Yes, You Can Get Your Daughter Interested In Guns. Here’s How

If you’re a father, then you know the feeling of wanting your children to know how to defend and protect themselves, especially your daughters. Unfortunately, though, women and girls tend to be less inclined to be interested in knowing how to do potential violence even in those cases when it is justified.

But there are ways to get your daughter interested in guns, and a writer going by “Eric L.” gives us seven tips to help your daughter develop that interest. Here are those tips along with our commentary:

1. “Set and communicate simple, attainable goals.” Let’s face it: human beings want to know what they need to do. They want a clear objective, but being able to defend yourself using a firearm is several different skills working together. Start simple, start small. And be careful not to overwhelm her with too much information and too many goals. Remember, your end goal is to encourage her interest in guns, not to overwhelm her with too much information and too many tasks so that she loses even that initial spark of interest.
2. “Rehearse at home what you’ll do at the range.” Many people tend to be risk averse. They don’t want to show up someplace and do something which makes them look foolish, especially with something that is potentially lethal. Take the time to go over what you’ll be doing so that she can know what to expect and feel more comfortable going into the situation.
3. “Reward accomplishment and make it special.” This is motivation and goal setting 101. Make it mean something to her to become a good shooter until she realizes how much she enjoys it and that the enjoyment of time at the range is, in many ways, it’s own reward.
4. “Get on paper first…then get on target.” Start with easier targets first (closer shot and just hit the paper instead of a bullseye), and work her way out to more exact and difficult shots. This helps to build both confidence and skill.
5. “Personalize it so it’s all hers.” The gun that she picks out is the gun that she is more likely to want to shoot. We’re all like that.
6. “Suppressors are a girl’s best friend.” Guns can be loud, but it’s worse when you’re in an enclosed space like an indoor gun range. While a suppressor won’t eliminate the noise (unlike what they show in movies), they will decrease the volume. For many people, this can make shooting much more confortable.
7. “Enjoy it yourself.” Our kids often emulate us. If you like shooting, your kids are more likely to take it up, too.

When you think about these seven tips, none of them are anything but common sense, but there’s a good chance that you haven’t considered all seven points. So, if you’re wanting your daughter (or wife) to get involved in shooting, then you may want to consider how to implement these tips with the important women in your life.