8 year old totally resistant to watching movies

[Anonymous]

I’m very smart and there are very few movies that I can sit through. Such a waste of time. Would rather read a book or two in that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have what I think is a typical 8 year old girl, except for one thing: she hates watching movies. She would rather do nothing or go to bed early than curl up and watch a Christmas movie, and I can count on two hands the movies she’s been willing to watch over the course of her entire life.

We can get her to watch the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and White Christmas 2-3 times per year each. She’s seen a handful of Disney movies. And that’s it. Even when she hears about great movies from her friends, she has zero FOMO and zero desire to watch new movies.

She loves TV shows, especially ones that are a bit young for her age, and she reads a lot with extremely strong comprehension and at a level a few years higher than her grade.

Should I be worried about an issue that’s keeping her from understanding movies? She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

Would processing speed affect her ability to follow and enjoy movies?

This is my DD (now an adult). I tried taking her to theater, plays, ballet, etc. but she always wanted to leave. We got a late diagnosis on her for Aspergers (ASD), ADHD and an anxiety disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she have difficulty recognizing new faces?

This is an interesting insight. I struggled to watch movies as a kid as well and I also had a terrible time following characters as I couldn’t recognize or remember their faces from scene to scene. I also had undiagnosed ADHD and it was hard for me to sit still for 2.5 hours. I’m highly intelligent otherwise and seem to have grown out of it now as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never been into watching movies, though to be fair I wasn’t exposed to that many as a kid. Read a lot when I was child. [b]Graduated from an Ivy.

You do know that people who graduate from "an Ivy" also can and do enjoy movies, right?

She probably only said that because someone else suggested low processing speed might be to blame for not liking movies.

[Anonymous]

It can be anxiety. My kid was like this and it was the music building anticipation causing big strong emotional feelings they did not enjoy. Especially anything adventurous or scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

This is similar to my child, also not a big movie watcher at that age but now, as a teenager, watches a typical amount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have what I think is a typical 8 year old girl, except for one thing: she hates watching movies. She would rather do nothing or go to bed early than curl up and watch a Christmas movie, and I can count on two hands the movies she’s been willing to watch over the course of her entire life.

We can get her to watch the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and White Christmas 2-3 times per year each. She’s seen a handful of Disney movies. And that’s it. Even when she hears about great movies from her friends, she has zero FOMO and zero desire to watch new movies.

She loves TV shows, especially ones that are a bit young for her age, and she reads a lot with extremely strong comprehension and at a level a few years higher than her grade.

Should I be worried about an issue that’s keeping her from understanding movies? She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

Would processing speed affect her ability to follow and enjoy movies?

OP, can you articulate why this matters so much to you? Is it anxiety about attention? Wanting to have a relaxing hobby to share? Something else?

[Anonymous]

If your concerns are based on anxiety over possible LDs or attention issues, ask Jeff to move to SN forum.

[Anonymous]

My kid doesn’t like movies either. It bothers my husband but I don’t care. She thinks it wastes too much time and she would rather be doing something.

[Anonymous]

I didn't like movies as a kid and rarely watch them as an adult. I love TV and have no problem with attention span, but the idea of sitting down to a two hour movie fills me with inexplicable dread.

[Anonymous]

My DD also actively avoids movies. For her it’s the emotional roller coaster of movies that she doesn’t like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have what I think is a typical 8 year old girl, except for one thing: she hates watching movies. She would rather do nothing or go to bed early than curl up and watch a Christmas movie, and I can count on two hands the movies she’s been willing to watch over the course of her entire life.

We can get her to watch the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and White Christmas 2-3 times per year each. She’s seen a handful of Disney movies. And that’s it. Even when she hears about great movies from her friends, she has zero FOMO and zero desire to watch new movies.

She loves TV shows, especially ones that are a bit young for her age, and she reads a lot with extremely strong comprehension and at a level a few years higher than her grade.

Should I be worried about an issue that’s keeping her from understanding movies? She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

Would processing speed affect her ability to follow and enjoy movies?

OP, can you articulate why this matters so much to you? Is it anxiety about attention? Wanting to have a relaxing hobby to share? Something else?

It’s anxiety related

[Anonymous]

My daughter was exactly like this. In kindergarten she cried at movies and had to sit in the library while other kids watched. She watched PBS as a preschooler but was still alarmed if a cartoon character was upset. It was total anxiety. Gifted children are often very attuned to emotional layers and are really distraught. We did not have the TV on much and she was not used to it. She finally got over it when she realized that at school they were only showing educational movies and not Chainsaw Massacre!

I had a student or two like this, also, over the years.

My daughter taught herself to read before kindergarten and just preferred books, because they are not so visually stimulating.

I get very bored at movies and rarely watch any and I don’t watch TV at all. Your daughter might enjoy watching twenty minutes at a time and then doing something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have what I think is a typical 8 year old girl, except for one thing: she hates watching movies. She would rather do nothing or go to bed early than curl up and watch a Christmas movie, and I can count on two hands the movies she’s been willing to watch over the course of her entire life.

We can get her to watch the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and White Christmas 2-3 times per year each. She’s seen a handful of Disney movies. And that’s it. Even when she hears about great movies from her friends, she has zero FOMO and zero desire to watch new movies.

She loves TV shows, especially ones that are a bit young for her age, and she reads a lot with extremely strong comprehension and at a level a few years higher than her grade.

Should I be worried about an issue that’s keeping her from understanding movies? She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

Would processing speed affect her ability to follow and enjoy movies?

My normal 7.5 year old does not like movies. She loves reading, karate, soccer, puzzles and all normal things but not movies. Why is it a concern if a child doesn't like movies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have what I think is a typical 8 year old girl, except for one thing: she hates watching movies. She would rather do nothing or go to bed early than curl up and watch a Christmas movie, and I can count on two hands the movies she’s been willing to watch over the course of her entire life.

We can get her to watch the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and White Christmas 2-3 times per year each. She’s seen a handful of Disney movies. And that’s it. Even when she hears about great movies from her friends, she has zero FOMO and zero desire to watch new movies.

She loves TV shows, especially ones that are a bit young for her age, and she reads a lot with extremely strong comprehension and at a level a few years higher than her grade.

Should I be worried about an issue that’s keeping her from understanding movies? She was tested because we worried she had a learning disability, but she is in 97-99th percentiles in every area except processing speed, which is low in comparison.

Would processing speed affect her ability to follow and enjoy movies?

My normal 7.5 year old does not like movies. She loves reading, karate, soccer, puzzles and all normal things but not movies. Why is it a concern if a child doesn't like movies?

Because watching movies is a huge part of US culture. Like signing your kid up for sports, getting a dog/cat, etc