How old are your children for them to be able to watch a 12A?

[Soubriquet]

Personally I think it depends on the child.

My two are 5 and 7 and happily watch things like Jurassic park and they even watched the Meg last night.

However, I think something like coraline would scare the crap out of them.

10

Really?

So you wouldn’t let an under 10 watch a marvel film for example (another one my two like)?

My parents never went by age ratings. For example, some 12's i would have watched at 4, but others they wouldn't let me until I was about 11.
Then again, my parents have always been pretty relaxed about most things. I've never come to any harm from it though
I've watched dodgy 18 rated movies when I was 13, and while I wouldn't recommend it, it hasn't messed me up or anything so it should be pretty okay regardless.
Then again, I think it largely depends on your own kids personalities, I've never been the type to get scared by horror films, never cried for my parents at sleepovers so if your children are a little more sensitive I would take my advice with a pinch of salt.
(I'm still a teenager so obviously this is more relevant than if I was 50)

4/5

Depends on the movie. Mine has watched Marvel movies from 5, possibly even 4.

That’s how I sort of see it @jennie0412

Like I said, marvel, Jurassic park etc, no problems

But I think they would be disturbed by coraline and the witches. Even though those are only a pg whilst the others are above

It depends on the film and the child.

I would say it depends on the film and the child.

Coralline was the only movie that ever scared me.

I watched Saw at about 12 and while I found some of the gore disgusting, I found it interesting and made jokes with my friends about it and didn't have any nightmares or anything.

Coralline, I couldn't sleep on my own for a few nights. Again, no permanent damage done but it truly terrified me. I think I was between 8-10 when I watched it.
I still get the creeps when I watch it now!

depends on child's personality and content of film

My 7 year old can watch some 12 rated films but not others.

He'll not bat an eyelid at monsters or scary dinosaurs but anything emotional and he's a mess (so he ain't watchint Marley and Me anytime soon and I think that's a PG)

He loves the new cartoon Grinch (With Benedict Cumberbatch) but is terrified of the Jim Carey version.

I had to really monitor DD's films rated 12A because she was into all the chic flicks and romance, so purely because there can be romantic themes I was mindful of what she watched, but she was around 8 or 9 watching 12As.

My mum thought film ages were poppycock, Led to me watching some highly inappropriate horror films as a pre-teen (her view was that they're make believe so harmless ) and I can't watch horrors to this day. Didn't do my brother any harm though, he is a huge horror fan. Different personalities react differently.

Completely depends on the film and the child. My eldest was always fine with spooky stuff or a bit of violence so we let him watch PG and 12a stuff a bit earlier than most. DC2 is 8 with a v overactive imagination and easily spooked do we have to 'vet' even PG films for him.

Totally depends on the film and the child. Some just can't cope and others can. It depends what the 'scary' or 'more adult' bit is as well.

Not 5!

However some 12As are ok for children of 8+ (not all).

We stuck to age ratings with dc1, but it gets trickier with siblings if you want to watch films as a family. I have 3 children with 5.5years from DC 1 to dc3, which has meant DC3 watching things like marvel films younger (from 8).

My opinion is "action" is more likely to be suitable younger than anything creepy which gets under your skin and makes the child worry.

It does depend on the child and very imaginative, thoughtful children are more likely to be upset by more creepy or sinister plots because they actually engage their brains rather than letting things wash over them and enjoying feeling "grown up" when they don't really understand what they're watching, or they lack empathy. Having very young children unbothered by unsuitable content isn't necessary something to boast about.

For all age ratings, I think that it depends on the child and the film. Dd was quite sensitive (we had to walk out of the cinema halfway through Ratatouille because she couldn't cope with the tension) so I wouldn't have shown her anything violent or scary that was above her age and would think carefully about showing her films that were supposed to be suitable.

On the other hand, Life of Brian and The Full Monty are both 15s but we watched those as a family when dd was much younger.

@jennie0412

My parents never went by age ratings. For example, some 12's i would have watched at 4, but others they wouldn't let me until I was about 11. Then again, my parents have always been pretty relaxed about most things. I've never come to any harm from it though I've watched dodgy 18 rated movies when I was 13, and while I wouldn't recommend it, it hasn't messed me up or anything so it should be pretty okay regardless. Then again, I think it largely depends on your own kids personalities, I've never been the type to get scared by horror films, never cried for my parents at sleepovers so if your children are a little more sensitive I would take my advice with a pinch of salt. (I'm still a teenager so obviously this is more relevant than if I was 50)

Yet I'm in my 40s and will rarely watch an 18 and am still somewhat disturbed by stuff I've watched in my 20s. So I definitely wouldn't say watching 18s at 13s is fine cos someone else did.

From about age 7 in this house although we are selective. TBH the film that has scared my 11yo the most in the last couple of years was Casper which is a PG. She would not have a shower unsupervised for over a year because of the scene where the ghosts come out of the shower. Harry Potter etc, no issue.

My 7 year old daughter loves the Marvel movies and is a massive Captain Marvel fan. We watched them together and she knows these films are fantasy. But we watched the new version of The Witches at Halloween, which is a PG and she was terrified. We had to switch it off and she has been talking about it ever since. There was something about the witches transformation and the way they moved which terrified her. She has also seen most of the Harry Potter films without any issues. It hink it depends on the film. I'm not sure I would let her watch a 12 if I hadn't already seen it.

I am in my 40's and I would happily watch horror films as a child and young person. I read Steven King as a young teenager. Poltergeist was on tv the other day and I remember watching it as a child. Now I just wouldn't. I reckon that I am more jumpy and things stay with me longer now that I'm an adult.

My ds 6 has watched all the jurassic park films. He has older siblings which I think is a factor for such things!! The Meg and Rampage are his fav films.

I've always gone by a combination of what I'm comfortable with them watching and what they would be comfortable watching. Mine are 11 and 10 and have recently started watching some 12 rated things but there will still be some that they wouldn't like.

I watched things that were far too old for me as a child because I had siblings 10 years older than me. I don't think it particularly did any harm but I may have just been a less sensitive child.

Same as @Daydrambeliever - my DC6 is the youngest and so has seen some PGs that my eldest might not have at that age (Harry Potter etc) and also a couple of 12A (Jumanji and Star Wars) but we rented the new Witches which is a PG and she’s been talking about it ever since and thinks witches are around etc- it was unnecessarily scary for a PG whilst Jumanji was fine and was a 12a!!!! Really depends on the film!!!!
I usually check common sense media to get a feel for PGs and 12a as their reviews are quite good - the new witches I didn’t bother with as all my children knew the story and had seen the original without a problem - complete error !!!

My dd would be a wreck with something like Marley at me, but wouldn’t flicker an eyelid at something like Jurassic park.

So yes I agree it’s very selective

I don't really care what age you let your child watch a 12A.

What I do care about is that you don't let my child watch one under age without checking with me first. Also, that you don't organise one for a birthday party / sleepover with multiple children where it puts us all in an awkward position if I want to say no after 3 other parents have said yes.

Another voice for depends on the film and the child. Very violent films or films of dubious moral content I wouldn't have let either of my (very different) children watch until they had reached a more mature age, but some things I also didn't let dd watch because she was more sensitive.
Was more relaxed about (mild) sexual content and swearing than violence.

It does make you wonder why there is a 12/12A certificate at all, when so many parents seem to treat it like a PG.