How do you know when it's okay for your kids to watch scary movies?
I remember the first and only time I watched The Exorcist.
I was 12 years old, the room was completely dark except for the light from the TV, and even though there were five other people in the room (3 of whom were grown-ups), the movie still freaked me out.
The part where the girl crawls down the stairs with blood coming out of her mouth, or the parts where her bed shakes – I couldn’t get those scenes out of my head.
I couldn’t even turn in bed for the next two weeks because I was afraid movement would make the bed start to shake off the floor.
I think it’s safe to say that I was too young when I watched that movie.
And some of your children can be too young for scary movies, too. Here are some important things to keep in mind…
Some kids are more sensitive than others, so help your child make the call.
Your child can be 14 but still have doubts about a PG-13 movie.
Help your child ask him or herself appropriate questions like, “Am I comfortable?” or “Am I feeling too scared?”
Brainstorm what to say. Sit down with your kids and tweens (even teens!) and come up with a few things that they could say if they ever feel pressured into watching a scary movie they’re not ready for.
Let your child know that “My dumb parents won’t let me go” is a perfectly legitimate out.
I’m not so sure this is the right thing to do. Children can invoke the “mean parent” without being disrespectful, and calling parents dumb is complete disrespect, even if your children ARE just kidding. So you can also let them know they can say it without the “dumb” part.
Other tips include:
- Find out what’s playing
- Research the movie
- Watch the movies with your children
- What is really bothering your child?
Patrick McGrath, a professor of psychology at Dalhousie University, makes a point in saying:
Coping with scary content is not a matter of maturity…but simply a different level of sensitivity.
Just because your child is scared definitely doesn’t mean they are not mature enough for the movie. Some children are just more sensitive than others, so it’s up to you to facilitate their concerns.
Do you have a child (or know of a child) who is extra senstive to scary movies? What do you do ease the sensitivity?
Teens And Scary Movies [Today's Parent]
NOTE: Pay attention to tips on page 2.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I remember seeing Fire in the Sky when I was about 5 or 6 years old. That movie made me deathly afraid of the dark and anywhere an “alien” could be when I was young. Even now, I think I am absolutely terrified of aliens because of this experience I had as a child.
What sorts of life-long impacts could these scary movies have on children? Even thinking back to the new King Kong movie: those giant bugs scared every adult I knew! I wonder how the kids must have felt.