How old should you be for a PG movie

[Aidensmom]

How old do your kids have to be before they are allowed to see a PG movie?

DS's favorite movie is The Incredibles, it was the theme of his 4-year-old birthday party last week, and I have managed to shock many with that! If you think I am a bad parent, ? But you are entitled to your opinion, so if that is what it is, please explain.

 

[SherryNC]

Our ds is almost 7 and there are lots of PG movies he's seen. Spiderman is his favorite movie.

 

[Aidensmom]

Our ds is almost 7 and there are lots of PG movies he's seen. Spiderman is his favorite movie.

We recorded the version shown on TV of that, also one of DS's favorite movies.

 

[Briarmom]

I think PG movies are for every age. DD2 has watched it. I wouldn't hesitate to let any child watch it. Why were they shocked?

 

[disney4us2002]

We own that movie and really didn't even know it was PG. Who thinks a Disney animated movie is PG?? I see nothing wrong with youngsters seeing the Incredibles.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I think PG movies are for every age. DD2 has watched it. I wouldn't hesitate to let any child watch it. Why were they shocked?

Yup! PG stands for "Parental Guidance" meaning, they SUGGEST that a child watch it with a parent or guardian.

PG movies have mild violence and maybe some colorful language. But, there is no vulgarity and/or graphic violence or nudity.

 

[Aidensmom]

I think PG movies are for every age. DD2 has watched it. I wouldn't hesitate to let any child watch it. Why were they shocked?

Just basically because the rating was PG (which I really am not sure why). I guess people just think that a preschooler should see nothing but "G", forgetting that "PG" means parental guidance, which means the parent should decide if their child would have a problem with it.

 

[disykat]

Just a little info - I think Spiderman is PG13. I let my kids watch PG without me present at about 7, and will let them watch PG13 without my guidence at 13. Prior to that I expect to be consulted if someone is showing them to my child. Usually other moms and I end up comparing notes to find out if someone has seen the movie, and/or looking it up on the internet to see what specifically earned it's rating. I'm pretty strict, but there are quite a few that I rate acceptable before the 7 or 13 guidelines.

I think it's pretty common to have PG movies be for the whole family - they don't make many G movies anymore. With my kids I've taken kind of a stand on the whole PG13 thing and they have to have my permission while many of their friends do not. My oldest turns 13 soon and is looking forward to a freeforall on PG13 movies and T video games - man!

I don't remember anything worrisome in The Incredibles. Themes at parties don't automatically make me assume the kids have even seen the movies. Two sweet little neighbor girls (probably about 2 and 4) were telling me about how Star Wars is their favorite movie - I'm pretty sure they've never seen any of it, just the merchandise!

 

[golfgal]

It depends on the movie. Take the movie "Raise Your Voice". It is rated PG because there is one swear word in the movie that I am sure was put in there specifically to get the PG rating so teen agers would go to the movie. It goes by so fast, most kids won't catch it. Star Wars, the first movie out, episode 4 (it's so confusing) added the bar scene to get a PG rating because they thought no one would go to a G movie. The bar scene is nothing.

I know a lot of parents that won't let their kids see PG movies. At school if they show a PG movie, they send a permission form out (they have movies once/month for kids that met their reading goal).

 

[Christine]

I know a lot of parents that won't let their kids see PG movies. At school if they show a PG movie, they send a permission form out (they have movies once/month for kids that met their reading goal).

This is sort of off the topic, but your statement reminded me of an incident and my kids' school. They go to a Catholic school and, last year, they had a movie day. Of course, only G-rated movies can be shown. Apparently these are tough to come by. Anyway, they were showing The Swiss Family Robinson. I guess there was a scene where there was a "kiss." The nun who was showing the movie freaked out, ran up and turned the movie off, and wrung her hands together saying "this is supposed to be a G-rate movie." The kids talked about this for days.

 

[buddy&wooz]

It depends on the movie- some are PG with adult themes that would probably bore my kids! But most PG movies are fine- when they're really little the more mature stuff just goes over their heads anyway. Nothing in most PG movies that isn't in Sponge Bob, I think.

We just saw our first G rated film in a long time, March of the Penguins. I gotta tell you, there were some parts of that movie that could really sadden some little kids, who might need a parent's hug during or after. IMO that movie needs more parental guidance (just for the comfort factor) than The Incredibles!

 

[MandM-Mom]

My DD4 watches PG all the time. One of her favorite movies is the Incredibles, we saw it at the theater where there was tons of other Pre-school age children and even younger.

