Loaded Question

I read a blog post recently about asking whether there are weapons in the home before sending your child over on a playdate.

(For those of you not in Seattle, two children were killed and one injured by guns in the hands of other children in the last couple of weeks.)

I asked my 8-year-old son what he would do if he saw his friend’s parents’ gun on a playdate.

“I’d think it was cool,” the idiot boy said.

“But what would you do?” I asked.

“I’d ask my friend if it was safe,” he said.

Oh, that’s reassuring.

I’ve never asked my children’s friends’ parents – my friends – if they have guns in the house. It feels mortifying, like I’m asking them how much money they make, or whether they have STDs.

But my kids are going on playdates tomorrow, and starting today I’m asking.

And my son got a strong lecture about leaving the room and telling an adult immediately if he were to see a real gun. Yeah, right he would. After he checks it out.