Gun control

     I planned on being one of those moms who never fed her child sugar, bologna or french fries. I’m pretty sure it’s my cosmic karma for saying “never,” that I have a child who had to be coerced into eating each of those things (see here) and have now found myself grateful that C eats at least two of those things. I continue to hope he’ll actually want a cookie someday.

     Also on the “never” list included toy guns, and as it turns out, I have a child who scares so easily that he can’t even watch previews and commercials without freaking out and having nightmares. When C first decided he might be interested in guns, I answered his slew of questions as calmly and without judgment as possible. I didn’t want to encourage what was already quickly passing the fear stage and heading into the phobia stage.

     One day in the store, C found his way to the Nerf part of the toy section, which features some toy guns. After much consternation, discussion, obsession and thought, which occurred over a period of several months, C decided he might like a Nerf gun because he “couldn’t hurt anyone with that.” Once again reveling in “normalcy,” I reversed my earlier position on no toy guns and purchased a Nerf gun for him for Christmas. It was a definite hit, and now he wants another one.

     This seems to have been a good way to get him over his not-so-completely-irrational but completely-overboard-fear (you ASD mommies know what I’m talking about) of guns, and for that I am grateful. He is still very much afraid of guns, but it’s more of a normal fear. Despite the fact that his fascination has lately bordered on the obsessive, to the point of trying to define and categorize each and every type of gun, I know he’ll level out like he always does.

     I, of course, being the Mommy that I am, have visions of him getting a gold medal in skeet shooting in some future Olympics. It would probably be my penance to pay for saying “never” on toy guns. But I’ll gladly take that punishment. Bring it on.