Make your values clear. Children care deeply about how we see the world. Often gun play increases when children are feeling fearful. Helping children deal with their fears can take some of the intensity out of their gun play. Let your kids know that people are working to stop violence in the real world.
Kids sometimes use gun play to cope with fears about violence in the real world.
If your child seems scared of real violence, talk about people who are working to stop fighting and end war. This can help kids feel safer and therefore, less driven to engage in gun play. Provide kids with alternatives to gun play that help them feel powerful. Providing them with real work experiences such as carpentry, cooking, gardening can channel some of the energy being directed into gun play in a new, more creative direction. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment.