So I took my kids to see endgame, (less than 10yr) They were fidgeting throughout the movie, got pretty scared in some parts of the movie. But they manage to shake everything off on the word Avenger assemble... How cool was that scene? In any case, I had to sleep with my kids that night coz he was having nightmares. To put all of these in context, I think he needed to see this movie to trigger discussions with his friends, I know this movie is not a definitive topic to discuss, but it helps as catalysts. That's why I took him to see it disregarding whatever problems that comes with it afterwards and deal with it. In hindsight, I was thinking why this wasn't such a big problem for me when I was a kid, then it dawned on me. As a kid, I was watching power rangers and such, and everything was so campy that I had no problems, turned out so was my kid. These new movies are so frekin realistic that you just can't take your perspective out of the realism of it all. So I'd like to know your opinion on this
I don't know if the problem is the movie or your kids because when I was 6 years old I was watching American Pie and The texas chainsaw massacre.with my parents. Edit: I'm realizing that I was not a normal kid, I hope that I unlock a system later or just recover my memories because don't looks normal.
I watched the Ring when I was 10 and other than being scared I don't think it was worth anyone's time to discuss my mental state then. Kill Bill's storyline for Lucy Liu's character gave me more nightmares. So I choose whatever troll option hurts most.
I watched Crime Scene Investigations every night as a child. Well... it made me develop a detective-like mindset to say the least, and as for blood... well, not so well.
Omg, how did u sleep after those movies? Ps; are you a psycho now? My kid can't spoil shit... But she kept on asking me what the hell was happening... The guys there was looking at me with death glare....
There was nothing wrong with it. The fact that I was watching Killer Clowns from Outer Space (1988) and Arachnophobia (1990) before I even turned 10 years old have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I dislike clowns or suffer very mild fear of spiders myself. I also saw Critters (1986), Critters 2 (1988), and Critters 3 (1991) before I was ten years old but I don't have an irrational fear of small furry cannibals from outer space or hedgehogs(similar appearance, kind of) though I might after watching that new Sonic movie.
As a parent, I think it's important to watch all sorts of things with your kids and then talk them through it and for them to see how you react to certain situations. It's a way to introduce concepts to children in a relatively safe environment. About children's sensitivities, My kids were/are also more sensitive than I was at their age...but then, my parents used to watch scary movies with us when I was a kid and frankly said that it was all just paper that can't hurt me. Telling me it was all sticks and stones and tricks was fine and then I just focused on learning how they did it. Giving us ideas to prank eachother. *LOLS* Maybe the difference with children today is that they live more in the 'head' world than we did when growing up? Computers, mobiles and games have made it easier to get lost in your own world. I didn't have easy access to computer when growing up and was more of a bookworm, but I hung out more with my friends and relatives than kids do these days.
Actually only Freddy gave me nightmares because as a kid you never see him actually die because he can come back. I did sleep with a light on for a few years though.
The first movie I ever saw in the the movie theater as a kid was Jurassic Park. I loved the movie and slept good.
Waiting until they are older doesn't help. I remember going with my mother and brother to see The Matrix (1999) when it came out. I knew absolutely nothing about the movie before I walked into the theater that day. Had not even seen the trailers. Yet mere moments into the movie as Neo is selling drugs to people, my mother turns and asks me what the movie is about. And continued to do so throughout the film. Despite my assertions that I had no f'n clue. And now she spoils me on shows I want to watch to the point that I don't even bother with some of them anymore. Goodbye Lost, goodbye Once Upon A Time. You both seemed so interesting.
"It" was the scariest shit in my days, But the spider thing on it looks garbage compared to lord of the rings stuff... That's what made them spooked in the first place... The realism of it all
If I look back to what really gave me scares where movies where there was a lot left to imagination. Like Freddy since he is someone who attacks you when you sleep and for several movies never dies just gets stunned? But movies like I.T. I watched as a kid and I was totally <bleeping> scared all movie until the ending... like once there was "closure" and I could placate myself with "reasons" why it would not happen to me even if it was real then I would be fine after a few days.
I watched Princess Mononoke and got nightmares of those blue creatures. Home Alone (a PG movie) made me scared robbers would break into our house until I entered high school. Pokemon made me break down sobbing a few times because I realized I'd have to leave for college someday. On the other hand, I watched some R rated wartime documentaries and didn't think anything in particular. My dad would tell me stories of when he was in the army and again, nothing. Kids will be scared. Comfort them, but why shelter them? tl;dr kids will be scared anyway. Even if you only let them watch G and PG movies they will be scared. Heck, if you take away their TV they will probably still end up scared. Don't take them to R movies but don't hide them away either.
But that all being said, let them see what you feel comfortable with them seeing. Of course consult the other parent as well. But remember at the end of the day, that between peers and the internet, you're unlikely to ever be able to truly monitor or manage what they are coming into contact with. Stop them from watching Endgame for example, they may watch an eye bleed copy off a streaming site with their phone or tablet or at computer a school or a friend's house. At least if you watch it with them, you can talk with them about it and have a frame of reference from which to work with. It doesn't always do you any good to know that 'Saw' scared them if you're not sure which part exactly they had a problem with. What if they didn't mind the blood, dismemberment, or creepy mask but rather by the police busting in with lights and explosions. Maybe gore doesn't bother them but jump scares do.
The scariest movie for me was The Exorcist. O.O I was brought up a Catholic and I understood everything they were talking about even though when I watched the movie I was only about 10. Still had lots of chats with a priest that was a family friend about it afterwards for a while. He earned his priest robes with me, I asked him all sorts of things. Never lost any sleep, it just increased my pursuit of being a good catholic person. (Oh so long ago) I watched it on TV cause back then you had to wait until these movies came on television to watch once they left the movie theatres. XD
This make me question how the people ago treated the kids's fear? In theory, the movie fear should be inofensive cuz it's just a movie, different of an animal that can kill you. I did not remember how I did deal with the fear. Edit: This is a good question to do "how do the old people dealt with certain things?
You got that right. When I was growing up it was hard to access this stuff....now you say no, and your child has so many ways to find the stuff. Still, the best way to parent is to be upfront, logical and step your kids through some aspects of life. Parents now are more like coaches, which is a different challenge to what my parents had.