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Is it normal that my preschooler pretends that everything is a gun?

Expert Answers
The BabyCenter Editorial Team
Yes. It may be a little unsettling to see your cherubic little guy blasting away at everything in sight like a miniature John Wayne, but this behavior is definitely normal.

"I hear this question quite frequently in my practice, particularly from parents of boys," says pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411 and Toddler 411 and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. It seems there are quite a few mini John Waynes stomping about.

Why do children do this? According to Brown, part of the reason might be that they're mimicking grown-ups. This doesn't mean that these children come from violent homes, however. Images of guns are all around us — on the evening news, for example. Children who pretend to shoot each other may simply be playacting what they see on television.

But we can't chalk it all up to exposure. Even children with limited access to violent images can become enthralled with pretend guns, and experts can't really explain why.

While the behavior is common, there are times when it can get out of hand. Perhaps your child is playing pretend shoot 'em up to the exclusion of other games. If this is the case, you may want to help him branch out.

Brown suggests that you start by thinking about what your child sees and hears. Is the news on during dinner? Is an older brother playing aggressive computer games in the living room? Reducing your child's exposure to these types of things will give him less fodder for his own reenactments.

Along with working to discourage pretend gunplay, Brown suggests parents go a step further and offer suggestions for other types of pretend play. For example, suggest playing "restaurant" and have your child be the waiter, or play "school bus" and your child can be the driver.

"Sometimes offering suggestions to a child who's obsessed with guns will help him start to think outside the box," says Brown. Your little one may be stuck in a gun rut for now, but once he understands the sheer vastness of the make-believe world, he'll probably step out of it.