To strictly enforce movie age limits

[Faerie87]

Recently my DSC has asked if he can watch programmes such as family guy and movies that are rated 15 while he is staying with myself and my partner, he is 11, he did say that all his friends get to watch it and his mum lets him watch it too! (Not sure if there is any truth in it) and my partner does not want to ask his ex.

I as an adult enjoy programs such as family guy, however I find that the humour on it would be too much for a child of 11.

What do you guys think? Are myself and my partner being too strict? Would you let your kids watch a 15 when they were not 15? And if so what age do you think it is appropriate to start watching tv shows and films that are rated R?

I check on IMDB and rewatch films which are 15 before I would think about letting my 11 year old watch them.

I remember Dirty Dancing and Top Gun being 15s (both are now 12) so worth checking.

DD has watched Blackadder and selected extracts of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (i.e. not Castle Anthrax) but that's it so far.

Haha love the castle anthrax scene on the holy grail! But you’re definitely right it’s not appropriate for an 11 year old!

I think it is s good idea to watch the films first, as there are even parts of the simpsons where the joke goes way over DSC head and he then asks me and my partner why we are laughing!

Depends on the film. My kids are obsessed with shark films. The have seen the Sharknado box set, Jaws, The Shallows etc. We had a family trip to see The Meg 3D. They know its not real, we all shout out at the jumpy bits, groan at the gore fest but there are no nightmares.

I would not like them to see what I consider psychological horror films, sexually abusive, overly violent or offensive language. Family Guy - not yet but then I find it irritating. I think it depends on the child. There was a post of child of 9 scared and crying over Jaws. Clearly that child wasn't ready for a film like that. Certificates at home should be a guide.

I wouldn't let my child watch something scary or violent when they were under the age for that film. With sex and swearing I take it on a case by case basis.

I let my dd watch The Full Monty and Life of Brian when she was several years younger than the age rating, I just reminded her that just because we were watching films with certain words that didn't mean it was ok for her to use them (just like when kids hear swearing at school).
At 11ish she watched TV programmes like Coronation Street, Friends and The Big Bang Theory - plenty of sex happening off screen, but references either went over her head or were a talking point (she only watched stuff like that with us). I wouldn't have let her watch Family Guy at 11. I think it's much too crude for that age.

I don't like family guy as an adult and find it offensive, so yes I would strictly enforce age limits on that.

Other things I might be more lenient on and let them watch at 13/14

I think it depends on the child but I would use them as a guide. There are plenty of films I watch that are 15 and I can't really work out why they aren't a 12A. Sometimes it's just a "theme" and not actual content.

I think there's a difference between 15 humour and 15 humour with sex/violence. I'd probably be fine with Family Guy but not Deadpool 2 for example.

If it is your own child then not so much of an issue if you really think they are ready.

With someone else's child, or even with one for whom you have shared care, I would say not without discussion / agreement of the parent.

Generally I don't think any child is/should be 'ready' to watch 15 rated stuff at age 11. it makes me wonder what else they have been exposed to even younger.

But I tend to be in a minority on this subject on here, as many people seem content to let children play CoD, or have 8yos watching the later Harry Potter films.

Your partner needs to check with his ex. Not to ask for permission as he can make whatever decisions he feels are ok for his son, but more to be on the same page so the child knows he can't play one parent off against the other.

He's 11, if he's at secondary school he'll have heard and seen pretty much all adult humour and activity and if he is going in to year 7, watching what all the other kids watch will help him settle in. My older kids are all adults and I never censored anything when they were little except actual sex scenes.

It depends on the film and the child. I check reviews on Common Sense Media if my son asks to watch a 12A. I don't know of any 15 films I'd find appropriate for him just now, he's almost 10.

Nope. Not at 11.

YANBU OP.

I check Common Sense Media too, it's really helpful.

DS is 11 too and going to secondary school shortly. I think there's a big difference between hearing some older kids, or even kids the same age, make "adult" jokes or whatever, to habitually being exposed to films/programmes/images that are too old for them. IMO.

And I would generally refuse to let him watch something on the basis that "everyone else is and it will help him settle in" and PP suggested. We are trying to teach DS that doing what "everyone else does" is not the best thing to base your choices on in life.

PS. And everyone won't be either, kids just like to say that.

I think yabu to strictly enforce ages for the sake of it. Take each film on it’s own merits imo.

The age rating isn’t always that helpful IME. Mine have seen some films far ‘too young’ and been fine.

However Petes Dragon - they sobbed for hours.

And don’t get me started on Two Brothers. A PG - a nice family film about tigers. Fuck me, they were still breaking down about it two days later. Nightmares, the lot. I’d have been better off showing them bloody Saw from their reactions.

DS10 I'm fairly lenient with but I wouldn't let him watch Family Guy, South Park or Rick and Morty despite his protests. He's allowed to watch Futurama, Friends, Big Bang and mild comedies.

My 8 year old has watched things like family guy and Simpsons for about a year. No ill effects.

Bloody hell...family guy and The Simpson’s are two entirely different kettle of fish IMO. You just as well compare Barney and Jurassic Park

Some age ratings are outdated. A PP mentioned, for example, watching Dirty Dancing as a 12 year old. I did the same. There’s one or two very mild sex scenes but no nudity unless you count a topless Patrick Swayze . So it really is up to you to pluck out the things you personally find inappropriate and give them a flat no.

Family Guy is quite mild. I was watching South Park at his age.

I can't get stressed about movie age ratings. I watched horror films at 8/9, I loved them!

I’d disagree with Family Guy being mild. Been a while since I’ve watched it but plenty of sex and drug based humour. I remember one episode’s closing joke being the (heavily) implied rape of a tied up schoolgirl by an adult. It’s really not The Simpsons. 15 is about right for FG.

I actually remember watching what I now believe to be inappropriate films when I was younger, for example when I was under 10 I had watched Aliens (granted mum and dad made me close my eyes at the chest burster scene) poltergeist (that ones scared the crap out of me, and I could not sleep for three months afterwards, especially when I lived in a new house with a big tree in the back garden!) predator, ghost and the exorcist!

I think if SC watched any of those they would be terrified!

Although, I wasn’t too badly effected by it all, I remember crying like a baby watching my girl when I was younger! X

Plus I can’t even justify allowing SC to watch the Family guy / simpsons crossover episode! As there is a bit on there where Stewie prank calls Moe to say his sister is being raped! Don’t think I would want to be explaining that one to a child of 11 years old!

It's fine to have different rules for different houses. What does their Dad think?

I think applying your own common sense is better than just blindly following age limits.

I’m not sure about family guy tbh, it is pretty rude so I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t let him. Simpsons is completely different!