. Thought they already knew everything, And were TOTALLY Non COACHABLE. FIRST AND FOREMOST IT’S ABOUT SAFETY. PERIOD. For those people that think that I’m not qualified to give this opinion, I was a NRA Certified Firearms Instructor for 25 years. Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Personal Protection and Home Firearms Responsibility.
From the comments it seems that some folks only looked at the pictures and didn’t digest the content of the article. Their indifference to the printed word is apparent and conveyed by their comments. The pictures were strictly for illustrative purposes, i.e., serving as an explanation or clarification of the content. The pictures do convey Empathy, The Difference between Real and Make-Believe and Responsibility. The title of the article is “3 Ways to Tell When Your Kid is Ready to Learn About Guns.“ Sub-points: (1.) Empathy,
(2.) Understands the Difference between Real and Make-Believe, and (3) Responsibility.
Each photo provided attribution and link to give appropriate credit. One’s aversion to the written word and reliance on pictures puts one at a disadvantage.
“ . . . proper eye and ear protection. . .” Valid comment. Safety First.
“ . . . large shotgun is unrealistic. . . “ Valid comment but not within the purview of the article
“. . . teaching new shooters . . .” Off topic.
The salient message is reiterated in the article’s closing paragraph.
“ When your child has consistently displayed empathy, the ability to distinguish reality from make-believe, and the responsibility required to keep a living being healthy, that’s when you’ll know that [your child is ready to begin learning about gun safety and the fundamentals of shooting.]” [emphasis added]
This is the worst article I’ve ever read here, started off good, Don’t know alot about teaching new shooters evidently,,, There is a difference between being a good shooter, and able to train a good shooter! There are many disciplines to be learned, for both, – Safety, Accuracy, Reliability, to start with!
Please consider the requirement for proper eye and ear protection. The photo of the man and daughter had neither of them wearing protection. That is NOT a good,lesson
True enough, but the dad did have eye protection………………………………
Then again the little tyke with the puppy didn’t have a pooper scooper either……………………..
Evidently the author knows little about firearms. Kid with a large shotgun is unrealistic. One shot and the kid would never want to touch another firearm after he recovered from his painful shoulder injury.
Kid with a .22 IS realistic..
A wonderful insightful article. Right on point!
Thank you for synthesizing and capturing the essence of maturity in children.
Well written.