Would you take your toddlers to see The Day After Tomorrow???

[Lewski709]

Originally posted by remyandhollandsmommy
While some parents choose not to let their children go see certain movies, that is their perogative.

True!

I don't quite understand why people make such a big deal out of my letting my child, who I know better than any other person in the world (DH included), go see a movie that IMO was not bad.

You are posting on a public board, expect all kinds of reactions.

After seeing the previews, and I honestly can't see how anyone has missed them

We don't have cable or dish, that might explain it.

due to the fact she will not have a daddy home for the next 6mos or more

I am sorry for that. Kudos to your DH. It;s got to be tough for all of you.

but that is OUR decision

Yes, it is. No one said it wasn't.

 

[disykat]

I didn't even take my toddlers to see kid movies! My oldest was four when he saw his first show in a theater (101 Dalmations) and that was because grandparents were visiting and could babysit my youngest. We probably started going to movies as a family when my youngest was about 3 1/2.

My kids are 9 and 11 and we have yet to take them to a PG13 movie. They have seen some on video though - with us watching with them. I'm waaay too cheap to pay money for a movie and have to leave with a restless child or because I realized the movie wasn't age appropriate!

When I was teaching 1st grade many years ago I had to tell a child that he couldn't talk about the movie "Silence of the Lambs" at school.

 

[slo]

Originally posted by Lewski709
Blood, guts and sex aren't the only things I am concerned about when it comes to movies.

I must be raising a weenie or am a weenie mom. I want my kids to be thinking about lolli pops, ice cream, the beach, ladybugs, grasshoppers, lightning bugs, swimming, t-ball, etc.

Well, if you are raising a weenie - I guess I am raising a weenie too and I am proud of it!!!!!

My DD is 5 1/2 yrs old and she has not seen Jurassic Park, the Mummy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, or anything else like this. I won't even let her watch these movies if they are on t.v. because she just doens't need to see people getting shot, killed, eaten, using profanity, sex (being done or suggested) or just any badness. Why would I want her to see this - she is 5yrs old. She has the rest of her older childhood and adult life to watch these movies - why should she watch these now??? I don't want her to grow up any faster than necessary.

Now before you all start in on me about how I am not exposing her to the world we live in, and how I am sheltering her - I disagree!!!! These movie are rated for a reason!!! If a movie is rated PG-13 I will watch it before I will allow DD to see it and there is only one that I allowed her to see and that was Rat Race (watched w/ remote in hand). If a movie is PG I will watch it with her w/ remote in hand in preparation to skip over a scene - and many times I have used that remote.

My views do not end w/ movies. DD is not allowed to watch ER, NYPD Blue, the beginning of any Law and Order, Third Watch, and any other show that are like this. I'm sure many of you are reading this thinking that I am an overprotective parent, and you know what, I guess I can agree. But, I am proud of how my DH and I are sticking to our views on this subject and we will continue with DD#2 who is only 9 months old.

 

[maleficent1959]

My DS just turned 4 and he has a good idea of what is real and what isn't real -- although he wants to go to Hawaii to see Stitch but that's beside the point. He saw part of a preview on TV and now every time it storms he's worried that it might rain "too much" like he saw on TV. We've talked about how what he saw on TV was pretend, but his argument is that sometimes it rains really hard for real and he doesn't want our house to go underwater. There's no way I'd take him to that movie.

 

[katerkat]

I hate it when people take their babies to movies in general. Seriously, we had a baby, an INFANT, in front of us at Shrek2. Baby cried. Because that's what babies do! That's why you don't take babies to movies!!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I have to agree with the majority too. Why expose a child to those such violence, even if they know the difference between "real and fake"? Heck, I have nightmare sometimes after I see a movie like "The day after". Who's to say a little kid might not have one. That is just too much too early for a young child.

 

[skiwee1]

When DH and I went to see Bad Santa over the holidays we went to an 11pm showing. In the row in front of us were two 20 somethings and what looked to be a 5 and 3 year old. In Bad Santa! Bad Santa makes Day After Tomorrow look like Tellitubbies! Sorry but that is ridiculous. I do have to go with the majority and say that Day After Tomorrow is not for the under 8 set. I don't care if your 5, 6, or 7 year old wants to see it. You are the parent and should protect them from certain things. At least that is what I would do.

