What age to start letting kids watch horror movies?

[Anonymous]

My 12 year old is telling me he hears his 6th grade peers (boys) talking about horror movies they've seen and is asking when he can see one. This seems early to me. They've seen Silence of the Lambs, some newer ones I've never heard of, Scream, etc. My friend lets her 13 year old daughter watch all kinds of horror movies. I'm confused. I don't think I watched them till I was about 14 ot 15. Back in the day of the old Stephen King movies. Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

16+

[Anonymous]

Then how is it that so many of my son's peers have seen these movies? I can't figure it out. Parents too busy with their careers to care?

[Anonymous]

My twelve year old just had a scary movie night with her friends last night. Not sure what they watched, but I didn't think it was a big deal..

[Anonymous]

Never in my house. I hate them. I don't think they add any value to anything. They give kids pictures in their heads, sounds and sights that give people nightmares and make them have fears they didn't have before.

I am sure at some point they will watch a horror movie at someone else's house and so be it. Once they are adults they can watch as many as they want.

[Anonymous]

I was around 12 when I saw Silence of the Lambs.

Why don't you let him watch a horror movie he's interested in seeing, but at home, in the bright daylight, when you're home, and see how things go from there.

If he wakes having peed his bed and screaming from nightmares, you say "That's why I don't let you watch horror movies."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twelve year old just had a scary movie night with her friends last night. Not sure what they watched, but I didn't think it was a big deal..

Do you care?

[Anonymous]

My 9 and 10 year olds and I watched Jaws a couple weeks ago. I was younger when I saw it on HBO as a kid. I remember sitting behind my dad's knees while he laid down on the couch.

[Anonymous]

how about Night of the Living Dead? I was in my twenties when I saw that and it scared the hell out of me then.

[Anonymous]

I was scared out of my mind by horror movies my parents let me watch when I was 12. I wanted to watch them -- begged. But I wish they had said no, because I was scared at night for years and dreaded bed time every late afternoon and evening for a long time. Not a pleasant way to grow up.

[Anonymous]

Does he want to watch horror films or does he want to fit in? What is his motivation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twelve year old just had a scary movie night with her friends last night. Not sure what they watched, but I didn't think it was a big deal..

Do you care?

you don't know what they watched?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I think he's curious about horror films and thinks it will be an adrenaline rush since he hears how exciting they are from peers. He isn't begging but asking why I am not in favor when his school peers' parents seem to be letting them. I don't know those parents so not sure what kinds of limits they are setting.

[Anonymous]

Never! DH and I both hate them!

In reality, not sure. It will depend on when we think he's ready. Probably HS.

[Anonymous]

I would check commonsensemedia.org (or .com) for each movie.

I'm also concerned because lots of those movies sort of mix sex and violence or terror, so it's sort of arousing to watch the girl (you know, it's usually a girl--boys get dispatched rather quickly) in various scenes of terror/undress/pain, but she looks sort of "good/pretty" or "aroused" at the same time…and this is the age where boys are developing what turns them on sexually.