Some PG-rated movies present chilling scenarios ("Tangled") while some R-rated ones offer uplifting life lessons ("The King's Speech"). How do parents decide what's OK for their kids?



Parent advice



View it first without them, and use your best judgment. I say, let them see movies that profess courage to do the difficult, like "The King's Speech."



— Jean Rubinson



Regarding "Tangled," all my kids loved it. This movie had some very dark themes, with the "mother" manipulating Rapunzel. I talked with my kids about this afterward, and they seemed unfazed. Maybe they have learned to associate all evil intent and behavior in movies with "bad guys."



— Jennifer Polizzi



Before I let my children see any movie, I research and often preview the movie myself. I also will ask the opinions of level-headed parents who have already taken their own children.



— Dawn DeGrazia



I absolutely believe each child is different in what they can handle. My 7-year-old urban daughter will watch the "Time Warp" scene from "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and process it as a crazy dance with silly people, while my older stepchildren who live in a rural area find the scene scary and confusing. Obviously I don't show the rest of the movie for its violent and sexual nature, but I know moving forward what images each can process.



— Lynn Olejniczak



Expert advice



Caroline Knorr, parenting editor at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that helps parents manage the media and technology in their kids' lives, says it can be particularly tricky to decide whether PG and PG-13 movies are OK. That's why commonsense.org's reviewers evaluate "all of the hot-button issues, like sex, violence, consumerism and even what messages a movie is sending," she said.



Even if some of the content is iffy, Knorr can see allowing a tween to see a movie if it's based on a beloved book, or if its messages are positive or reinforce your family's values. "But discuss any scary or envelope-pushing scenes to prepare your kid in advance and discuss them afterward too," she said.



"If there are no consequences for bad behavior, or if the bad guys get rewarded, that's a no-go in my house," she said. "I also don't like movies that reinforce 'mean girls' behavior, even if the popular girls get their comeuppance, because the likelihood of modeling their bad behavior is high."



She notes that kids become capable of distinguishing fantasy from reality around age 7 or 8. But also take into account your child's particular sensitivities.



Even some G-rated movies have gateway language such as "sucks," or action that might concern parents. "I'm in a very tiny minority of parents who thought 'Cars' was a little on the extreme side — all those cars crashing scared me!" Knorr said.



Some G-movies can be in 3-D, which studies suggest may not be great for young eyes.



"And don't think that just because a movie got a G rating then it is OK to take really young kids," Knorr said. "The huge screen, the loud music and sounds can all be too much for little ones."



When on the fence, wait until a movie hits the small screen, "so you can potentially skip past some of the parts you feel are a little questionable," Knorr said. "You also have the right to say no!"



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