National Campaign Encourages Parents To Talk Gun Safety to Kids

ST. CLOUD -- With the official start of summer here, many kids are focused on playing with their friends or neighbors. However, the start of summer is also a good reminder to talk to your kids about gun safety.

Thursday is National ASK Day, a campaign aimed to get parents asking if there are unlocked firearms in the homes where your kids are playing.

Dr. Kim Hellier is a Psychologist with CentraCare Health. She says conversations can begin as early as three-year-old to high school age.

For young children the message is simple, if you see a gun don't touch and tell an adult. As your children get older you can weave in more information like the difference between toy guns and real guns.

Hellier says often times parents are unaware of how much their kids know about guns.

She says many times accidental shootings happen in the same place where the gun was found.

Every day, across America, eight kids are shot in unintentional gun shootings. The interesting thing is many of these shootings occur in the room the firearm was stored, unlocked and loaded.

Hellier says parents shouldn't be afraid to ask if there are guns in the home before their kid visits, similar to asking if there are pets due to allergy concerns.

She adds if you have gun make sure it's locked in a gun safe and that the ammunition is also locked in a separate location.