According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the safest home for a child is one without guns. This is the best way to prevent accidental gun injuries, suicides and homicides. If you choose to have guns in your house, you can help decrease the risk of harm to your children by setting rules:

Setting the rules

Sit down with your child and set the rules in a family meeting. Answer all of your child’s questions.

Help your children understand that violence on TV and in the movies is not real. They need to be told—and likely reminded often—that in real life, children are badly hurt and killed by guns. Although gun use may sometimes be romanticized by popular media, kids must learn that these weapons can be extremely dangerous.

Safe gun storage

Keep guns unloaded in a locked location, such as a gun safe or lock box. Keep ammunition locked in a separate location. Make sure your child can't access the key or combination for the gun safe or lock box. Also keep a trigger lock on your gun. Never leave a gun unattended.

Safety away from home

If your child spends time at the home of family or friends, ask about guns and how they are stored.

What your child should do

Make sure your child knows what to do if they see a gun. Discuss the following rules:

• Never touch a gun! Leave it as you find it. Tell other kids not to touch it either.

• Never keep knowledge of a gun a secret. Tell an adult if you see a gun, even if you're not sure it’s a real gun.

• If you see someone with a gun, go away. Then tell an adult immediately.