If you look closely at the photo you'll see the tiny little speck out in the back field, that's Gage "hunting". He basically takes his BB gun and rolls around in the grass and (if you ask him)he "shoots" all kinds of wild coyotes, panthers, bobcats, etc. which translates to shoots his cardboard targets. However, one of my fears is letting my unaided child go out and play alone, here in the middle of nowhere, in the country and a real coyote, bobcat or worse creep up. During the summer I worry about the two feet copperheads just as I do the six feet rattlesnakes, and all the other country creatures that roam. Today however, I'm assuming this could happen anywhere, but no sooner than he had walked into the house from his morning "hunt", my puppy began to bark.
I look outside and see these. A large pack of dogs that are all bigger than he and in fact almost as big as me! Horrified that he could have been out there when they crept up, I tell him that he is not allowed out there alone for the rest of the day. But what about tomorrow?...or the next day or the next. One of my biggest sighs of relief was when he received his cochlear implant and could hear dangers as they approached. Now I'm horrified to let him play outside alone (which at almost 8 yrs old, he prefers!)
If you look closely at the photo you'll see the tiny little speck out in the back field, that's Gage "hunting". He basically takes his BB gun and rolls around in the grass and (if you ask him)he "shoots" all kinds of wild coyotes, panthers, bobcats, etc. which translates to shoots his cardboard targets. However, one of my fears is letting my unaided child go out and play alone, here in the middle of nowhere, in the country and a real coyote, bobcat or worse creep up. During the summer I worry about the two feet copperheads just as I do the six feet rattlesnakes, and all the other country creatures that roam. Today however, I'm assuming this could happen anywhere, but no sooner than he had walked into the house from his morning "hunt", my puppy began to bark. 
I look outside and see these. A large pack of dogs that are all bigger than he and in fact almost as big as me! Horrified that he could have been out there when they crept up, I tell him that he is not allowed out there alone for the rest of the day. But what about tomorrow?...or the next day or the next. One of my biggest sighs of relief was when he received his cochlear implant and could hear dangers as they approached. Now I'm horrified to let him play outside alone (which at almost 8 yrs old, he prefers!)
11 comments:
I just tried leaving a comment, not sure what happened but don't think it went through so here goes again...
What about an outside dog for him, it could be like a guardian for him.
scary!! i wouldnt trust him with the BB gun either!
We have a dog, but we just got it when our older dog disappeared when we were in the hospital for a few days in Dec. Therefore, it's only a puppy and has to stay in fence til it gets older and can roam around w/Gage. As for the BB gun, I could live w/out that and w/out a four wheeler, but I'm not the only one who makes the rules. Luckily the BB gun is hard to cock, so he can't shoot full speed if that makes sense...and the 4 wheeler has a speed lock so we can control that...basically I've been trumped in that dept. but I feel okay w/the safety precautions.
that sounds very scary! and i agree that without hearing these danger sounds something may happen! my mum worries about me locking my door when i have no ci on incase there was a fire and i couldnt hear.. :0S
anonymous must live in a city or somewhere_ because out here in the country we all have BB guns. however I recently took away my 9 year old sons BB gun because he got angry at his sister and attempted to shoot her!Val arent you afraid of that? I mean you never know what kids can do... and what do you mean by "im not the only one who makes the rules around here"? you are his mother and he aint the boss yet!!!
OH I wasn't referring to GAge making rules, I'm talking about Daddy!
Hey Val! My oldest hearing son has a BB gun and I don't like it either but Evan is still too young to mess with it plus we have a locked gun cabinet. But I do understand about going outside and not being able to get to them in time or even see them. Evan loves to go out and play in the cornfield and even with his hearing aids on he sometimes can't hear me and that scares me. But honestly I worry a lot. I try to do a buddy system with Evan and have Robbie go with him but other times I just try to see what will happen when you is by himself. I always joke that we will be the family on the six o clock news trying to find their kid out in the middle of the cornfield and he is sitting in the middle of it and just laughing at us!! Oh how I hope that doesn't happen!!
Your good that you let, I'm not so strong I am too afraid. I didn't know your hubbby is the boss around there. you don't give that impression! LOL!
Shoot my Hubby sounds a lot like yours!! My boys are only 20 months old and he is already telling me which guns he is going to get them. YAY!!
Anyway on the safety issue I never thought about that. With being a hearing person there are so many things I take for granted. I pray that you are able to find a balance that works for you and Gage.
Oh, dogs! We have the same problem in our area with roaming dogs. We have one neighbor with a german shephard, and another neighbor with TWO german shephards that are BIG and aggressive. I'm always outside with the boys since they're so young, but it is very stressful because those dogs have gotten between me and my babies on more than one occasion.
Have you thought about getting an air horn for gage, so that if a coyote or dog comes close he can sound it? It won't bother him, but the loud noise might startle an aggressive dog away. You could put it in his four-wheeler or he could keep it on him when he plays out there. Not only would it keep dogs away, but if you heard it sound, you would know there was trouble!
Leah, you are so smart...checked them out today at WalMart, only 8.00 but will look for one even smaller first before I buy from there. Good idea
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