To let dd watch horror films?

[cabbageandcarrots]

Over the last year or so my oldest dd has developed a more "emo" style and expressed an interest in horror, I started her off with stranger things and some paranormal type films but since then she's moved onto more "scary" stuff

I was ok with this and told dd I trusted her and that as long as she knew the limits of what was ok and what was too far she could watch what she liked. Me and Dh both thought thus was fine as he watched similar films around that age but my friend was very when I mentioned dds love for horror and I'm wondering if I've made a horrible mistake here?

She is 13 and says the films don't give her nightmares and she enjoys them but im not sure? She has seen stuff like Fear street, Michael Meyers halloween, the original Scream film, and other slasher type films she has found on netflix

If it makes a different these are not the only type of films she watches, she has watched many christmas films with her little sister dd2 recently and also enjoys other genres of films

So aibu and will this affect dd?

none of those are even scary, she’ll be fine. I watched scream and Halloween when I was 11

I've been into horror from a young age. She'll be fine.

Depends on the kid. I was never frightened by slasher type films, but some more supernatural stuff really freaked me out at a much older age than 13 (the ring ).

It depends on the child in the US I think most of those were original an R which is about a 15. My husband took DS 8 to see spider man on Christmas Eve which has raised some eyebrows but what he watches on YouTube when my back is turned as he gets older worries me more than what's in most 18 films!

If you happy and she happy I wouldn't worry about any of those, Scream is practically a comedy

I have found my dc's at that sort of age were a lot less scared at films than I am, and I was raised on horror films.
I'd be OK with it if she isn't scared or disturbed.

@vickyc90
It depends on the child in the US I think most of those were original an R which is about a 15

If it’s an R any age can watch it as long as they’re with someone over 17.

I'd discuss making sure she vets her viewing when friends are round or either you or her checks inappropriate aged films with her friend's parent (not the other teen). Make sure she understands that whilst she doesn't get nightmares and she got to watch them with a trusted adult first that doesn't mean her friends wont get nightmares or that the first time they watch the films should be with her.

Nothing quite like finding out after the event the reason your young teen is having nightmares and turning up in your bed for a week is because she watched a horror movie at a friends house and didnt object because their friend's parent was "cool" so she thought it would be ok That friendship was nipped in the bud quick.

Personally I wouldn’t let my child watch 18 certificate films at the age of 13.

She might come out of it with enough sense to not open the door to strangers claiming to be stranded, always checking the back of her car before getting in, not going on trips to the woods or abandoned buildings and all the other clichés you get in horror movies - it's the people who ignore the obvious that come to grisly ends as a general rule.

Real life example:

At one workplace, a bunch of teenagers got stuck in a lift between floors and one boy had the bright idea of forcing the doors open and trying to climb down headfirst.

'Haven't you seen Resident Evil?'

Silence.

'[sigh] How long do you think the fire brigade will take to get here?'.

She’ll be fine, I went from being a fan to working at a well known horror film festival, to going to LA and working on horror film sets for a while. Had a great time!