Yesterday in the mail, we received our membership cards to the Tri-Cities Shooting Association. There was one card for me, one for SWMBO, and one Junior Member card for our oldest daughter. I showed our older daughter her card, and told her that it meant Mommy and Daddy had talked things over, and that we felt she was old enough to learn to start shooting, if she was interested in it. I'm not going to say she jumped and down, giggling with excitement over the idea, but she is certainly interested, which makes me happy.
In the early years of parenthood, I will confess that I had high(totally unrealistic hopes) that I would have my daughters at the range when they were 6 years old, and make little Annie Oakley's out of them. My wife tempered my expectations somewhat, and pleaded with me to be sensible, and just let things happen when they were ready to happen. As usually has happened, I am glad that I followed her advise.
While the girls have always enjoyed going to gun store with daddy(might have something to do with the fact that I am always happy and cheerful there), the guns themselves didn't seem to interest them. My older daughter was not ready to start shooting at age 6, either physically or maturity wise. At age 7, she was closer physically, but still not ready from a mental standpoint...she wasn't showing enough interest, AND she still did not listen well enough to me, as in...if I tell her 'DON'T MOVE' at the range, I wanted to be confident she WON'T MOVE.
Plus, I was waiting for the proper level of interest to show up. What I am trying to avoid more than anything is pushing too hard, like my dad did trying to get me to like golf. He pushed, and pushed and...well...you understand...now I can't stand golf. Adolescent rebellion is tough to fight.
Most of our gun training up to this point has consisted of 'if you find a gun laying around, don't touch it....just get mommy or daddy', and stressing that this applies at friends houses also, even if your friend just wants to show you something 'neat'.
The last couple of times I have had the guns out for cleaning, the girls have been showing more interest, and so I have been trying to teach them, especially the older one...we have been focusing on the Three Rules, and I have been working on the proper grip with my 8-year old. I think the time is right to bring her shooting for the first time.
I haven't bought any special guns to start her out on. At one point I thought I might pick something up like a Ruger Bearcat single action revolver, or one of those tiny little Cricket .22 rifles, but, the Walther P22 seems to fit in her hand okay, and that seems something simple to start her out on. As far as a rifle...I still have the Marlin Model 700 that was MY first rifle. It doesn't seem much bigger than that Cricket...I'll have her try holding it her at home sometime in the next day or two...if it's too big for her, it's too big. I suppose some folks would think I should get her familiar with a bolt-action before starting her with a semi...but, it's what I've got, so it's what she should get familiar with.
Not sure when we will go for the first time...if I can fit something in this weekend, great...if it's next weekend, also great. I'm also doing my best to keep my expectations realistic, and PRAYING that I have enough Patience. If can get through one 10-round magazine of the Walther with no tears...VICTORY. My goal is to keep her wanting more, instead of burning her out.
Is it the weekend yet?!!?!?!
Cherish these times. I started my daughter's shooting training when she was 10. She was a little miffed when her first gun was stainless, unlike Dad's black 1911. We generally didn't have toy guns around, but, I did buy one for a Halloween party at work. The following summer, I heard her outside,using the toy, training a boy a head taller than she, in the Weaver stance! Repeating safety training she'd heard me use training adults: "DONT you cross me with that muzzle, keep your finger OFF the trigger..." Wish I had that on tape. She was killed at age 12 in an auto accident. CHERISH THESE TIMES.
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