To suggest DH turn off Finding Nemo

[midnightisaplace]

DS normally only watches CBeebies. DH thought it would be nice for the two of them to sit on the sofa and watch a film this afternoon. He put finding nemo on. DS (3) has basically been in tears since the beginning of the the film. Really really upset at the film. I told DH to turn the film off half an hour ago but he thinks DS needs to see the happy ending. if DS ends up having nightmares then I'm not bloody well getting up with him.

Top tip - if you have a sentimental child (I do) you have to watch a film first and suss out if they can handle it!
The first few watches of Finding Nemo we skipped the bit with the barracuda.
DD had an absolute fit in the cinema watching Toy Story 3 (stood on her chair and shouted that she wanted to leave!) during the bit in the incinerator, so I took her the stand by the exit and let her look away and told her we'd watch more when it wasn't scary and I promised her it would be ok in the end (and fervently hoped that it would!). If I hadn't made her watch the end she would have been traumatised.

The beginning of ice age 1 I would avoid as well then - when the mum hands the baby over and then slips away

Oh dear - it's a bit scary, isn't it?

Found this really helpful website last night, that has descriptions/reviews of all the films we could think of, and reminded us of scary/traumatic aspects of loads of films that we had forgotten.

Made me feel bad for letting 3yo DS watch Nemo, Monsters Inc and Muppet Christmas Carol...

DH bought me Nemo for my birhday a few weeks after DC1 was born, I couldn't cope with it at all with new mum hormones, never have seen it to the end.

I have a sentimental & sensitive 4 yo DD. There is no way she would manage to watch Finding Nemo - in fact she was scared at something in Timmy Time the other day . I am assuming school will toughen her up - they watch DVDs if it rains at lunchtime, & apparently the last two times she hasn't been so scared she had to leave the hall... Funnily enough she is physically very adventurous & confident in most situations!

So my advice would basically be to leave all but the very mildest of films (not sure what they are, we haven't even succeeded with Curious George) alone.

Took my dd1 to the cinema to see Up when she was about 5/6 yrs old. She totally bawled at the beginning. (Loved it in the end though).

Arthur Christmas is a good kids movie at the moment, my dd2, 2.10 yrs loves it.

I had this with a friends DD. She wanted to watch Sleeping Beauty, but was frightened. We had a conversation about how it is just a story, and sometimes scary things happen in stories, but they happen to help tell the story, and nice things often happen at the end. We agreed to keep watching, to see how the ending went, held hands together and hid behind cushions. When it had finished, she said she was glad to have watched.

My mum took me to see Jaws when I was 6... I think I would have coped easily with Nemo..

But this was also the woman who thought that taking me into the chamber of horrors at Mme Tussauds at the same age was a sensible idea too..

we took DD to see Finding Nemo when it first came out - screamed the Cinema down and couldn't be consoled - had to go home. She still wont watch it now and she's 13. My Dad still shuddered when he talks about Bambi - the mother deer is shot in the first few minutes. scary stuff. Yes to your DH getting up to comfort any bad dreams

Interesting, the (British) U certificate, which most people think means a film is suitable for everyone, in fact classes it as "suitable for audiences aged four years and over". www.bbfc.co.uk/

That said, I think most children are fine with most U films and the scary bits actually fulfil a useful and important function, by giving children 'practice' at dealing with difficult feelings/emotions in safe situations. So, watching a good children's film, they get to feel a bit scared without actually being in any danger, or sad without actually having anything horrible happen to them. Fairy tales do the same thing. This helps children to develop 'emotional resilience', which is good for their long term mental health. :)

My DS has watched enough episodes of Deadly 60 with his big brother to know that it's an occupational hazard with fish .

Disney films exist to teach children about death & grief and to manage fear. Not saying you should deliberately traumatise them but they serve a useful purpose.

I still cry at Dumbo & Lion King though.

The toddler cried at Tangled today when the man dies and Rapunzel is crying. He sobbed saying no mum, man gone mum" "she said mum" then when he woke he shouted yay and hi fived me.

It really shocked me how he got upset

Squeaky ..
I was taken to see jaws 2 at the cinema around age 6
Horrific experience !

Eek to Jaws at 6! I saw it when I was about 10, wouldn't go in the sea for ages. I remember being frightened to sit on the toilet for too long in case a shark came up and bit me on the bottom.

Eek indeed !
Slept in my parents bed for about a year after that, serves them right, dozy gits !

I remember watching Jaws at 6 and not being that scared. DH has just taped it for DS2 (also 6) but I have pointed out it's inappropriate