To wonder about ten year old DD's friends being allowed to watch horror films?

[MrsTawdry]

DD is ten in year six so one of the younger girls. She tells me that a number of her mates have watched the film Annabelle and other horror films.

AIBU to think there's no need?

She's always loved the scary stuff...ghosts etc and is bugging me to allow her to watch Annabelle. Is it too much? I beleive her when she says certain girls have seen it....but should I let her?

My 8 year old watched Annabelle at a sleepover. She loved it!

I was fuming.

I have watched horror films since I was little and I was fine. I'm more scared of them now than I ever was as a youngster. It depends on the child.

My mum let me watch American Warewolf in London when I was 9ish i completely shit myself and for years after I made sure I stayed in after dark

Me and my friends got hold of a copy of The Excorsist when I was 11, when it got to the bit where Ragans head spins we decided to turn it off. I used to babysit a little boy of about 6 years old I was always to scared to check on him incase he was possesd.

So no young kids shouldn't watch horrors in my experience !

I wouldn't let my kids watch films like that, I watched Nightmare on elm street when I was about 9 or 10, which gave me night terrors on several occasions afterwards. Some kids may be able to watch horror films with no problem, but unfortunately they won't know until they watch it & then the damage is done.

I have watched Annabelle, it isn't the most scary film I have watched, but I wouldn't want DS watching it when he is 10.

Funnily enough DS said he wanted to watch Jaws the other day, because his friends have all seen it to which I thought but perhaps that isn't so bad after all! Perhaps a bit on the tame side

I really recommend bookmarking Common Sense Media btw, it's brilliant for helping make exactly these kinds of decisions.

Think it's your decision.
I don't think just because some parents decide to let their kids watch some horror films makes them bad parents.
I watched horror films and thrillers from 11 onwards with my parents.
I loved them! If my dad thought i was in least bit scared he'd turned them off and if there were any really graphic bits he'd fastforward.
I still love horror and tarantino now!
My dp is the same. Halloween, friday the thirteenth, etc even some pulp fiction (though i weren't allowed to watch all of it!)
I weren't traumatised. I'v always loved horror and gore!
I always used to sit downstaires and watch crime programmes too.
Tbh i don't think annabel is very jumpy. The conjuring was better.
You know your child best.
Watch it, if you think she will be scared then she doesn't watch it.

Tomcruise my dp loves video nasties. Some even i just cannot bear to watch lol

Fairylea I think you're misremembering James Herbert's work too! Off the top of my head, I can recall a scene in The Dark in which a group of elderly people are murdered during a orgy - it goes into quite graphic detail about both the sex and the violence. Also a scene in Lair in which thousands of rats attack a village and eat the inhabitants alive. I read the latter when I was about 20 and that scene still sticks in my mind. His books are definitely not suitable for ten year olds!

Annabelle is utter rubbish not scary or jumpy at all.

we let our dds (11&10) watch some horrors but only after dh and I have viewd them, some we allow other's no way, both my dds love horrors though they lie in the pitch black the go to sleep after it's never affected them. I think you know what is ok for your own child and whats not.

My 9 year old sister accident my watched Hitcher with me one night while on holiday years ago. She loved it.

I thought she was asleep and I was watching it. She didn't make a sound!

I think it's as though I feel I'm not allowing her free expression in her interests

That's because you're her parent. You make the judgement.

DD is only 7 but she's already obsessed with Goosebumps books so suspect that in a few years she will want to watch horror films. I'd be okay with her watching Annabell at 11 if she wanted to, for me paranormal horror is just fantasy, what I wouldn't want her watching was torture porn like the Saw movies or anything with sexual violence in, that's where I'd draw my line.

I read James Herbert from about 12 and it is really not suitable for children. Very gory and dark and lots of sex; I used to love it!

I hate horror films and do not like my kids watching them.

Though their father (my exh) lets them watch them, and he has let DS play 18 rated games from 9+. I have never liked it. My DH lets the kids watch them too, so I have been on a bit of a loosing battle.

I do know some kids who are not allowed round here for sleepovers as they know that DSS watches 18 films.

I did put my foot down when I walked into the room to see them watching Jackass, the scene involved putting toy cars in a condom and seeing how many could be put up someone's bum. They objected when I turned the tv off. Could not imagine why they would want to watch that.

Why is it funny or entertaining that someone's child loves (being allowed to watch) horror films.

Be a bloody parent! Grow a pair and say No!

Freaked me out, though any kind of toy thing like that does- i hate dolls. You need to watch it first or with her.