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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:
TicketBoo23 · 10/02/2023 21:38

TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 21:36

To be fair nakedness is one thing that I really am not that fussed about my son seeing (as long as no sex scenes or anything like that etc)

Show quote history

There are no sex scenes. A kiss between BF and RW characters I think, the mummy and ASN are in suggestive but that's all clinch

It's the horror aspects that I think are inappropriate for that age.

TicketBoo23 · 10/02/2023 21:41

I forgot there's also a scene where the half incarnated/still decomposed mummy snogs RW's character.

DemonHost · 10/02/2023 21:46

I think it’s totally irresponsible bordering on child mental abuse, the age ratings are there for a reason.

Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 21:50

DemonHost · 10/02/2023 21:46

I think it’s totally irresponsible bordering on child mental abuse, the age ratings are there for a reason.

its actually really fucking offensive to trivialise child abuse in this way. Showing a child a film that is subjectively scary is nowhere near child abuse. Get a grip.

Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 21:51

OP if he was scared that’s fair enough. I would make a big deal but just mention it if your friend looks after him again, and suggest some films that you know he likes.

Original poster
TetherEndOfMy · 10/02/2023 21:53

DemonHost · 10/02/2023 21:46

I think it’s totally irresponsible bordering on child mental abuse, the age ratings are there for a reason.

I've worked with children who have been abused and were allowed or forced to watch films that were either pornographic or rated 18+ and saw how damaging it was. Letting a 4yo watch the mummy is definitely not child abuse...

OP posts:
frenchnoodle · 10/02/2023 22:01

DemonHost · 10/02/2023 21:46

I think it’s totally irresponsible bordering on child mental abuse, the age ratings are there for a reason.

What rubbish

Once again there are many films called the mummy, some PG
The op doesn't know which film has been watched . The amount of people jumping to conclusions based on nothing. No it is not abuse.

bookworm14 · 10/02/2023 22:02

It’s definitely not appropriate for a four year old - it has some very frightening scenes. I’m often astonished at what people allow their small children to watch. My DD aged 7 is constantly asking if she can watch Wednesday because most people in her class supposedly watch it. Why are people so keen to force little kids to grow up so fast?

Jazzy21 · 10/02/2023 22:03

Nope, wouldn’t let my 5 year old and 7 year old watch this!!

frenchnoodle · 10/02/2023 22:03

Even in this thread you have people talking about the Brendan Fraser films and then others talking about the one from 2017.

Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 22:14

frenchnoodle · 10/02/2023 22:03

Even in this thread you have people talking about the Brendan Fraser films and then others talking about the one from 2017.

Hang on, I thought the Brendan Fraser on was the ONLY one? runs off to google 2017 mummy

Eccle80 · 10/02/2023 22:16

DemonHost · 10/02/2023 21:46

I think it’s totally irresponsible bordering on child mental abuse, the age ratings are there for a reason.

Given that the rating in cinemas is 12A, meaning that under 12s can watch it as long as they are with an adult, I really don’t think showing a 12 to a 4 year old would be anything like child abuse!

AegonT · 10/02/2023 22:19

No way. My 7 year old wouldn't be allowed to watch it. I use Common Sense Media too. Sometimes childminders or after-school club or camp show her stuff for older kids but not grown-up films like that.

Eccle80 · 10/02/2023 22:22

If we are talking about the Brendan Fraser version, it looks like that was originally a 12A at the cinema, after some cuts compared to the original US version, but more recent DVD releases have been 15.

My general view of 12s is that it depends on the child and the film, as I find films within that rating can be quite variable as to what they contain - I guess maybe reflecting that some only just miss being a PG whilst others narrowly escape being a 15. I have no issues with younger children watching many of the films that are rated 12, but 4 is probably too young for the majority, and the Mummy is also at the more intense end of 12s

AlbertaAnnie · 10/02/2023 22:23

how have you not seen the mummy! It’s great! I would let mine but only as she isn’t as sensitive as some - I probably wouldn’t have let my son when he was the same age. My daughter absolutely loves the gremlins and I think that’s a 15? Depends on the kid and the parents!

Eranzer · 10/02/2023 22:34

😂😂😂

Fucking people these days.

Aldith · 10/02/2023 23:06

I remember when I was younger at the start of the film they would talk about the classification. I can’t remember the exact wording but it would talk about a PG film as possibly containing some milder swear words but also saying it should not disturb children from around 8 years old.

I would not have shown any version of The Mummy PG or 12A to somebody else’s four year old. When I was 18 I was asked to stay over at someone’s house overnight to watch her 8 year old. I had been childminding this boy for two years after school so I agreed. I took Cool Runnings for us to watch which is a PG but still asked his mum before putting it on.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 10/02/2023 23:10

Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 22:14

Hang on, I thought the Brendan Fraser on was the ONLY one? runs off to google 2017 mummy

Show quote history

DON'T DO IT, YOU WILL REGRET IT FOREVER.

Seriously, there is a reason, a tiny, little speck of a reason - albeit with an ego the size of a planet - that the entire Universal Monsters franchise reboot was abandoned after Little Stumpy Legs and Russell-Crowe-as-Ray-Winstone got involved.

frenchnoodle · 10/02/2023 23:21

Roundabout78 · 10/02/2023 22:14

Hang on, I thought the Brendan Fraser on was the ONLY one? runs off to google 2017 mummy

Show quote history

There has been "The Mummy" films since there has been films

cadburyegg · 10/02/2023 23:40

I wouldn't let either of my dc watch it and they are 8 and nearly 5

saltinesandcoffeecups · 10/02/2023 23:40

@TetherEndOfMy

Just a question… but what are you looking for as a next step?

Clearly he can’t ‘unwatch’ the movie at this point, he was mildly frightened by it at bedtime, but in your own words moved past relatively quickly. Honestly, as unintended as it was, I’d count it as a win and tuck this away in your back pocket to remind him of when other scary things come up.

“Remember that movie that scared you until you remembered it was just people dressed up telling a story… you were a little scared, but you were ok…It’s ok to be scared like that, and it’s ok to think about it and not be scared”.

Some children are terrified at age appropriate things.. he seems to be coping ok with a slightly more mature movie. I’d let it it go.

Galadriel90 · 10/02/2023 23:42

I have a 7 year old and I don't let him watch 12s. It's lazy parenting.

xprincessxjanetx · 10/02/2023 23:45

I have bad memories of this movie from when I was a child! The scarab beetles horrified me for ages! (I was 7 when it came out)...I still wouldn't choose to watch it now so YANBU.

Abouttimemum · 10/02/2023 23:51

I wouldn’t let my 4 year old watch that tbh. I presume the Brendan Fraser one and not the Tom cruise one!

To be fair my DS doesn’t watch anything for more than 20 minutes anyway 😂

Sometimeswinning · 10/02/2023 23:51

Galadriel90 · 10/02/2023 23:42

I have a 7 year old and I don't let him watch 12s. It's lazy parenting.

Not really. It's knowing your child. My dd watched Jurassic Park at 3. She wore out the dvd. To this day she has very little interest in dinosaurs but its a franchise she will sit and watch with us at 13.

I'd have had her watch the mummy with us but it bored her at such a young age. I grew up on Indiana Jones so I'm maybe less sensitive to make believe.

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