WillyPete

Look at it from a kid's point of view.
If your dad had a gun and you knew and told your friend whose dad didn't have one, what are the chances you'd feel the need to take it out and show your friend.

At an age where responsible decision making is limited, chances are you would.
Same as if you'd sneak a swim in the locked pool when mom and dad weren't home or riding your buddy's big brother's off road bike during a boring summer day.

Teaching respect for YOUR property would be the first step to avoid this by also teaching the child that you respect THEIR property.

I saw a good show on discovery last night about Masamune, the japanese swordsmith.
His swords, made in medieval times still fetch around 1/2 a million dollars.
He is held in religious regard by modern smiths.
The interesting part was where the one japanese guy demonstrated the cutting strokes and use of the sword.
Prior to drawing each sword he raised it respectfully in both hands, holding it horizontally at head height. He then offered honour and respect to it by a tip of the head.
He would do the same when sheathing it, before placing it back on the rack.

In this day and age I found it marvellous that someone could still use the old code and thought that it was a very practical and useful attitude to have.
With the west's fascination with and easy access to all types of firearms compared to that of a Katana, it's easy to see why we have lost respect for weapons.

Now I'm not advocating we bow to the rifle before pulling it out of the case, but similar attitudes can be used prior to teaching a child about weapons in order to distil respect and the correct mindset before using them.

How about, before opening the weapon safe, to sit facing them, even kneeling to place yourself on even terms, and recite the basic rules that you are about to follow whilst handling the firearm?
Remind them that it is first and foremost a device intended to take a life, whether animal or another human's in defence of oneself.

Having been an instructor in the Airforce in So. africa and having had to take many young guys at the age of about 18 to weapon ranges, it's easy to see that our media and entertainment has a lot to answer for in western males' attitude towards firearms.

I've even made mistakes, nothing fatal or serious, that could have been averted had I shown the proper respect to the 'code' of the weapon.
Mistakes such as trusting myself with a loaded weapon when there was no need for one. Not that I would have let it out of my sight or been careless with it, but that if there is no need to carry one, don't. But that's a personal view on certain situations.