Movies- What age did you let your kids watch pg/pg13?

Sally - posted on 10/16/2012

Ratings are merely guidelines, they are very subjective, and every parent has different "my kid can't see that" triggers. Some parents don't mind "bad" words, but don't want their kids to see violence; others are cool with violence, but don't want their kids to see sex. Some parents do or don't like certain kinds of social indoctrination regardless of how it's portrayed. There are some G rated movies I wouldn't show my kids and there are some R rated ones they love. I see the movie first and if I feel it's in line with our family values, I watch it with my kids. I watch their reactions and if I was wrong about their ability to handle it, we turn it off. You can't let an arbitrary system parent for you; you really have to do it yourself.

Ashley - posted on 10/14/2012

I think that kids should be able to watch PG movies when they are pretty young. I think now might be a good time to talk about what is right and wrong. I know, when we were growing up in kindergarten and preschool we were all learning the alphebet and ABC's, but now a good friend of mine who works with preschoolers hear the kids using words like gay or retarded. I would establish to your kids what you think is right and wrong, and hear from them what they think. I totally watch the movie before I let my kids see it though. But like "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs", that's my 5 year old's favorite movie, and it's PG. I think it says one little swear word, but it's nothing to fuss over. I had to watch it 10 times to hear it and go back to see what it said. I was shocked it swore, but it wasn't a really bad one. Hope this helped!

Brittany - posted on 11/01/2011

I go more by reviews and word of mouth than ratings. I also look at why it was rated what it was. The Stand was PG... it shouldn't have been (I still have nightmares about it, I saw it 17 years ago). I haven't see a new movie at a G rating in about 8 years (at least), not that I look for kid's movies yet.

Most PG13 is way too sexual for a child. But there are some PG that are that way too.

I worry more about scary and sexual at this point. I base our movie/TV watching the same way I do videogames and music.

Sherri - posted on 10/30/2011

Depends on the movie. Some movies I find are fine for my 5yr old to see that are PG-13 and virtually every movie is fine if it is PG.

Jennifer - posted on 10/30/2011

We just prescreen the movies. I object more to some G rated films that to some that are pg-13. I so don't like the helpless woman victim waiting for the 'prince' to save her, and then the happily ever after crap. I think the 'happily ever after' offends me the most! Some woman held captive for years, and no post traumatic stress? No struggles with the marriage? LOl! I'm so nuts, that stuff like that bothers me!



The movie that scared my oldest the most was "The Lion King". He was too young for that! I was too young and dumb to even think that a Disney flick could be scary! Lesson learned!! (edit) My son is now 20, and took his gf to the re-release, I told him he had a nightmare the first time he saw it. He made a face and sid 'yeah, I remember!' He was not yet 3 when he saw that movie, and it affected him that much!

Minnie - posted on 10/29/2011

It depends on the movie. Star Wars was around two years old. We just couldn't hold out on those.



This doesn't count for Terminator 4, J I Joe, or Transformers that our second tagged along to as a baby. She just nursed and slept though those.



Neither of the girls have seen PG-13 movies.

JuLeah - posted on 10/29/2011

Depends on the movie ... I don't care about curse words much ... some violence is okay.

A 16yr old girl running off, giving up her life, for a boy she once saw from 25 ft away .... that is a messgae worse in my mind, but it is Disney and a Cartoon, so rated G

I have found that rape gets a lower rating then a stroming sex sceen ... can't say I understand that

Carolee - posted on 10/26/2011

Jason and I preview all PG movies before we let Corbin (4) watch them. If there is a part that we don't want him watching, we wait until we can rent/buy it, then skip over that part. If we take him to the theatre, it's usually at the dollar theatre so it doesn't really matter if we walk out or not.

Good Day! - posted on 10/26/2011

We haven't gotten that far yet. When she's no longer scared of the dark and loud noises, then I'll think about going to the movies. For now she's more than satisfied with Disney movies, Elmo, and VeggieTales, so I'm not going to worry about it.

If/when she wants to see a more mature movie, I'll evaluate it based on the movie itself and her maturity. Ratings are a good but general guideline, so I'll likely allow movies on a case by case basis.

Teresa - posted on 10/26/2011

For PG movies... it depends on the specific movie, not the rating.

For PG-13 movies.... my almost 10 year olds have seen a couple (w/ their father), but w/ me.... 13.

Kelly - posted on 10/26/2011

J is almost 7. I let him watch SOME PG movies after we have watched and approved them first. John or I will go see the movie first, if it meets our approval, we will take J to see it next time. I will probably not let him see any PG-13 movies until he is actually 13.

PG means Parental Guidance Suggested. Most of them are just foul language or story lines that deal with more mature content--not like sex, but things that might be scary for young ones.