Ask the Child Care Health Team

Child Care Health Program
Ask the Child Care Health Team

Anti-Violence

Dear Child Care Team,

We do not allow children to play with guns in my center; however many of the children use block building, or even their fingers to “make” guns and play at shooting their peers. How can I intervene? If children are only pretending should I set limits?

- Anti-Violence in Federal Way

yellow leaf Dear Anti-Violence,

As you know, children today live in a world where they are exposed to a variety of frightening images: through TV shows and news, videogames, and sometimes in their own communities. Preschoolers are at a vulnerable point in their development. They are just beginning to branch out from their family world to establish important peer relationships and master more formal educational settings (e.g. kindergarten).

Worried about whether they can be safe, children may resort to using guns, or pretending to be super-heroes to feel more powerful and therefore safer.

So, what can you do?

First, provide ample opportunities to support the development of children’s self-competence. Let them know that they have handled themselves well when faced with challenges.

Remind children that guns are not necessary at your school because everyone is safe and that everyone is learning how to solve problems peacefully.

Diffuse gun play by naming some other things that might be “shot” from a gun. For example, “I see you are shooting and I wonder if it is delicious ice cream being sent in my direction!”

Our November 5 training on The Media, Media Violence, and Learning (see gold flyer in this issue) will provide more information.

Other resources include:

-- Lenore Rubin, Ph.D., Child Psychologist