 

[trishy]

Babies are a definite annoyance in theaters in general - there's absolutely no reason for them to be there other than to save the parents a few babysitting bucks.

Toddlers would be bored with this movie. Not enough to hold their attention. I took my 8 yr old dd and she just sat there the entire time staring at the screen so, naturally I thought she liked the movie. Turns out she really didn't, but the disaster scenes held her attention. She thought it was sad, but that's about it.

 

[Lewski709]

Originally posted by trishy
She thought it was sad, but that's about it.

Poor thing.

Someone posted before that their child laughed. That's sad that this type of movie brought laughter....which tells me they don't understand it at all.

 

[Crankyshank]

This is a subject of extreme irritation to me. DH & I like to treat ourselves occasionally to a movie. We don't go often because we don't have much money, and we always go to the very late movie to avoid children.

Lately, parents have been bringing their young children to see very inappropriate (IMHO) movies and tuning them out while the child screams, cries, and on some occasions-runs up and down the aisles. We saw the 1130pm showing of Shrek2, and a woman spent the entire movie loudly chatting with her toddler daughter. Why spend $9 per ticket on a movie when you have no intention of paying attention to? Especially when less than 10min from the theater is a drive in that is cheaper and where you can chat and have your child scream to your heart's content.

movies are far too expensive nowadays for anyone to spend money on tickets and not be able to enjoy. I am mystified at the trend in "love me, love my obnoxious out of control child that I refuse to discipline or you're a nasty child hater" attitude that is so prevalent now

 

[cruisnfamily]

After seeing the previews, and I honestly can't see how anyone has missed them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


We don't have cable or dish, that might explain it.

We do have basic cable and satellite and I've never yet seen a preview for this movie....I'd never heard of it until I read this thread!

My DD is 5 1/2 yrs old and she has not seen Jurassic Park, the Mummy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, or anything else like this. I won't even let her watch these movies if they are on t.v. because she just doens't need to see people getting shot, killed, eaten, using profanity, sex (being done or suggested) or just any badness. Why would I want her to see this - she is 5yrs old. She has the rest of her older childhood and adult life to watch these movies - why should she watch these now??? I don't want her to grow up any faster than necessary.

ITA!
My kids are 8 & 11 and the only one of these they've seen is Star Wars. My DS8 loves dinosaurs and would truly like to watch Jurassic Park. He probably wouldn't have nightmares either and he'd also know it's pretend.....but....there's no reason in the world he needs to watch this. He can see it on video when he's a teen.

DD11 and I have been battling over the movie issue lately as many of her friends have been permitted to see Charlie's Angels, the Matrix and many others along these lines. They're also the same kids who watch Friends, ER, Dharma & Gregg, etc... Sorry, DH and I are the parents and we make the rules...and it's very tough to explain our reasoning without making the other kids parents look bad(which of course is not our intention)

 

[LauraR]

I'd rather err on the side of overprotectiveness. Why rush things? Kids have a whole lifetime to catch up on movies. Their innocence lasts such a short time. I think adults sometimes lose track of how things can come across to children, because we've seen so much we've been desensitized to alot of it. Even if kids aren't overtly upset, some things do not sit well with their psyches.

I've been tempted to let my DS (7) watch "Jurassic Park" after much nagging, but resisted because he might say, over and over, that it won't scare him, but how can he KNOW?

I sat through the third "Lord of the Rings" movie with a 4 year old to my right that had to crawl into his father's arms because he was so scared. That movie was only PG-13, and they had human heads being catapulted over the castle walls! I sure as heck wouldn't let my 7 OR 9 year old watch that. I wouldn't take them to "The Day After Tomorrow" either.

 

[yourtravelpro]

Originally posted by Lewski709
Blood, guts and sex aren't the only things I am concerned about when it comes to movies.

I must be raising a weenie or am a weenie mom. I want my kids to be thinking about lolli pops, ice cream, the beach, ladybugs, grasshoppers, lightning bugs, swimming, t-ball, etc.

