My SS10 is obsessed with guns. He has a collection of water guns, nerf guns, airsoft guns, and shooting games. I told my husband he's exhibited too much immaturity, lack of values, disprespect, and irresponsibility to be so immerged with them and it be healthy. My husband disagreed. A year ago, when my SS got mad at a kid at school, he threatened to blow the kids head off. We got a call from the principal and had to assure him we didn't have any guns in the house. My husband took away violent video games for awhile (but my SS didn't have the airsoft gun at the time).

Now he has an airsoft gun. It shoots really obnoxious tiny hard plastic bullets. It actually hurts when you're hit by one. I have been 100% against it, but again, my husband allowed it. Well I just found out him and his friends were shooting birds. Also, all of their bullets have been getting in neighbors yard (next to impossible to find all to clean up). When confronted about it, he at first narcked out his friend. Then slowly but surely find out he did shoot "once or twice" When we asked if he actually hit a bird. He said "I don't know". I asked him if he ever told friends he hit a bird. He said yes, but he wasn't sure if he hit it or not. When we asked him why he did it, he said because his friend did it. This is unacceptable for more than on reason: First of all he is not the type to do what he doesn't want to. I've seen him boss his friends around and simply leave if he didn't want to play what they are playing. Of course secondly, blaming a peer for your actions isn't going to make me sympathize.

Anyway, he then said it wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't think it was wrong, and then had the nerve to say why would we let him shoot at his friends and not birds. Of course I never thought it was cool, but my husband had told him to wear goggles, not shoot at heads, and never shoot someone unarmed or hurt (or wanting to stop).

After being told to go to his room, he later came up to first ask to make a sandwhich. THen he tried to apologize in sort of a quick package. "I'm sorry for havin and attitude and shootin the bird". I said if he was sorry, he could sit down and talk it out further. I'm still concerned he didn't think shooting a bird was wrong (when he was 5 or 6 he kicked a small dog we were caring for because it chewed his football). I think because he thought it was the right thing to say, did he eventually say that it felt a little wrong. Anyway, he seemed to apologize for the attitude and everything. We told him that because he was taking responsibility, we would allow him to play with friends unsupervised (because if he continued to claim his friends make him do things then we should conclude he needs to be supervised).

Then we dropped the bomb that there will be no more airsoft gun. Suddenly he became quiet, with an attitude, and angry tears in his eyes. I swear this kid's whole life is the airsoft gun. We said if he's that into shooting, he can keep the water guns and nerf guns (with target). My husband also offered to take archery classes with him. We also suggested if he liked playing War or whatever, he can use the other guns as sort of a prop. Of course this wasn't good enough for him. You'd think his world is over. This only confirms to me that I'm ALWAYS right about him and he does, indeed have an unhealthy obsession with guns and is not mature enough to handle it. Not to mention my 3 year old, who worships the ground he walks on and copies everything he does, now talks about shooting people and shooting dead. My 3 year old told me a boy pushed him so could I go shoot the boy. He then turned to my SS and said, "Mommy doesn't have a gun so can she use your gun?" My son doesn't watch anything violent and his best friend is a 5 year old girl. He gets all of this stuff from my SS10.

Luckily, my SS is going to his Mom's for most of the summer. He'll be gone in a few days. I look forward to my BS3 being away from him (and not copying his every move). I also will enjoy the peace, and I will be delivering my baby boy at the end of July. This gives us a good month to bond (my husband, 3 year old and newborn) before SS10 comes back. I dread his return already! I really feel he is the type of kid that will never be able to be completely trusted. I really feel he'll continue to lie and do stupid things as long as he thinks he'll get away with it and we'll always have to investigate to get to the truth. I did start counseling so that will help. But my SS strikes me as the type who will one day snap and kill his stepmother (me!). He hurts animals, love guns, has a problem showing emotions, and gets really angry when confronted for doing something wrong. He's completely charming and manipulate anyone to thinking he's a great kid. But if a parent tells him he's in trouble, his true colors show.