Daughter Reluctant to get CHL

[Commander]

My youngest daughter turns 21 on February 14th (she's always been my Valentine) so I bought up the subject of obtaining a CHL. "What? Carry a gun in my purse? No way!" was her response.

Perhaps some of it is my fault, I never insisted that she learn how to use a firearm. When she was in High School, I wanted her to know how a semi-auto pistol works as I've heard stories of kids playing with guns at parties and someone would get shot with an "empty" gun. I showed her how the magazine ejects. "Now, is the gun still loaded?" I asked. She was honest enought to say that she wasn't sure. I then pulled the side back and showed her that there was still one in the chamber. "That's what gets people killed - they take the magazine out and think they've unloaded the gun." I told her if anyone ever showed up at a party or gathering and started showing off a gun, she should leave immediately and tell any adult around what was going on.

She has never expressed any anti gun view, but has been basically neutral towards my CHL. I remember when I first starting carrying about 5 years ago, she made some comment about guns being dangerous because they can go off unexpectedly. I told her that I could lay a loaded gun on the coffed table and it could stay there for years and never go off by itself - it takes someone pulling the trigger to make that happen. So I suspect she has heard some negative things.

She is in college and lives in an apartment by herself. I know for a fact that she is out late at night (3 & 4 in the morning) and it worries old Dad. I wish she would take her safety more seriously. But she's at that age where they feel invincible. I don't know if there is any chance of changing her mind. Her favorite color is pink - I even offered to buy her a Taurus .25 Auto with pink grips to keep in her purse- but she thought I was kidding about a pink gun. (yes they make one)

Any other parents out there with experience in this?

[txinvestigator]

Sorry, mine is only 10, but she has been shooting since she was 6. She is already part of the gun culture.

High School may have been a little too late to start, as by then they have pretty strong opinions.

Perhaps you could offer to take her shooting with you often. Rather than try to persuade her to carry, just make it "adult father daughter time". Educate rather than try to influence. You get my drift.

Best of luck.

[Greybeard]

' Got a daughter too, now 22. Graduated UT last spring, married, still living/working in Moscow on The Colorado.

She had acted like my teaching CHL classes and the gun thing was not "cool" until one of her best friends got to do some shooting - and liked it - as part of an "Outdoor Trails" class in middle school. That was the "ice breaker" for us, as I did not want to force the concepts on her.

Just watching the news and a few "really creepy guys" during first semester in Austin got her to religiously carrying ASP Key Defender OC everywhere. She broke the safety on it once and called me immediately to get her another one - felt "naked" without it (although probably against UT rules ...).

When she got her first place to live off campus, I got her up to speed on a Makarov, which she at least packs for road trips. CHL ? Maybe one of these days ... errrr, ahhhh, maybe ... years. Supposedly "too busy" - although the class here won't cost her anything but some time. Some wimmen ... Best of luck with yours ...

[AG-EE]

If she doesn't have the mindset to use it if need be, then just having one there wouldn't do any good anyway.

Give her a can of pepper spray, let her grow up some, and hope for the best.

She likely couldn't carry where she goes until 3am anyway.

[P_Pac]

If she doesn't have the mindset to use it if need be, then just having one there wouldn't do any good anyway.

Give her a can of pepper spray, let her grow up some, and hope for the best.

She likely couldn't carry where she goes until 3am anyway.

I agreed. I guess at her age might be a little hard for her to stay away from her friends. Most of our CHLers found out after class that they've became more aware of their surroundings and not going to places that could cause problems. That might come a little later when she's a bit older.

[Rex B]

Get her some OC. I suggest 3. One for her purse, one for the glovebox, and one to let her shoot for practice. Then replace the 2 every year on her birthday.
And some pretty spring day, invite her to go to the range with you and shoot a few different guns. Just for fun, paper punchin'. Don't push CHL, let her figure it out on her own time. Because she WILL think about it when she's crossing a dark parking lot and feeling vulnerable.