Parents, Kids and Safety

I thoroughly enjoy when young prospective airsofters come into the store and look and oogle the selection of 6mm spitters on the wall. They are the future of the sport, whether us that are long in the tooth want to admit it or not.

There is an interesting contrast between genders when the youngster is looking for his or her first airsoft gun. The mothers, while focused on the safety and cost to benefit ratios, allows the child to choose their own airsoft gun. The fathers tend to choose for the youngster, picking what he likes as opposed to what the child likes. When the kid is allowed to choose, the new airsoft gun does not get returned for not being liked. The gun that the father picks out many times gets returned and possibly exchanged, with the new airsofter being accompanied by the mother.

Another interesting contrast is the approach to safety by the parents. Mothers tend to be very focused on the safety aspects, injuries, force of impact, risk and how to play safely and avoid adverse outcomes. Fathers tend to ignore these aspects, one even stating that he knows all about guns and that he can teach his kid, arrogantly not realizing that some safety aspects are different between airsoft guns and real steel.

These are just a few observations and are in no way meant to disparage any gender, just putting out what I see on a continuous basis. With this in mind I have a few suggestions when easing the young'uns into the sport.

• Allow the child to choose the style of gun, with guidance and suggestions from the store staff.
• Make sure that adequate eye and face protection is provided for the child. If you want to be cheap with the gun, that's fine. Don't be cheap with your child's vision or teeth. That's just being a selfish dick.
• Ask plenty of questions of the salesperson. They will tell you everything you want to know, including local laws.
• Lastly, remember that an airsoft gun is not a toy. Even though sporting goods stores and big box stores market them as such, don't look at them in this way. There could be dire consequences. Treat them as you would a real firearm. Your child's health and safety depend upon it.
• Read the damn manual that comes with your new purchase. It will tell you all the basics of operation of the new airsoft gun. You would be surprised at what new questions can be answered just by reading.
• Treat any airsoft gun gently. It may feel heavy and badass, but they can be somewhat delicate. 

If we want the future of the sport to grow and grow safely, we should remember that it's about the kids, not the parents, but the parents have the responsibility to guide the child and help them become responsible and safe airsofters. Better yet, parents should become truly involved and play airsoft with the child. You will be surprised at how much fun it really is.

Bubba (left) and El Phantasamo at Operation Vigilance 5.