To let dc watch MMA?

[ollieplimsoles]

Me and dh are fans of MMA and enjoy watching UFC on pay per view. We often have it on at the weekend and even watch it with tea some nights. DD is blw and sits in her high chair at the table with us.

Today dh had some highlights on during a visit from family members and one of them said we will have to turn it off soon before dd picks up on it properly. Presumably she thought it was a bit violent for kids.

It never occurred to me to shield dd or any of our dc to follow from it, it's just part of our family life. But I dont know if I'm BU, dh had a strict upbringing and wasn't allowed to do anything, as a result he's quite loosey goosey with parenting (wants dc to have all the things that were taken off him like nerf guns, water guns, even playdoh). I had a very lax upbringing and was allowed to watch things like wwf on a Saturday morning.

Is this the sort of thing you would keep off the tv if your kids were around?

I wouldn't want it on in front of my DD till she was old enough to truly grasp what it was.
Same as a film with violence, a video game with violence etc.

Do you think the fighting would frighten a toddler, or would they try to copy it? Could we explain what is was to a young child of say-3 yrs?

I have no idea how toddlers think, I don't have one yet and haven't spent a lot of time around them!

I'm no expert but.

If ypou show a child Mother Goose Club, they'll sing nursery rhymes.
If you show them minions, they'll talk like a minion.

You show them that its sport and cheered to hit people? and that ypoypou enjoy watching one person hit another? It can only go that they'll grow to think punching and kicking is copyable and fine.

But like I say, I'm no expert. I doubt you could explain to a toddler that its a sport tbh.

And what happens when your child does hit someone? I'd find it toiugh to discipline a child for hitting and then let them watch people hitting each other.

Its just a big old bag of worms IMO.

Best stick to cbeebies

I grew up watching WWF, like Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, etc. where it was mainly showboating and stunts. MMA is 1000% more violent and some of the injuries are stomach churning, it's not something I would personally let DP have on the TV whilst the children are in the same room.

Wrestling/WWE Stuff, probably wouldn't bother me being on in the background. But MMA, no, I'd likely turn it over if dc was old enough to focus on what was going on. It can be brutal.

But then I've written that amd now I'm wondering. Maybe 3+ for WWE. Hmm. You've got me thinking now. Why would I be comfortable with "Contrived" entertainment violence/sport but not genuine guts out violence/sport?

Fwiw, I grew up with WWE in the 80s.
I remember copying it with my friends. The school banned it eventually after I did a piledriver to a friend onto the concrete playground. I got suspended for a week. The boy was thankfully okay.

Our kids are 8 and 9 and do watch mma, although we have to forward through any victory speeches etc because of potential swearing.

Their dad does a lot of martial arts himself and has competed in BJJ. Both our kids have done judo since an early age so they're not strangers to fighting competitions and they understand that this is the more extreme end of those competitions. We didn't have it on when they were very young though, as previous posters have stated, toddlers may try to copy without understanding. I think we started having it on tv when they were around 5 and 6.

Just watch muay thai with the kids. There's no issue with combat sports but there's a big issue with the preflight talks and slanging matches in MMA. Muay thai is good for kids to watch because respect is shown both befire and after the fight.

Thanks for the replies, I think turning it off til she is 5/6 might be a good idea and fast forwarding through the speeches if she happens to be around.

I do think it is very sportsman like, but agree the injuries can be really bad...

Agreed with WWE I remember friends doing "signature" moves on pavement roads where people would be body slammed onto the road etc

Sorry, this is probably very bad mumsnet etiquette, but I'm.... 'bumping' this thread? Sorry!!!

But I'm interested in how people see the whole 'children getting to see combat sports' (violent ones). And when you would let them train for example in judo?

Seeing as MIL is very against it.

I don't really understand why? DH's godchild has for example a ballerina
-box with picture of beautiful Pointe schoes. Which is super bad for the feet. Why is it ok to make children like this and not judo, Jiu Jitsu, mma?

My DD does MMA and I just asked her what she thought to younger children watching - she isn't a particularly child orientated person and is quite straight in life being what it is, but even she went a bit boggle-eyed at the thought of young children watching it and said "No way!".