I'll post something that I posted in another thread regarding significant others and fear of guns. I have included some links that have made a significant turnaround with my girlfriend. Women fearing guns is commonly a problem of ignorance rather than specific reasonable fear, and often times a simple eduction from a woman's perspective will make an incredible difference. Note that the link for the Penn & Teller show (which is incidentally a Showtime production and includes some crude (but mostly contextually appropriate, IMO) language, so keep that in mind if you are easily offended.newbie06 wrote:Yes, she "allows" it. She is just not thrilled with it. I'm still working on her. One of these days I will get her to the range for a lesson.shootthesheet wrote:So.....she "allows" you to carry?
Love is never having to ask permission.
Just don't tell my wife I wrote that....okay? Seriously.
Yust Yoking, glad to hear your one of us.
The original thread can be found here:
http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... r&start=15
I believe that range time in a controlled environment can alleviate a lot of her preconceptions about guns. Outdoor ranges are generally better because you have less of a noise issue, but also because they offer a more relaxed environment and you can take your time. It's also good to go on a day/time when the range is less busy and there are not a lot of other people around creating a distraction. The last thing you want is some guy blasting away with his hand cannon in the next lane while she's learning the basics. One thing I would strongly suggest is that you should go to the range with an experienced shooter who can show her the basics and get her started. There is great wisdom in letting a third party teach her how to shoot initially. This allows her to feel more in control of her progress and learning. I will let others explain the psychological reasons behind this and give a better explanation, but it is generally not prudent practice to be the one to teach your own wife/SO to shoot.NcongruNt wrote:I had the same kind of situation with my girlfriend. There are a couple of things that I know helped turn her around.
The first was when I showed her a Penn & Teller episode on gun control. The last entry on the first page of this thread will get you a working video:
http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 4591#74591
I also told her the story of what happened to my mother when I was 5 years old. I've posted a brief description of what happened in this thread:
http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 9198#69198
She hasn't gotten to the point of carrying herself yet, but she does subtly "pat me down" whenever we're going out together to make sure I am.