Movies you fast-forward through

[rachael95]

Our DS is 2. He loves watching Disney movies. But there are a few movies where we either make sure we distract him in parts or just flat out fast-forward parts. This is one reason I love Cars 1 and Planes 1 - no parts I feel like a 2 year old absolutely can't see. Even the war scene in Planes, DS understands Skipper gets an ouchy and is sad, but doesn't know what the rest means. We tried some other movies, and stopped watching them as too violent (Turbo) or too sad (Up - maybe it gets better, but it was too said at the beginning for mama and dada).

Anyone else have movies you do this with for young ones? Here's a list of movies he's seen and where we fast-forward. Or movies that don't have to be fast-forwarded through?

Frozen

• From where the parents say good-bye through to covering their painting (watched movie w/DS for my first time, so he saw this part. He realized parents were on the boat that sank. He got very upset.)
• When Hans says he was going to kill Elsa and leaves Anna to die
• When Hans tries to kill Elsa (DS usually tells us to FF the entire snow storm scene since it scares him).

Toy Story 1
Much of Sid, but mainly:

• Swapping heads of doll and dinosaur
• Where Woody talks to Sid and the toys come alive - this part creeps ME out. (DS believes Sid has an ouchy which is why he goes into the house crying)

Toy Story 2

• Woody's nightmare - also creeps out mama.

Aladdin - ends up being a pretty short movie
Nearly every scene with Jafar showing his true colors, but especially

• Taking Al prisoner
• Turning into a snake

We decided against Cars 2 since it dealt so much with trying to kill cars and also Toy Story 3 sounds too sad for us, let alone DS.

 

[Sparkly]

Wow, my parents never fast forwarded the scary parts of Disney movies when I watched them as a little kid. I did not watch Aladdin for a long time after getting frightened by it at 5 years old though...

Practically every Disney movie I can think of has scary parts. Lion King, Princess & The Frog, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty...

 

[tinktinktink]

I don't fast forward through any of the parts of Disney movies I explain to DD what's going on in the movie and use it as a teaching moment. I explain that it isn't real and it's only a movie.

 

[pooh4evr]

We've never skipped anything either. I guess the girls always knew it was a cartoon? We would talk about scenes if they needed to but for the most part we didn't worry too much.

 

[kiramay]

Wow, my kids have seen all of that and more, including Avatar, Harry Potter, and LOTRs.

 

[sunkissed4]

My 2 year old must not be as advanced as your child because he's seen all of those movies and has no clue what the sad parts really mean.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

um. lol.

While I will not sit and judge another parent on their choices, and completely believe in being active in knowing what your children are exposed too (especially when they are at ages where you can control screen time and media influence).... With that being said, we have a (mostly) full disclosure with our daughter. She is extremely smart and if I explain that she cant watch a certain show, I tell her why (violence, adult words, etc) and she understands.... I would never "fast forward" through a show though. Make a decision to let them watch or not watch for each age/stage and leave it there.

 

[Lavitz]

I must have taken DD about 6 times to see Enchanted when she was 3. Around the 5th or so trip she started crying when the queen transformed into the dragon towards the end. Made sure to distract her on the following visits, doesn't matter if you try to rationalize to a 3 year old, they'll still have nightmares (let along a 2 year old).

 

[rachael95]

Personally, I wish my parents did have the ability to fast forward when I was a kid. I'd have completely missed the ending of Bambi and Old Yeller. But since most of the movies I watched as a kid were just on TV (we didn't get a Beta Max until I was 10 and old enough to fast forward the boring parts myself). There wasn't much choice.

I think if my DS were more than 2 and could understand really what pretend is - he understands playing and how that is pretend, but he still doesn't really get that movies are pretend. He doesn't like loud noises like a lot of screaming, ultra sad songs, etc. in general and even though we keep the volume on movies turned pretty far down, he'll often tell me something is too loud.

I'm sure as he gets older, I'll stop fast forwarding some of those parts and talk to him about them, just as right now, we're going over the difference between "Mean and Nice" and breaking something "On Purpose vs. Accident", but I see no reason a 27 month old should see people threatening to kill someone - especially when they have no idea what that is, and when they might repeat it to a friend at daycare. And my DS understands that "Ripslinger is mean and he broke the iPad toy on purpose" and "Andy is a nice boy and he only broke Woody on Accident."

He's not mature enough to understand those scenes and until then, I would rather he not see them at all than to get a wrong impression of what they are.

 

[abinormal]

There's only one movie I skip a part of. The campfire scene in Peter Pan. I find it racist. That's something that at this point I can't communicate to my kids the reason it's inappropriate, and something they could emulate and I definitely do not want that. When they're old enough I would let them watch with the understanding that it's offensive behavior and why.

As far as scariness/violence/language, in general I just avoid the content until I think the kid is ready. Aside from that one example of Peter Pan, in my opinion, if one part is that bad that you can't close your eyes or leave the room, you're not ready.

Cars 2 is one we don't watch for that reason. I think it's way too violent for my kids right now. (Plus I think it's just a stinker anyway.)

 

[LilyWDW]

Nope. I never do that for my nephews and their parents don't do it either. No reason to. The older one just turned three and is watching Star Wars. I see nothing in any of those movies that needs to be fast forwarded through. It's part of the story. If you don't like those parts, just wait to show the movie. Easy.

 

[rachael95]

Nope. I never do that for my nephews and their parents don't do it either. No reason to. The older one just turned three and is watching Star Wars. I see nothing in any of those movies that needs to be fast forwarded through. It's part of the story. If you don't like those parts, just wait to show the movie. Easy.

