More Than Just PG-13: Why We Need Open Communication About Movies

When I was child, though I am still a child, I was so attracted to watching movies; in fact, I loved movies, especially when it was a season movie. I was so attracted to watching supernatural, fiction, and superhero movies. I mean movies where you don't see normal humans but those with superpowers and special abilities like teleportation, telekinesis, and the like.

Magical movies are not to be excluded as well. I love magic, and it is hard to find a movie where the magician does not have the ability to move things with their minds. As a child, I loved these sorts of movies, and they are what I really enjoy even as an adult.

Movies today have grown from what they used to be when I was younger; now most movies have a lot of explicit contents. If it is PG 13, you might see some traces of sexuality or even homosexuality in these movies, which is not safe for children.

In this post, I will be sharing how my parents were able to guide what we watched while I was younger and my approach to the way I will do things when I have kids of my own.

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

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As a parent, it is paramount we regulate the kind of content to which our kids are exposed and, at the same time, let them understand what they mean instead of totally hiding it from them. They should also be informed about the consequences of trying out things shown on television that should not be tried at home or anywhere else.

While I was a child, I could remember that my parents did not allow myself and my siblings to watch movies during the week but instead spend the time at in our rooms studying and writing our assignments. The only time we are allowed to watch television is during the weekend, from Friday until Sunday, and then the circle starts again on Sunday.

Since we watch movies during the weekend, my parents are always around to know what we are watching. They always change the channel whenever they see that it contains something we should not be watching or tell us that this is adult content.

Although the memory is not clear, I can remember my parents telling us about sex, what happens after, and why we need to be careful about it. They did not totally hide it from us but instead educated us about it.

They advised us to watch more Christian movies and any other movies that promote morals instead of movies that have a lot of violence and immorality.

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Parenting in the Digital Age

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In this digital age, children can have a lot more access to movies than just television. The use of mobile devices by children is becoming rampant and even a technological need. So, there is a need for parents to regulate these contents in order to protect the child from trying out something that can endanger his/her future or state of mind.

When I become a parent, I will take it into action to discuss contents with my children beforehand, let them know that these contents are harmful and why they are not being allowed to watch them, and if they get in contact with them beyond parental control, they should know why they need not to watch them.

I may not be as strict with my kids as my parents were with me, but I will borrow from the aspect where they had to sit with me on a regular basis to advise me and also suggest what type of movies they should be watching that can be helpful to them as a person.

So, if the kids come along a PG-13 movie that contains contents that should not be seen, they will know what to do.