To say he can't wear this costume?

[dilemmasdecisions]

DS (aged 8) wants to dress as Jason from Friday the 13th for Halloween (we go trick or treating in our village). I've no idea how he knows this character as he definitely hasn't seen the movie (it's rated 18!) and it just doesn't feel right for him to dress as someone from an 18 certificate movie when he's only 8. Am I being silly or would you feel the same?

No, and you need to ask how he knows about Jason surely? As it sounds like he has seen the film/played the game to want to go dressed as him?

@scarydinosaurs

No necessarily. Mine had heard of Jason and knew what he looked like but had no idea what film he was from, what it was about etc. Just that he was a scary character that people at school talk about.

Scary he has definitely NOT seen the film. I think I've said that twice already. His friends talk about these characters at school. Some of his friends are allowed to play fortnite (he hasn't) so may have come across the character there. I know when he was at preschool he got into Spider-Man and batman before he'd even seen them on telly etc. Kids can become familiar with characters without having seen the film.

I'm with you op.

Also my 3yo knows who Spider-Man and batman are. We've never watched them or bought any of the merchandise (not on some weird principle thing, we just haven't)

Kids know about all sorts of stuff that you haven't taught them yourselves, they don't live in a vacuum.

Awareness of these films comes from older siblings or school friends with older siblings, also computer games.

They don't need to watch films, they have YouTube it allows them to watch clips.

I don’t get why you haven’t asked him how he knows who he is? Like PP poster said- is he watching clips on YouTube?

You can’t equate Jason to Spider-Man. Spider-Man is everywhere- where would someone see references to Jason unless you looked for it/someone showed it to you?

I'm with you OP. I wouldn't even let my 2.5yo have the devil costume she wanted she's going to be a pumpkin fairy instead...

Scary I have asked him. He said his friends at school talk about it. Why are you so invested in knowing why he knows about a character that loads of kids his age seem to know about (also having not seen the film!) He lives a way more sheltered life than most of his friends given that he doesn't have free access to YouTube and also doesn't have a games console at all. He hasn't played fortnite but loves to try and win blind bags of the fortnite figures at fairs etc. He loves those kind of things but I am pretty strict about access to films and games that aren't age appropriate. I can't stop him being "into" stuff though, or asking to dress up as certain characters. I can only say no when I feel it's inappropriate.

Scary as other posters seem to have "got", I wasn't equating Jason to Spider-Man, I was simply giving a related example of how kids can get into stuff without actually watching it. He has always been the type of child to be drawn to the "cool" stuff, and things that older kids might like (unlike his older brother who has never shown an interest in any of this). He makes friends with like minded people (as most kids do), and yes some do have older siblings and/or access to PlayStations, Xbox etc with games that are rated 12+. DS doesn't have this but kids talk about stuff they think is cool!

Spam a pumpkin fairy sounds delightful! I was reminiscing with my DC earlier about when DS1 was a very cute Dracula and DS2 a chubby little pumpkin years ago. Those were the days!

Thanks ilovehalloween

Op scary probably wants to bash you over letting him watch you tube

I googled Jason from Friday 13th and read the character was based on a man with learning disabilities who drowned in a lake. For that reason, as well as the age thing, I wouldn't allow it

My son has never played Fortnite but he knows all the dances and characters :)

Wow, so a child knows about a scary character, what is the big deal? Knowing doesn't mean seeing. Surprisingly they listen to people. Unless a person never interacts with the outside world, they will know about things even stuff other household members don't know.

A child wearing a costume doesn't bother me. It's fantasy and as others have pointed out, sometimes children make up games based on things they hear. We did the same as children and some of us probably played a Chuckie, Freddie or Micheal game. Had we watched it no.
In between the years of whoever character, there have also been monster masks unrelated to anything worn by children.

Regardless of the costume, you will offend someone.

You are being far to precious , there are many things people (kids and adults know) without every watching the programme in question. I know Peter Dinklage is in GOT, but I have never watched it.
The fact is Halloween is supposed to about celebrattion to remember the dead, if you are happy for your child to dress up as Spiderman how is that any less offensive?

This wouldn’t bother me at all. But then again my 8 year old is obsessed with anything macabre and scary, same as I was and still am. Am yet to murder anyone