Notes from the Trainer: $$ Dollar Store Impulse

So the Dollar Tree got me again!  It made me eat my Mommy words!

I've always been the mom who exclaimed, "I will never let my children play with toy guns!"

It's kind of strange considering I grew up on a farm and was around hunting a lot.  I myself have never shot a "real" gun.  I once shot a cousin's BB gun.  That's about it.  My dad worked for the Department of Conservation, and I remember spending lots of time at the deer check station with him, sticking tags on the deer's legs.  I've seen cattle and hogs butchered.  I'm assuming they were shot, although I can't quite remember.  My dad had a .22.  I never shot it but I knew not to mess with it.  Guns were just part of life.  They didn't seem scary but they didn't seem like something to play with either.

So I'm not really sure how being raised around guns translated to "No toy guns"!  I have no idea how I jumped to that.  But I can tell you, that I had NO idea that these boys wouldn't need guns to play guns!

Since becoming a parent 7 years ago, I've seen these boys use EVERYTHING imaginable as a gun!  You name it, they've used it:  train tracks, cars, wii remotes, tooth brushes, forks, pencils, and shoes.  My personal favorite is the legs off of their children's chairs from Ikea.  They are hollow and you can put your hand into them and instantly turn your hand into a weapon.  (FYI...they also make great peg legs for a pirate!)

These are regularly used to play "Iron Man".

So back to the Dollar Tree....I had Noah and Jonah with me and we decided to check out the new one that opened at AZ Ave. & the 202.  (BTW it's super nice...for you locals).  I told the boys they could each pick one thing to purchase.  As usual, deciding took quite a bit of deliberating.  They'd each get settled on one item and then they'd change their mind.  Well Jonah finally settled on a FBI kit.  It contained glasses, a billy club (Seriously, I guess China thinks that's what FBI agents carry! Maybe they do, I don't know!), a watch, a phone, and a GUN, all for the bargain price of $1!  He was so excited when he showed it to me!  He said, "Please Momma, there's a gun!"

I caved!  I wanted out of that store! So I let him buy it!   I am now the Mommy who eats her words!

He was so excited!  I made him wait until we got finished running errands and were home before he could open it.  He held the package all the way home!

Well within 2 minutes, the "lens" fell out of his glasses and the watch is too small for his chunky wrists (or any normal size toddler for that matter).  But let me tell you what works like a charm...the GUN.  It makes a glorious clicking sound every time the trigger is pulled.  Glorious to a 3 year old anyway! :)

He has had lots of fun these last few days with his trusty new gun!  Several new characters have emerged, my favorite being a gun-toting baby who needed to save his "brufers" (brothers) from the bad guys!

I have to remember he is just 3.  I'm fairly certain that pretend play won't make him a psychopath!  Pretend play leads to so many conversations with your kids.  These are wonderful teaching opportunities that happen spontaneously.  These conversations can often be more meaningful and effective than the ones you have in times of discipline.

This point of this post was not really about gun control, but rather those "gray areas" of parenting.  You know, the decisions you have to make in which there is really no right or wrong. When the decisions are just left up to your best judgement or personal preference.  Sometimes those decisions are the ones that bring me the most stress!

I know as I mom, I have the best intentions when it comes the "I will never...!  They will not...!" statements.  I'm finding that sometimes these boys sneak one over on me.  I guess I just have to go with it.  I'm still learning.  It's only by God's grace, that I'm able to keep trying.  There are so many days that I get so many things wrong.  But just like my walk with God, each day is a new day with these boys.  God doesn't expect perfection from me as a mom, but I believe he doesn't want me to settle for less than I'm capable of.  So if I have to eat my words from time to time in order to grow as a mom, that's OK with me!

Sometimes a little boy just needs a little green toy gun and that's OK!  Don't you think? :)

This is how he fell asleep that night!  I LOVE this boy!

So any other moms or dads out there who've eaten their words?  Please tell me I'm not the only one!  I'm sure this won't be my last time!

~Kristee