Children and Rated "R" Movies

It's pretty ridiculous isn't it? My husband and I saw a sign at the theater saying that due to customer requests, they will no longer allow anyone under 17, with or without parents there, to R rated movies after 6:00 so that adults can watch a movie without kid distractions. I was amazed that it would take a "policy" to ensure that children are not seeing these movies....

Unfortunately it's not just at the movies, even on the kid channels, Nick Jr. and whatever they have cartoons that I won't let Ryan watch... they say shut up and butt and similar words that I don't need him repeating. He's pretty much limited to Noggin.

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As a child and adolescent counselor, I am appalled that parents take thier children to see these movies. Research after research shows that children who watch violent movies, sex movies, drug movies, etc... perform more violent, sexual, and drug related behaviors compared to children who don't watch these movies. When I first moved to Irving my husband and I went to a movie to rest- and while we were in line we saw a couple taking a 3 year old in to see The Exhorist of Emily Rose and arguing with the ticket attendant that the child wouldn't even be sitting in a seat (they didn't want to pay), but sitting in thier lap (hello- they can still see and hear all that gore, horror and violence!!) And unfortunately- yes these kids are in school with your kids, and yes they talk about the sex, violence, etc... There should be some policy that parents CANNOT take children under certain ages to rated R movies. Maybe we should all get together and start a petition to start policies at our local movie theathers!!!!

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I'm with you!! We saw "The Others" (a scary movie) a long
time ago, & some people brought their toddlers!!!! When you have a child, you give up some things...like going to movies.

Every time I see it, I go tell the manager. Yes, I'm the tattler, but I don't care. :)

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it sickens me to think that people do that to their children.there are losts of PG movies I can't stand for that matter.
but, then again, i am of the opinion that if it is not appropriate for my kids, is it really worth watching it myself?

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My husband and I went to see Live Free or Die Hard last weekend and I was shocked at the little kids there. The movie is violent and not for small children. When we want to see a non-kid movie we get a sitter. I know not everyone has access to good babysitters but if not I think families should pick a kid movie or do something else.

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Hello C.!

I am with you all the way! We don't even watch regular TV when my 4 year old is around! That's why we have TIVO!! I agree w/you 100% and it is just plain lack of parenting on those people's parts. They have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHAT type of influence that 2 hour show will do. You gotta think that if they allow them to watch that on a movie screen, what they are exposed to on a daily basis! My heart goes out to these kids, but unfortunately, their parents are the ones to blame. I grew up w/out a TV in my home and I am so thankful that I was. I can take it or leave it and I am not a TV addict by any means.

It is astonishing what parents allow their children to do and I have to instruct my son that rules in this house will be kept at anyone's house no matter what. The same goes for any child that comes to visit in my home. The same for my son, if he goes to someone else's home and they do something we don't agree with, then he is not allowed to do it if those are the rules. At this point, I have not allowed him to spend an enourmous amount of time at anyone else's home, but as he gets older I am sure that will come up. I also make it a point to KNOW, REALLY KNOW the parents of the child my son is spending time with and to make sure they know what the rules are and what he is allowed to do and what he is not. PG 13 or R rated movies are out until I deem it time for him to watch them. He knows about Star Wars & Spiderman simply because someone talks about it, but I will not allow him to even see those movies. I think again, it is a personal parenting issue and most parents all share different opinions. I make mine for the sake my child, not anyone else's.

Kids are so impressionable at this age and it is sad that parents don't think about that at all instead think only of their own pleasures and what they want to do. But again, that gets into single parenting and I don't want to touch that subject, because it is "hot" topic for me.

I am with you all the way on that movie/TV opinion!

G. B.

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I completely agree with you. My daughter who is two years old watches a limited amount of educational cartoons or shows. We do more reading and activities with her. We watch an occasional movie after she has gone to bed. We do not have time to watch t.v., but if we did we would not allow her to watch it. There are alot of inappropriate scenes (violent and sexual) on regular tv for young children. Unfortunately, as the previous person pointed out, there are alot of irresponsible parents who take their children to Rated R movies.

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I am glad you posted b/c maybe some of those moms will read it and think twice. I too can't enjoy a movie when I know little eyes are watching scenes they shouldn't be. As far as the classmates issue goes, that is one of the main reasons we pulled my oldest out of school 5 years ago and began homeschooling. We've never looked back and my children are age appropriately innocent as a result.

