Communicating with kids can be challenging. Patience is a virtue. One of the more difficult aspects I ran into with my oldest grandson is that he has a video game approach to life and wants immediate success or he loses interest. Trying to get a kid to understand the concept of the importance of properly mounting a long arm and getting a consistent cheek-weld and sight picture when they 'know' how to do it on a TV screen by using their thumbs is something I admit I was not prepared for. When I got G1 a Daisy Red Ryder for his tenth birthday I thought he would be all over it, but it wasn't as easy to use as an electronic version, and he quickly lost interest.
My second oldest grandson is a bit less video intense but very much knows everything he needs to know without the bother of having an adult provide guidance. I picked up a copy of Brett Gibbons' Handbook for the School of Musketry and am intrigued by the methods used to instruct the individual aspects of what is involved before actually shooting a weapon for the first time. I hope to employ some of these concepts with G2 this spring. As he is a bit more 'crafts' oriented, I plan on showing him the use of BP firearms and constructing paper cartridges in the hope that he will be enthusiastic about, and embrace the processes involved to get to the point where live fire happens.