I have five kids and many more guns. I have taught my kids, and anyone coming to my house that every gun in my home is loaded and should be treated as such. Our guns are not a mystery to my kids, they know that all they have to do is ask, and they can shoot their pistol or rifle. Mystery causes problems, take the mystery out of things and suddenly it's no longer a challenge to kids. I know this, because my father practiced it with us.
To test my kids, the younger ones, my wife and I left a Glock 19 on the living room floor (unloaded), and monitored their reaction from the camera in our living room. They did just what they were taught to do, they discovered it, confided in each other out loud, "that's dad's gun", and came running for my wife and I. That was a few years ago. Now each has their own pistol and rifle and can shoot them, knowing all they have to do is ask. No mystery, no problems. I only put my guns in the safe to protect them from theft. Guns are part of the landscape in our house, just like a blender or toaster, except next to our toaster is a Glock 19 in a holster mounted to the wall!
To test my kids, the younger ones, my wife and I left a Glock 19 on the living room floor (unloaded), and monitored their reaction from the camera in our living room. They did just what they were taught to do, they discovered it, confided in each other out loud, "that's dad's gun", and came running for my wife and I. That was a few years ago. Now each has their own pistol and rifle and can shoot them, knowing all they have to do is ask. No mystery, no problems. I only put my guns in the safe to protect them from theft. Guns are part of the landscape in our house, just like a blender or toaster, except next to our toaster is a Glock 19 in a holster mounted to the wall!
