It’s no secret that most moms would do anything to protect their kids, but is there a line between protection and endangerment? If there is, one Iowa mom is toying with it. Melody Lauer, a mom of three who is also a certified gun safety instructor, recently lead a workshop aimed at teaching moms how to wear their baby while carrying their gun, according to Today Parents.
Babywearing, for those of you that don’t know, is the practice of carrying your child close to you in a sling or carrier. It is used throughout many cultures in the world, but has become more popular in more modern societies in recent years. Babywearing has been shown to benefit mom and baby by promoting bonding and breastfeeding and fighting postpartum depression, according to Babywearing International.
The three-hour workshop, held at CrossRoads Shooting Sports in Johnston, Iowa, taught participants about safe gun handling and storage around kids, along with the basics on safe holstering while babywearing. It also allowed them to try on different holsters before buying and experience “reality based” scenarios.
Take a peek here at the flyer for the class, which was posted on Facebook.
Today Parents reports that Lauer had been thinking about the class for a while, but decided to follow through with her idea after hearing about a story in which a mother was shot by her 2-year-old son who had gotten into her purse and found her gun.
Lauer says that she completely understands why parents would be weary of a class like hers, but finds that there is a necessity for it.
“When people say they don’t like the idea of a baby and firearm being together, I can understand that,” she told Today Parents during a phone interview. “The reality is that it’s happening … so I decided to make a safe place where mothers of young children can come and talk about guns.”
While we see Laurer’s point, and definitely recommend taking a gun-safety course if you have them in a home with kids, we still have to ask, is carrying a baby and a gun more of a risk than it’s worth?
Turns out, this is a pretty touchy subject, and we have people on either side of the fence.
Capdragon, a RawStory reader writes, “NOT a bad idea! If they can carry a weapon, and have kids, it would behoove them to receive training in carried out both at the same time. Seriously, the main thing is the safety of the children, and FROM the children, and this would appear to answer both sides.”
Others, however, look at this as a way of actually putting your baby in danger since he could have his eardrums injured or be shot.
So, does Lauer have the right idea or is this a disaster waiting to happen?