[ [/i]

AMEN, Lewski709. I am with you!!!!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We tried to take DD to see Finding Nemo last year. She would not sit still so we left early.

She is also scared of cartoon witches. She asked me to turn the channel once when there was a witch on Dora the Explorer. There is no way I would take her to any movie that was not age appropriate. We don't even watch tv shows that suggest violence/sex when she is awake.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I would feel bad for the kids, but it would serve the parents right if those kids had nightmares for a month that resulted in needing comfort throughout the night and no sleep for anyone. Doesn't anyone use any common sense anymore?? I can remember seeing a violent slasher type movie and watching a family walk out after with a lap baby and a 3 year old.. Hope they (the parents) lost some sleep over that one. Of course, it's all about being too cheap to hire a babysitter, and too selfish to stay home if you can't afford one.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

My kids are 4 and 6 and I take the to movies above pg ratings. They love the scary movies andknow the difference of real and movie. Some kids can handel it and some can't.

Also to the first post i am sure the didn't pay $40 Kids get half price on tickets and a Babysitter don't come easy or cheap for people.

 

[disykat]

Originally posted by Jasminesmommy
a Babysitter don't come easy or cheap for people.

That's horrible! If the reason for taking kids to a movie is because they don't have a babysitter - they shouldn't be going! I agree with those who said that is putting their own selfish desire to see a movie above the needs of their children or common courtesy. We don't have a sitter, nor do we want to pay one - so we don't go! VCRs are a great thing.

 

[Beth76]

Originally posted by Jasminesmommy
My kids are 4 and 6 and I take the to movies above pg ratings. They love the scary movies andknow the difference of real and movie. Some kids can handel it and some can't.

At what point do you make the decision to let your small children see scary movies? Honestly people, where's your sense of reason? Five-year-olds with the Mummy DVD????? That movie scared the crap out of me. I really would love to know what goes through your head when choosing movies for your children to watch because I don't get it. And what is the first movie that they see where you now "know" that your child can "handle" that amount of violence and subject matter? And why would you even attempt to see if they can handle it?

Back to movie theatres.... Little kids in movie theatres doesn't surprise me in the least. Many people have no common courtesy anymore. I've never experienced it because we go to the old small theatre rather than the more "family friendly megaplex. When these little kids start crying, has anyone ever complained to the usher? Do they do anything? I would not tolerate a screaming or crying child in a movie theatre.

 

[Lucky4me]

Originally posted by Jasminesmommy
My kids are 4 and 6 and I take the to movies above pg ratings. They love the scary movies andknow the difference of real and movie. Some kids can handel it and some can't.

Ah yes. Desensitize them really young. That's what a lot of parents seem to be doing these days. Let them see repeated acts of violence on television and at the movies. Then if they ever see it in real life they can shrug their shoulders and say eh- it's just a decapitation-no biggie.

My 9yo doesn't watch anything with violence in it. She gets upset at any kind of violence she sees, on TV or in real life. She has friends who have been watching R rated movies since they were toddlers. One of them was with us when we drove by the scene of a car accident with fatalities. We saw them drag a person out of a car who looked dead. My daughter was traumatized. Her friend didn't blink an eye. Why would she? She's seen the same thing on TV and in the movies lots of times. No big thing.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

So what the majority of you are saying is that children should not be allowed to go to the theatre? Why do people complain when they see kids anywhere in town? I have even heard people complain about them at a grocery store and (gasp) WDW!
As for the babysitter issue, we have only seen a few movies the past year or so while they were in theatre and we take our kids with us. Now this is not because we don't want to pay a babysitter, it is because they are not an amusement to only be taken out when we have company, but our kids and human beings. They have just as much of a right to go out in public as anyone else. And if that offends anyone then be forewarned, we do take them to the theatre on base and if you don't like kids, then avoid the 1930 show on Saturday nights. My DD is the one asking the adults to please turn off thier cellphones and please not to talk during the movie.
And yeah, I am the one whose 5 yr old has the Mummy dvds and the Jurassic Park ones as well. Now, these may seem scary to some people, but to us they are not. I am not a bad parent for doing this, as people are implying. I know what my child can or can't handle, as you do yours, so I will make the judgement calls regarding them.
How about we just agree to disagree?!