I’m a firm believer that, as a gun owner, you should expose your kids to your firearms. Show them the firearm, let them know how it works, take them out to shoot, teach them firearm safety and let them know that they are not to touch them, but if they do want to see them - ask. This way they are familiar with firearms and understand the dangers.
The REAL problem comes when parents hide their guns and don’t expose their kids to them. Kids are kids. They will find things. And when they find a firearm they didn’t know was there, they’ll play with it, as if it’s a toy. And then horrible accidents can happen.
My kids, grown now, never had the curiosity. Always respected the firearms. Always asked to see them, although there wasn’t a lot of asking because there was no curiosity and no fascination because they were exposed.
If parents were more responsible. If they taught their kids instead of “shielding” them, things would be much better.