AIBU not letting 8 year watch 12 rated films?

Potplant89 · 2021-11-30T18:18:42+00:00

Who else let’s their children watch older rated films or play older rated games? I’m 28 myself and don’t want to be that strict person that doesn’t allow it when he comes home and tells me his friends at school play such and such and watch such and such. I know when I was his age, my parents let me watch things that were too old for me. I’m not scarred for life but I can say that a lot of the time, I ended up with nightmares over a 5 second scene. He has a very good understanding that it’s not that I’m being mean but I think it’s better that he waits. I do worry about peer pressure though. Specifically, he wants to watch Jurassic world, some of the marvel films and Godzilla vs Kong. Unfortunately it seems that while they target toys for younger age groups, the films are not appropriate.

mybroomstick · 30/11/2021 18:20

So he's 11?

Which films do you mean?

Arewenearly · 30/11/2021 18:21

Well you're his mum, so you decide, but I personally don't think any of those films are unsuitable for an 8 year old. Have you seen them?

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Potplant89 · 30/11/2021 18:24

@Arewenearly

Well you're his mum, so you decide, but I personally don't think any of those films are unsuitable for an 8 year old. Have you seen them?

I have seen Jurassic world, not the others though

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Cuwins · 30/11/2021 18:25

I wouldn't allow an 8 year old. However I think around 10 it probably depends more on the individual child.
That's assuming they are 12's and not 12A.

Forgetaboutme · 30/11/2021 18:27

Well the movies that are 12s are usually 12A so 8 year olds can see them at the cinema with an adult. I dont object to my son watching 12s. I use the parent guide on IMDB if I have doubts but the movies you mention are fine for an 8 year old in my opinion. You are not ubreasonable not letting your child watch them though. Completely up to you to make that judgement call for your own child.

Darkpheonix · 30/11/2021 18:29

My ds has been watching marvel with us since he was small. He is 10 and a huge jurassic park/world and godzilla fan.

I didn't let him watch avengers til he was older as I knew the hulk would scare him.

Most films I watch first the decide.

I assume the marvel ones are 12 because of occasional bad language and 'mild peril'. They aren't overly violent or gory. I think it depends on the child.

The most upset ds has ever been was when a load of dinosaurs died in the volcano explosion in jurassic world 2.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/11/2021 18:29

Depends on the 8 year old. My 8yo has seen both those films and he's fine. He's also seen Jaws.

TinaYouFatLard · 30/11/2021 18:29

Younger children miss out on a lot of you have a blanket ban on 12 rated films. If you’re concerned you should watch them first to see if there’s anything that would particularly upset your DS.

GoGoGretaDoll · 30/11/2021 18:29

Do you know what, I was so strict on this when he was little and it was actually the best decision I ever made, because when I had a 14 year old wanting to play Death Crash Shoot Em Up, or whatever 18 + game was all the rage, I was able to point to a decade of being completely consistent about age limits. I think it saved us from so many arguments, because he really didn't have a leg to stand on and he knew I wouldn't back down.

Play the long game and stand firm OP.

user0176 · 30/11/2021 18:30

Depends on the film and when it was released, I find older films are often more cautious with their ratings. I know my son and what would scare him and what wouldn't, I've let him watch 12s, but usually something I've seen myself so know what's in it.

Thegreencup · 30/11/2021 18:32

Films are not rated 12 though. They are rated 12A. Which means they can be watched by children under the age of 12 with a parent present. So it is the discretion of the parent to determine whether or not the film is suitable for their child. There are some 12A films I do allow my kids to watch. There are some that I wouldn't let them watch because it's not suitable.

I have let my 8YO and 6YO watch both Jurassic World films. They've seem some marvel films, but not others.

Something to consider is that while somethings do or don't bother you, your child might not be the same. My DC have been absolutely traumatised by the snowman melting at the end of the snowman for instance and they refuse to watch it now.

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 30/11/2021 18:33

My now 8 year old has watched the films you’re talking about. I see nothing wrong with them. The rating is down to mild peril which doesn’t phase him and swearing. To be honest he knows a lot of the swear words but has to make a choice whether to use them or not (and whether to get into trouble if not).
I think the newer stuff at 12 is milder than the older stuff. I was uncomfortable with him watching the original ghostbusters due to the sexual content but the newer one was fine.

Merryoldgoat · 30/11/2021 18:33

We let our 8yo watch some 12a if we’re happy with the content. It’s case by case.

nosyupnorth · 30/11/2021 18:35

I'd recommend either watching the films yourself or checking out something like IMDB parents guide and making your own judgements - there are a lot of idosyncracies as to how films are rated, e.g swearing once or twice is rated lower than multiple swears even though they are the same words and surely once they've been heard once they don't suddenly change in their impact.

