Do you let Your kids watch "R" rated movies

[nataliela]

I started watching rated R movies at 10. The first one I saw was "the good son" with Elijah wood and McCully Calkin (Sp?) I think that in todays standard it would be rated pg 13. I also rented any rated r movie I wanted, including all the horror classics. I watched many R action films with my dad. I even had a Die Hard poster on my wall in 7th grade.

For my 13th birthday, I had a Rocky Horror Picture Show party(complete with throwing rice and toast)

I sometimes regret watching the horror movies so young because I am deathly afraid of Michael Myers from Halloween...

And once again, I think I came out all right

 

[Planogirl]

You make a good point nataliela. What is R-rated nowadays is quite a bit different from what was once R-rated. Movies are way worse nowadays.

 

[my3disneygirls]

My oldest has watched a couple of rated R movies. She does like Horror, but it's as if she is watching it with an eye of a director or someone who does the special effects.

My 11 year old has not, as far as I remember. What was Second Hand Lions rated. We just love that movie, I think it's PG 13. She is a thinker and if it is R rated because of emotional content and makes you think I would not have a problem, with it. Especially if it opens up dialog between us.

I do think that saying it's rated R for a reason is short sighted. I have seen many things I did not approve of in PG and PG 13 movies and wondered why a movie is rated R and not less. I am not going to trust a bunch of unknown sensors as far what my children should not watch over my own sensibilities.

 

[Aidensmom]

On another note I have never seen a sex scene that was an integral part of the plot that couldn't be deleted, and most of the time made the movie better.

I've noticed that too, I think most of the time the sex scene is thrown in there for the PURPOSE of getting an R rating. I think a lot of people, for whatever reason, think a movie is better if rated "R"

 

[Aidensmom]

I didn't even realize Transformers was PG 13 until just reading now. We watched that a couple of weeks ago on pay-per-view at my best friends house, with our (mine and hers) under-13 kids. My friend had already seen it with her husband, and I went by her judgment, and didn't have a problem with it.

That kind of fantasy violence I don't have a problem with, just because I know my child knows it is fantasy.

It really is about what particular children can understand and handle.

 

[luvmyfam444]

NEVER! My oldest is 9 - dont' see it happening -

We RARELY watch an R rated movie ourselves. Can't think of the last one we've seen that was R in fact....

There's NO reason in my mind for a kid to watch one -

 

[MAKmom]

Never...if I had my way. When they are 18 I guess they can do what they want. I hate R movies by todays standards.

 

[luvmyfam444]

My Dd (7, just saw her first PG movie the other day, and that was Shrek. I monitor VERY closely what I let her watch.

(Even though at 10, I threw a fit, because I couldn't watch Dirty Dancing... LOL)

Yea! SOmeone like me! I actually haven't let my kids see any of the Shrek movies still (I haven't seen them either). I just don't agree with the parts that I've seen - of course what I saw was funny - but just not appropriate for my kids. ONe day I'd like to watch at least the 1st one when the kids aren't around....

 

[Karel]

There are some really spectacular movies out there, that are rated R, which is why I don't just put blinders on and say "never would I allow....." A pp mentioned "A Color Purple" and now that I think about it when DS was 7 we watched "Schindler's List" together. That's rated R, but I know DS, and it was a subject that interested him, and by watching it together I was able to explain the disturbing parts, and we were able to talk about the horror of the whole situation together as a family.
QUOTE]

This is a good point that I agree with. I do remember signing permission slips for my kids for school allowing them to watch historical films. I personally did not care for The Color Purple and cannot watch Schindler's List because it's too emotional for me, but if one of my children approached me to watch it, I would be ok with that.

So yes, if it's an R movie where the violence fits the plot - a war movie, I'd be ok with that. I think they have watched a few on network tv, so I know most of the really bad stuff was edited out.

I remember being talked into letting him rent Anchorman for his 13th birthday. Boy, that was over the top. Why isn't that rated R?

 

[beckanoah]

Yea! SOmeone like me! I actually haven't let my kids see any of the Shrek movies still (I haven't seen them either). I just don't agree with the parts that I've seen - of course what I saw was funny - but just not appropriate for my kids. ONe day I'd like to watch at least the 1st one when the kids aren't around....

Yeah, my daughter is upset that I haven't let her watch Harry or Pirates either. I feel like a meanie sometimes, but she'll get to watch them eventually. They are movies I own and LOVE, but I'm an adult. Maybe when she's 10.

Glad to have another weirdo mom!

 

[chager]

It's funny we just were talking about this same subject last night! DS13 has seen R movies under our supervision. I have seen PG13 movies that I thought were worse then some R movies. I admit I was really mad when my BIL took him at age 7 to see a VERY inappropriate movie without asking us first. (Our views are universes apart!!) I was just chastised by someone yesterday for considering to allow my son to watch a R rated movie. She about had a herd of cows when she heard someone else and me talking about certain movies that depict how war really is. DS wants to join the army when he is 18. I have no issue with that except it is very glorified in his mind. The guy I was speaking with is a former marine and he grew up on army bases since his dad is army! He is very passionate about the military. So all this started the discussion about movie ratings. We decided that we are "just right" in what DS sees! We are raising a very rounded young man.

 

[vetrik]

My parents were extremely strict when I was growing up. I was not allowed to watch a PG-13 movie until I was 13. I will always vividly remember it - the first one they allowed me to see was Look Who's Talking, but they made me stay outside the room with the door closed until the opening credit sequence was over (the "microscopic" moment of conception). The only R rated movie I was allowed to see (and actually ever saw before I started sneaking into them at 16 with my boyfriend) was Schindler's List - we were studying the Holocaust in school when the movie came out. The teachers actually recommended that our parents take us to see it as long as they felt comfortable with it, and my mom did take me to the theater to see it. I can remember being 15, and I got in HUGE trouble because I saw 20 minutes of The Bodyguard at a neighbor's house. That I felt was a little over the top - that movie was mostly just Whitney singing!

What's so funny is I have a brother that's 10 years younger, and he's been watching R rated movies since he was around 12. My mom rented him The 40 Year Old Virgin when he was 15, and I couldn't even watch Whitney Houston make out with Kevin Costner! I don't have kids, but I hope to land somewhere between how strict my parents were with me, and low loose they are with my brother. I won't automatically rule out a movie because of a rating, but I will judge whether they're able to watch it based on the content and my knowledge of my kid's personality.

 

[tinabheart]

My DS14 has seen several - but I don't base my decisions on the rating as much as the content or subject. And, if it's a 'real life' situational movie I usually watch it with him. We watched Knocked Up the other night - and it was actually kinda cool - because often times it gives a great opportunity for discussion...we have a great relationship in that way.

Although....doing chores to get to watch one? Hmmmm, now there's an idea. I'm always up for a way to get some help around the house with out having to 'pay' --

 

[SydSim]

Depends what it is. The color Purple is rated R and I would pretty much let any kid over the age of seven or so see that. There are also alot of action films out there that are rated R but to me arent really that bad.

Movie content (as well as tv) is very important to me, and some content in the color purple is a little "mature". I don't think that an 8 year old should be seeing scenes like a 13 year old performing her wifely duties with the husband that her father arranged for her to marry. I guess that i am conservative. I believe that there are some things that children should be a little older to be able to view. Now that DD is 11, and I have had the talk with her, I feel comfortable with her viewing more mature movies - but allowing her to view anything (especially things with revealing sexual content) will wait a few more years.