12yo boy - 2 wwyd questions

[bookgirl]

1. Yes, although I'd only let him use it with supervision for a while, well maybe a long while.

2. Yes, as long as the place requires helmets and eye shields, he will come home with bruises though,,,,there's always bruises.

 

[mhsjax]

Yes to both. My boys have had airsoft guns for years. One is now 13 and the other is 9. I think they have had them for about 4 years. They are supervised during use. No big deal

 

[acejka]

yup and yup

 

[disneybound2010]

If an airsoft gun is a paintball gun, then yes. But there would be some rules.

1. The gun is ONLY used on the paintball range/course/field whatever and I keep it the rest of the time. Those pellets can break windows and put out eyes, especially in the winter when they get frozen.

2. Protective goggles WILL be worn at all times when using the gun.

3. If you lose a testicle (happened to a friend of mine), I WILL say, "I told you so." Because I've never met a man or boy yet who's willing to wear a cup, and really, they all should.

4. And no b*tching if I decide to rent me a gun and to come out for a game or two myself.

Paintball is outrageously fun! Not totally safe, but definitely fun. I think it's fine for 12yo boys, but your son may be a bit shocked at just how much getting shot with a paint pellet hurts. Oh, and he'll have little round bruises, too! You can have fun counting them the day after.

Meet my DH. He says he likes his doodads too much to let them be splattered

 

[aprilgail2]

1- no way in HECK!
2- I wouldn't be happy about it but if they really wanted to go I would let them but certainly not purchasing any type of paintball gun etc- guns are not permitted in this house.

 

[jacksmom]

I have a 13 yo ds and would say yes and yes!

 

[RachelEllen]

No way on the airsoft if it were up to me. But, DH did let his son (my stepson) buy one with his own money. Main problem is that you just can't come up with a list of rules long enough to give a 12 year old common sense. He has a list of 15 rules we made him learn by heart, and I still caught him the other day kneeling over the driveway, head about 2 feet from the ground, trying to shoot ants (ricochet risk, anyone?)

 

[stsomewhere]

1 - Yes
2 - Yes

Non-controversial to me as well.

same here

 

[ENSOCK]

my DS16 & DS11 have about 6 airsoft guns. Number 3 rule is no shooting in the house, but I find little plastic balls all over.
For DS11's 10th birthday we had a airsoft gun party. Went to a old house that a friend had that was two stories and was just used as a hay barn. It was cleared out and they had a blast. I made sure that eye protection was worn at all times.

 

[golfgal]

yes
yes

My son got a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas last year- it almost got forgotten it was over by the desk.....

Did he poke his eye out with it


The only concern I would have is that air guns are not legal in some towns-you can shoot them outside of city limits here but not in city limits, for example.

Paintball is a blast.

 

[dimimi]

1: Yes, if eye protection was worn and the child was careful. I would only let him use it with adult supervision when noone else was around...or if everyone around wore protection.

2: yes: the kids have to wear goggles, etc.

 

[HelenePA]

I bought my 4yr old nephew a paintball gun (fromm target made for lil kids can't remember the name) sil said bil and nephew had a ball with it

yes to both questions

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Based on my own research of airsoft guns, No.

Paintball? Yes. With the understanding he's going to come home with some good welts.

 

[rie'smom]

1. Yes
2. Yes

 

[LisaR]

1. Yes. My son plays airsoft every weekend and loves it. He is 13 and has been playing for years.

2. My answer yes. My son - no. He played paintball once and hated it. He had welts that lasted for days and said it hurt like crazy.

 

[AustinTink]

1. No- My nephew is blind in one eye because of those stupid guns.

2. Yes- my husband does paintball and says it's fine.

 

[minniecarousel]

#1 - nope
#2 - yes

 

[LisaR]

1. No- My nephew is blind in one eye because of those stupid guns.

2. Yes- my husband does paintball and says it's fine.

How is that possible? Was he wearing goggles?

 

[NotUrsula]

MY son? No, not because of his age but because he's very klutzy. However, he has fired guns on supervised target courses and done OK, and he is an excellent archer and is very good about those safety rules.
(He uses target points, not hunting points, mostly because he's more likely to drop the arrow on his foot than he is to shoot someone with it.)

Where I grew up the traditional gift for a country boy's 12th birthday was and is a .22 caliber rifle. Every single boy I knew got one for his 12th birthday and used it quite often for hunting. If a kid (male or female) is perfectly able-bodied and can be counted on to obey the safety rules, I don't think that 12 is an unreasonable age at which to acquire a firearm.

 

[shortbun]

I totally would not have bought the gun at 12-14 and I outlawed paintball. My son still hasn't played it as his friends got over it real quick when they found out how much it cost and how bad it hurt. Thus the 3 month paintball phase passed us by. We don't play beerpong here either.