 

[Cindy B]

Our ds is almost 7 and there are lots of PG movies he's seen. Spiderman is his favorite movie.

Spiderman with Tobey McGuire is actually PG13. I actually had many parent up in arms about letting my then 7 year old watch it. I checked my DVD and it says PG13.

 

[Christine]

We just saw our first G rated film in a long time, March of the Penguins. I gotta tell you, there were some parts of that movie that could really sadden some little kids, who might need a parent's hug during or after. IMO that movie needs more parental guidance (just for the comfort factor) than The Incredibles!

I've heard this too. The other night my DS (10) was watching the Discovery Channel and a baby hippo got eaten by an alligator. He was just DEVASTATED because teh show seemed so "happy" until that part. He fretted all night about that baby hippo.

I hear that in March of the Penguins there are some equally sad parts involving the baby penguins. Even though the movie is G-rated, I think that my son would cry his eyes out over that.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

PG is parental guidance--so it is up to the parent to guide their child to movies appropriate for them. Understand why something is rated the way that it is and make and educated decision.


Incredibles is PG b/c it has cartoon violence. Cartoon violence does not fly with a G rating anymore. While we don't find anything wrong with it--nothing wrong with parents who object to this.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I hear that in March of the Penguins there are some equally sad parts involving the baby penguins. Even though the movie is G-rated, I think that my son would cry his eyes out over that.

I think the G rating is appropriate--but I am thankful that EsmereldaX wrote an excellent review on this so I knew ahead of time of the more sensitive parts of the movie---and the *ahem* mating part .

My girls enjoyed the movie.

 

[cardaway]

In my house PG is cool for all ages. Most times I am at a loss to explain why it's PG and not G.

PG13 on the other hand makes no sense at all. Movies like Spiderman get PG13 for who knows what and many other movies get PG13 when they really should be R.

The whole thing is why I think they should just dump the current system and start over. It's become nothing more than another marketing hoop. Nobody is looking out for the audience like it was intended.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

In my house PG is cool for all ages. Most times I am at a loss to explain why it's PG and not G.

PG13 on the other hand makes no sense at all. Movies like Spiderman get PG13 for who knows what and many other movies get PG13 when they really should be R.

The whole thing is why I think they should just dump the current system and start over. It's become nothing more than another marketing hoop. Nobody is looking out for the audience like it was intended.

Spiderman is PG-13 for the violence and probably the make out session(s).

The ratings is a guideline only. It is up tp parents to control what their children see. Movie theaters should "card" for rated R movies, and around here, they do. I remember getting "carded" to see Friday the 13th #8 when I was 19 years old! Probably because I had my younger brother with me.

 

[laurie31]

I agree that PG is what G used to be. When I was a child, all the movies I saw were G. Star Wars was the first PG movie I was allowed to see, and I had to beg and beg. Dad finally asked some of his 12 grade students if they thought it was appropriate for his 9 year old daughter and they said yes (thank you class of '79!!) I thought the most disturbing thing was seeing the bodies of Luke's aunt and uncle after the stormtroopers burned their farm, but I really didn't even pick up on that until I was older. At 9 I just thought the fx were cool and that Princess Leia was pretty and Luke and Han were cute

Anyway, I let both my girls see PG movies, but I review them online first and we talk about the things (if there are any) that I find offensive. For example, DD1 is a huge MaryKate and Ashley fan and begged to see New York Minute. All that was wrong with it (aside from it being totally inane...I've never looked at my watch so often during a movie!) was they use the Lord's name in vain. Over and over. Sigh. But so do people they encounter in real life, so that wasn't enough for me to say she couldn't see it. I did say no to Scooby Doo because of the crudeness, not the supernatural stuff. I would see nothing wrong with them seeing The Incredibles. I didn't even realize it was PG but they haven't asked to see it, so I haven't really paid attention. They saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and we talked about some of the scenes that I thought might scare DD2. However, they both loved the movie and nothing about it scared either of them. We will likely see it again.

Bottom line, you know what's appropriate for your own kids. As several posters pointed out, the G-rated March of the Penguins (which I've heard wonderful things about!) may not be appropriate for sensitive children, while some kids are okay seeing some PG-13 stuff. Cardaway is right - the whole system needs to be redone.

Laurie

 

[The Mystery Machine]

With my first dd I was careful about everything. No "sugar" until she was three, only "G" movies. 101 Dalmatians was the most violent movie she watched.

OK then she was 5 and I had my second dd. She ate sugar before she was one and saw movies that I would HAVE NEVER let older dd watch at her age.

Your attitude really changes with your second child.