I agree with you on Star Wars. That was the first movie I saw in a theater (drive-in) and I was 3. I don't think there is anything extremely scary in that. But, the ideal age for Star Wars is actually about 7-12 years old.

Even if the ideal age is a bit older, a movie that is a cartoon would have a high expectation of being shown to a younger audience member. I'm not saying the movies have to cut out all violence, heartache or things that could cause nightmares, but the parents should be aware of what their kids can or can't handle in an age-appropriate manner. Probably in 6 months, my DS could handle some of the other scenes. But this instant today - no.

I'd argue that newer movies made for children often have scenes that if you step back and think about what they are, are not appropriate for children, even as old as 5 in some cases. There is not a scene in Star Wars where the nice main character suddenly seems evil with his head turning around and scaring and threatening a child (Woody in Toy Story 1), there isn't a scene where it is obvious the parents die by sinking in a ship - my DS realized that was what happened the first time he saw the scene in Frozen and began crying saying "No, Mama, Dada!" and pointing at the screen. Or the typical Disney Prince who is supposedly so great suddenly turning evil with no real warning and flat-out saying he was planning on killing Elsa and then tries to kill her. (Hans in Frozen).

Those are some pretty intense things for a young one to process.

Star Wars, good guys are good guys. Bad guys are wearing uniforms and masks that makes it obvious they are bad guys. The violence isn't as realistic as some cartoons we see today. Even the "torture" scene of the princess, it wouldn't be obvious that's what is happening to a young child.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Any movie where I might have to explain parental death to. 3 year old (Lion King, Nemo, Frozen etc). I think my guy can handle it, but why even introduce the concept of death yet? I learned at 5 when my hermit crab died and the concept rocked me to the core (RIP Blinky)

Also he insists I FF through the Jesse backstory in TS2. The imagery isn't bad, I think he just know its a bummer. My wife used to FF through the opening scene when video game Buzz gets blown apart by Zurg, but one day I watched it and that scene alone has made TS 2 his favorite movie ever.

I haven't watched many of the classics yet because I remember some dicey parts in the like Pinocchio getting loaded and some drunkeness in Dumbo. Thinking we'll try Peter Pan this weekend since I'm hoping he ends up loving the ride the same way I did.

 

[ajwolfe]

We never fast forwarded thru parts of those movies. If I felt the basis for the movie was too much for my kids, they simply didn't watch it and I don't think that was the case with any Disney movies really. Now with a 7 and 11 year old that are wanting to watch movies that are getting more mature for them I do occassionaly find myself telling them to step out of the room for that one scene that might be too racy - if I have watched the movie and know there is just one bad spot.

I'm impressed that your 2 year old understand the parents are dying on the sinking ship. My boys would have never made that connection at 2.

 

[LilyWDW]

Even if the ideal age is a bit older, a movie that is a cartoon would have a high expectation of being shown to a younger audience member. I'm not saying the movies have to cut out all violence, heartache or things that could cause nightmares, but the parents should be aware of what their kids can or can't handle in an age-appropriate manner. Probably in 6 months, my DS could handle some of the other scenes. But this instant today - no.

You should really rethink that. There are plenty of cartoons that should never been seen by a young child. Then again, it always gives me a laugh when someone goes to see a movie in the theater and takes their child because it's a cartoon and then complains about the content. Animation does not mean it is appropriate for a child. Period.

And again... if you don't think something is appropriate, then just don't let them see the movie. Wait 6 months instead of fast forwarding through it. That just seems like an easier and much more logical way to do it.

 

[powellrj]

You should really rethink that. There are plenty of cartoons that should never been seen by a young child. Then again, it always gives me a laugh when someone goes to see a movie in the theater and takes their child because it's a cartoon and then complains about the content. Animation does not mean it is appropriate for a child. Period.

And again... if you don't think something is appropriate, then just don't let them see the movie. Wait 6 months instead of fast forwarding through it. That just seems like an easier and much more logical way to do it.

I agree, why would you even show a movie to a child that you need to fast forward through parts of. Its not like there aren't age appropriate movies out there.

 

[kmb584]

And again... if you don't think something is appropriate, then just don't let them see the movie. Wait 6 months instead of fast forwarding through it. That just seems like an easier and much more logical way to do it.

Agreed. There's also this DVD player that will filter just about everything out of a movie if you tell it to.

 

[msmama]

I'm super conservative when it comes to what I let my son watch but I would never consider fast forwarding though parts. If I didn't think he could handle it, or if he said he didn't like it, we would just turn it off.

Also as far as disney movies go, we always read the books first so there weren't any a real surprises. He obviously might not have known the imagery, but he knew what would happen. Plus, after reading the Grimm versions, the Disney versions are tame, lol!

 

[Sabeking]

Wow my kids must have been pretty thick at that age. They would attend to a movie for all of maybe 7 minutes and most of those movies went over their heads. I didn't fast forward because they never paid much attention or they watched things that were much shorter like Clifford, Sing Alongs, etc...

 

[lucyem]

I am in the camp of if you have to fast forward then don't watch it in the first place. At that age in our house tv was limited to when I needed time to get something done like put a sibling to bed. I was not sitting there waiting to fast forward.

Every child is different in how they handle movies. Some can deal with certain things, others cannot. And just because it says Disney on the cover or it is a cartoon or that it is marketed towards children does not mean it is acceptable for all children.