Safety in the Home

Learn more about firearm safety in the home by visiting the “Be Smart for Kids” gun safety site. Below is how they suggest to Be SMART in your home:

S- Secure any firearms in your home.

M- Model safe firearm behavior.

A- Ask if there are firearms in the homes your child will visit.

R- Recognize the role that firearms play in youth suicide and accidents.

T- Tell your peers to be smart about firearm safety.

Talking to your Child 

It is essential for families to talk to their children about firearm safety. For tips on how to get this conversation started, you may visit Project Child Safe or this BeSMART: Talking to your Children about guns tip sheet. Below are a few suggestions from the tip sheet:

Tips For Talking to Young Children 

• Make it part of the normal safety conversation you have with your children. 

• Keep the language simple: “If you see a gun, don’t touch it. Tell an adult right away.”

• Assure children they will not get in trouble if they tell an adult they’ve seen a gun.

• Tell children not to touch a gun, even if it looks like a toy. 

Tips for Talking to Adolescents 

• Include it in your general safety conversations about topics like drugs and alcohol.

• Tell them to immediately leave any situation where an unsecured gun is present. 

• Tell them not to listen to a friend who says a gun is unloaded or otherwise safe. 

For All Ages

• Don’t have the conversation only once. Talk to them frequently, just as you would, about other crucial safety issues.

• Make sure they understand that any situation where there’s an unsupervised gun is a dangerous situation.