Cuwins · 30/11/2021 18:35

@Thegreencup

Films are not rated 12 though. They are rated 12A. Which means they can be watched by children under the age of 12 with a parent present. So it is the discretion of the parent to determine whether or not the film is suitable for their child. There are some 12A films I do allow my kids to watch. There are some that I wouldn't let them watch because it's not suitable.

I have let my 8YO and 6YO watch both Jurassic World films. They've seem some marvel films, but not others.

Something to consider is that while somethings do or don't bother you, your child might not be the same. My DC have been absolutely traumatised by the snowman melting at the end of the snowman for instance and they refuse to watch it now.

My partner's mum was telling me the other day that about 4years old he cried so much at the end of the snowman they had to secretly rewind it to make it look like the snowman had come back to life! 😂

Hoolahupsaresquare · 30/11/2021 18:37

I think it massively depends on the child and the film. Not a one size fits all approach really.

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Potplant89 · 30/11/2021 18:37

Unless I’ve seen it, I usually look on the IMDb parents guide before making a decision but I always feel like that although it’s PROBABLY safe for someone younger than the recommended age, that it’s rated that way for a reason, maybe I’m looking it into too much?

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/11/2021 18:39

Are they 12 or 12A?

BelieveInRainbows · 30/11/2021 18:42

Of course YANBU, he's your child and you get to decide if he can watch them. You know him best and how likely he is to be scared or upset by any content in those movies.
My 6 year old is massively into dinosaurs, has seen the jurassic world movies and loves them. For superheroes he loves Ant Man which seems to be a bit more comical compared to the rest of the Marvel movies. The Avengers movies are too long winded and he loses interest, he just likes the action scenes. He only watches things we've seen ourselves and can judge if he will be okay with them or not.

Mooloolabababy · 30/11/2021 18:43

We use common sense media as a guide, we find it pretty accurate. I have a 9 year old and he has been watching the marvel films with us since he has 6.

JaninaDuszejko · 30/11/2021 18:43

My 9yo has not seen any 12 rated films despite having older siblings. Personally I find Marvel films far too violent for my taste (DH and the older kids are watching them all, DD1 showed me a clip from Endgame where they went into battle like a medieval war with hand to hand combat and there was a bit where one character was repeatedly stabbing another in the back, if that's not violent I don't know what is) and DS has no interest in watching Marvel films or Doctor Who or Northern Lights or anything like that. He is reading Harry Potter at the moment and I said he could watch the first film (which is a PG) but he wasn't interested.

I don't think he's missing out because he has to wait until he's the right age to see films, he has his whole life to watch formulaic action movies . I did let the DDs watch some things that were 12 rated as they got close to 12 but they were thing that were 12 because of swearing or sex references rather than violence and the DDs were 11.

Some of the early Jurassic films are PGs and DShas been happy with those.

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Potplant89 · 30/11/2021 18:44

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Are they 12 or 12A?

It says Jurassic world and Godzilla are 12. I have an even bigger issue with games. I’m very in the know with video games as I play them myself but it does bother me with some of the ratings. Not only for the content but the fact that the controls/game is too complex. Similarly for films, content aimed at 12 plus will probably go over the heads of anyone younger abd they probably won’t understand everything that’s going on and just see the action bits. I know at least in my case, my DS has quite an active imagination so that’s why I’m a little on the fence about this

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OmgIThinkILikeYou · 30/11/2021 18:45

12a doesn't mean only 12 and over, it means parents should look into it first. There was loads of pgs that scarred me as a child (looking at you Dark Crystal) which were way worse than anything on your list. Wasn't the original Jarrassic Park a pg? That was scarier than the new ones

mybroomstick · 30/11/2021 18:45

I think Jurassic Park and the Marvels are fine for a year 8.

And tbh I'm nearly 40 and cried all the way through Endgame, so age is irrelevant there.

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Potplant89 · 30/11/2021 18:47

@JaninaDuszejko

My 9yo has not seen any 12 rated films despite having older siblings. Personally I find Marvel films far too violent for my taste (DH and the older kids are watching them all, DD1 showed me a clip from Endgame where they went into battle like a medieval war with hand to hand combat and there was a bit where one character was repeatedly stabbing another in the back, if that's not violent I don't know what is) and DS has no interest in watching Marvel films or Doctor Who or Northern Lights or anything like that. He is reading Harry Potter at the moment and I said he could watch the first film (which is a PG) but he wasn't interested.

I don't think he's missing out because he has to wait until he's the right age to see films, he has his whole life to watch formulaic action movies . I did let the DDs watch some things that were 12 rated as they got close to 12 but they were thing that were 12 because of swearing or sex references rather than violence and the DDs were 11.

Some of the early Jurassic films are PGs and DShas been happy with those.

Yes exactly, I almost don’t want to subject to him to that yet….I feel like it can wait. I feel like the big meany though

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