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Your question seems so obvious, but I do think some people do not see things on a developmental/emotional/maturation level. My mom is one who felt the way some people do and we were exposed to things early on....I do not thank her for this. Actually, due to one movie we were allowed to watch, I have had issues in my teens and adult life with issues seen in this movie. The fears I had I could not explain, but as I really analyze my thoughts and what I 'saw' in my head...it points back to this movie. It was a true movie, so it was not some horror weird thing...it was a real life circumstance, but one that at around 10ish I should NOT have been watching.

PLEASE preserve your child's innocence. Let them be big by solving their own lil' people problems with some guidance; having them try to deal with life issues beyond their reality level is inappropriate and could lead to life-long issues. Children do not watch something once; it replays in their mind over and over, so maybe watching this movie one time does not seem harmful, but I apparently internalized it and replayed in head to the point that it created fear and lack of trust (of the opposite sex specifically)within me.

Good question.

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To answer your question, "NO, NO, NO!" I am equally disturbed with our generation of parents that continue to willingly expose their small children's innocent minds with extreme violence, blatant sex, and horrible language. I personally feel it is a sign of the declining morals of our nation which of course leads to so many other problems in the home, church, schools. In my past experience of being a teacher, I could not believe the stories my kids would tell me of movies their parents had taken them to see or shows they had watched on TV. We are raising a new generation of children who will be shocked by nothing when they are adults because of all the extreme things we are exposing them to now. Children don't know the difference between fantasy and reality (even my nearly 9 year old struggles with separating the two) so to their little minds it's as if they are watching people they can touch do those things right in front of them. Good for you for not exposing your children to those types of things.

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I'm totally with you. I just have to wonder where in the heck these parents' heads are! We saw "Talledega Nights" & I had a hard time enjoying it b/c of small kids in the theater. PG-13 is what would have been R 10-15 years ago, and many R's are well...X. I do not personally see R rated movies anymore, but an increasingly shocked by what filth shows up in PG-13.

Too many parents just don't, well, "parent" any more. They want to be buddies & pals. I guess they use foul language around their kids & leave their porno mags around & just don't care what their kids see or hear. It is truly appalling, and exceedingly sad to see these kiddos being exposed to so much of the world's coarser side so early- & by those who are suppose to be protecting them.

I agree with the one poster- No children should be allowed in R movies- w/ or w/o their parents. I can't use the arguement "if they won't parent, the theaters should," but if they don't care enough about the other patrons' enjoyment, then the theater should. There have been times I just wanted to go cover a kid's ears or eyes!

D

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I personally don't think it's right. My mom never let my sister and I watch rated R movies until we were 17. She let us watch Dirty Dancing when I was about 5 but my sister said that was because we had already seen most of it at a friend's house. I know I am not going to let my children watch these movies until they are older.

I agree with you. I have not been to a movie for a long time and just started to go once in awhile. My granddaughter is very into the ratings. When she was very young her mom let her watch Freddie movies and she was so afraid for years. When she came to me she slept with me for a year as her fear I would leave her or just plain scared. I remember the first drive in I went to with my dad and it was Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. I think children remember but that violence many will act out with fighting and playing like they are killing not having any emotions and when they become adults the choice to be in a gang just seems right for after all they watched stuff that did not seem so bad. Mommy and daddy set the stage in mentoring to our children and if children see that they do things and allow this then they are just plain nuts. I was very impressed with Fossil Creek Movie theater a week ago when I saw two fulling clothed policemen and a manager at the end of a hall with it roped off. They were checking id for anyone going to that movie. My kids used to say they were going to a movie and then sneak into others that I would not approve of. The theater got a piece of my mind when I found out. Also kids were going through the exit doors to get in. Others were letting them in. They will find a way if the desire is so strong. But we have to teach them when we value our selves why would we want to see such things? G. W My granddaughter remembers things way back when she was a year old. I think she is telling stories then find out they are real.

I went to see 300 with my husband (he owes me a chick flick now) and *I* was disturbed by some of the violent scenes. The movie was shot in such a manner to highlight the blood and gore. Perfect for my husband, very bad for anyone under the age of 18.

Also, I think it's been a really long time since I've viewed another woman's nipple so close in a movie. It was larger than life given we were watching the movie on a huge screen. :)

Girl, sometimes you just don't know... we got Stand By Me for my 8 year old to watch -- it says RATED PG!!!! PG!!! and they said A-hole, GD, S, and dropped half a dozen "f" bombs in a matter of about 15 minutes! I just about fell out of my chair. Now... that was totally a purchase made with good intentions... I would NEVER take my kiddo to see something like that... that is just horrible... you don't SUBJECT children to that .. you PROTECT them from it... that's just SELFISH of them to have to see a movie so bad they can't get a freakin sitter!