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AIBU?

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Original poster

Would you have let your 4yo watch this movie?

127 replies

TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 19:45

Left my son at a very trusted friend's house for 4 hours yesterday. Just learnt from him that she let him watch The Mummy. I haven't seen it but he was telling me about how bugs eat their skin, it has a pg13 rating and commonsensemedia.org recommends 12+. He's told me a lot about the movie and I'm about to purchase it and watch it so I know exactly what he's watched. For anyone who has seen it, is it as scary as it sounds? How upset do I need to be?

OP posts:
Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 19:46

It’s very mild. An adventure film, not a horror. I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at this tbh. Sounds like he loved it and was excited to tell you about it, not that he was terrified- surely that’s the crux of the issue?

fishonabicycle · 10/02/2023 19:47

Well, we were watching it years ago, and unbeknownst to us my 3/4 year had got out of bed and was watching round the corner of the door. He was terrified of insects after that for ages! So possibly a bad idea!

megletthesecond · 10/02/2023 19:48

Nope.

Eastereggsboxedupready · 10/02/2023 19:48

At 4 it was one of my ds's favourites!

Hadjab · 10/02/2023 19:49

It’s basically Indiana Jones but with mummies. I guess the question is would you let your 4 year old watch that?

NuffSaidSam · 10/02/2023 19:50

How upset is your DS is the question? If he's fine, then it's fine. If he's scared/upset then your friend made a mistake (while doing you a favour). I can't see there is any need for you to be upset is there?

ladygindiva · 10/02/2023 19:50

DC 2 and 3 ; no. They have a fairly sensitive disposition . Their older sister watched all the lord of the rings films at 5 yo though, literally demanded to see them. When I said they were a bit much she said " it's people being filmed in costumes not real life" she was incredibly mature and pragmatic even at that age. Now a young adult she loves horror and is scared by nothing. Depends on the child.

CreepyDibillo · 10/02/2023 19:50

Depends what sort of things scare him (doesn't sound like he was scared by the film). It's very mild, not at all a horror film.
Side note - how have you never seen it?! It's one of my favourite films. Super cheesy family adventure.

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 10/02/2023 19:51

I've not seen it so couldn't really say but i guess it depends on the child. Yours doesn't sound like he has been upset by it. I don't think i would make that decision for someone else's child though. Maybe other parent has already seen it and thought it was mild so hadn't bothered looking up age ratings?

Bunce1 · 10/02/2023 19:52

It’s a family film… I would say a PG, not a U. At 4 my son would have liked it but DD would have been scared.

🤷‍♀️

purpleme12 · 10/02/2023 19:53

No I personally wouldn't let my child watch that until they're much older.

MarshaBradyo · 10/02/2023 19:53

No not for my dd age 5

But she wouldn’t like it anyway

UserNameSameGame · 10/02/2023 19:53

I wouldn’t just dump a 4yo in front of it by himself, but if watching it with him and gauging his reaction then it wouldn’t worry me.

Natsku · 10/02/2023 19:53

It scared me as a child, older than 4, but it doesn't sound like its scared him.
I'd talk to your friend though about it, just so they know you'd rather he didn't watch films he's too young for.

AliMonkey · 10/02/2023 19:53

No way would mine have watched it at 4 - although to be fair I don't think they would have wanted to. It's not a mild film at all and could easily scare a child. Ratings are there for a reason.

BiasedBinding · 10/02/2023 19:54

No I wouldn’t let my 4yo watch that

Puppers · 10/02/2023 19:55

I mean it's not The Ring. But it's definitely got the potential to be scary to some children. I would never show it to a 3 year old, regardless of their individual personality because IMO it's simply inappropriate for a child of that age. My DD at 8 would not be allowed to watch this because it would undoubtedly disturb her. Slightly younger DS probably would be fine.

It's not something that should be decided by a babysitter. This is a decision for a parent to make and I would never show a film like this to someone else's very young child.

Original poster
TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 19:55

Am I a total bore? This looks terrifying for a 4yo!

OP posts:
WhoNeedsSleepNotISaidMyBody · 10/02/2023 19:56

I wouldn't put it on for someone else's child, for my own it would depend on which one!

I would talk to DS, just check he's not worrying about anything.

either way I'd be surprised at one of my friends letting my 4 yo watch it, but I wouldn't say anything.

Unless they're looking after him
again then I might say, that scared him & could they possibly stick to
octonauts or whatever.

gluteustothemaximus · 10/02/2023 19:56

Absolutely no way.

Otherwise what's the point in the age rating. It's a horribly violent film for a 4 year old.

But then these threads are always; 'don't see the problem, my 1 year old loved Halloween!!'

Kids at DD's school have watched 18's at 11 years old, and parents don't give a shit/or see a problem with it <shrugs>

I would be upset. He is 4. It's a 12+ rating. It's pretty straightforward.

AliMonkey · 10/02/2023 19:56

Also our rule at primary school age was that if DC's friends were at our house they could only watch things rated U, unless we'd checked with the friends' parent that a particular PG was OK. Personally I would prefer DC never to watch anything with a higher age rating but DH disagrees so I sometimes have to compromise, but we're talking e.g. a 12 at age 11 or 15 at age 13.

Original poster
TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 19:57

He was scared, he said he didn't want to sleep in his bed and wanted to stay downstairs with me. But not so scared that I couldn't get him to sleep. He was fine last night though.

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 10/02/2023 19:57

TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 19:55

Am I a total bore? This looks terrifying for a 4yo!

No chance for my 5 year old. She’d be far too scared of that. Not that she’ll be finding out

cava14una · 10/02/2023 20:00

I did like the scarab beetles and I'm an adult

cava14una · 10/02/2023 20:01

Didn't like

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