4.5 year old boy

My child's play almost always turns into some kind of "gun" fight, a battle or a 'takeover'.     is this normal?   every thing turns into,   'ok, and the dolls became criminals and the police arrested them with their guns!'     it's always someone shooting someone and there's always a gun.   we don't have any toy guns so he uses his fingers.

[Trialanderror]

My boy is the same age and plays the same games even though he has hardly any TV experience and finds Babar and Nemo frightening. It is part of the Y chromosome...I do not allow toy guns but other than that support any game that lets them think about right and wrong and burn some energy and adrenaline. I watch more for signs of bullying. I our neighbourhood you see all variations of upbringing. Some preschoolers are allowed to walk around with an array of toy machine guns, others are not even to use the word g-u-n and some are in between. I would not worry at all at this age even though some obsession is possible: my son prepared me at age 3.5 that he would have to leave me soon because he was about to join the police academy. In the same sentence he cried and said "but I `ll miss you mommy".

[Amy1973]

My boy, almost 4, is the same way however he watched western with his dad -and listens to his grandpa's hunting stories.  I do not like.  We just talk about what happens.  We have a gun in our house.  He cannot get it.  However, I did show him and tell him about it.  He has a grandpa that is no longer alive and I try to talk to him about how it could really hurt someone and they might die.

I think he understands.  I just ask that he does not play dead and ask he does not pretend to hurt people with is pretend guns.  We have no toy guns in the house.  He is doing better.  I do believe it's a boy thing but I don't want it to happen.  I am sure he will have a day he will learn about guns and take a safetly class - his dad and grandpa will hunt with him.  But I just tell him that he will have to wait until he is older and with his grandpa or daddy.

It's a hard thing but I think we all deal with it.  But just make sure he understand the real dangers and what one looks like incase he is somewhere without you and they have a real gun.  My son was at a house where later I heard they had a gun in there night stand.  They didn't have kids or grandkids and never thought about my son.  He stayed the night in that room.....Don'r be afraid to ask about guns if you leave your son somewhere.    

[jd1419]

My four year old and 2 1/2 year old are the same way--more so withthe four year old---He can make anything into a gun and then using his hulk and king knog action figures to fight--some days it is tolerable and other days it just gets on your nerves.  I under stand how you feel--but I do let guns in my house (Play ones)  we just have the rule of no pointing in anyones face.

[tmv]

My son did this for a while when he was 3. We lived in the country, so I told him that he could only point his gun (finger, as I never bought him one) at bears and snakes, NEVER people. I explained how people can be hurt and her truly understood. We never had any other instances unless he was playing and would "shoot a bear".  He amazed me when he told his cousin that is 3 years older to only shoot bears and snakes. I was proud of this little man.