Refusing permission for camp field trip

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did our parents have all this angst and handwringing when we were growing up?

My parents were incredibly strict. I don't think I saw a movie in a theater until I was 10yo.

But really, it didn't scar me for life. My own child is 4, and I have no intention of taking her to a movie anytime soon (though I'm not waiting until 10 like my own parents).

Personally I'm more concerned about the very loud volume of movies. I wear earplugs when I go to the theater. Can't really expect young kids to do that on their own at camp. Hearing loss is real, y'all (I say that as the child of a parent with significant hearing loss).

[Anonymous]

Dumbest thing ever. Let your child or stay home. You knew the movie. Movie release dates are projected rather early. If you knew they would go to the movie in advance but still had no idea what the movie would be then you wouldn’t sign the form to give permission. No place will stay with your child one on one due to liability. Do you even think that’s safe?

[Anonymous]

Just a fun story about the 80s:

We had a taped-off-tv version of A Nightmare on Elm Street when I was growing up. My brother had taped it without my parent's knowledge (he was 6 years older than me). We didn't have too many movies around so I watched this ALL THE TIME. It totally gave me a nightmares, ahem. I was probably 8 or so? The real appalling thing is NONE of the violence was edited out, but they did bleep when someone said "sh*t" or "b*tch". Ahhhh, the good old days when you could watch someone get sliced open on network tv but not hear a curse word!

I'm thinking of taking my 5 year old to Toy Story 4 though.

[Anonymous]

I have a 12 and 9 who don't want to watch any movie that could be the least bit scary or sad. And she has a 6 year old? and most are 8 and under.

They should do a G movie or nothing, but should still provide alternate care.

[Anonymous]

for those criticizing and judging the OP, does it make you feel that you are so much better than she is? I mean, isnt she the one that would know her child the best? Are you the same people that feign acceptance when it comes to other issues discussed on this board? would it hurt to at least try and be nice and if not, just don't say anything? If OP doesn't want her child to see the movie, she has every right to not allow her child to not see it. OP, since there is an option to let your child stay behind, then go ahead and have hom stay behind. not a big deal and ignore the posters who have worked themselves up over this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for those criticizing and judging the OP, does it make you feel that you are so much better than she is? I mean, isnt she the one that would know her child the best? Are you the same people that feign acceptance when it comes to other issues discussed on this board? would it hurt to at least try and be nice and if not, just don't say anything? If OP doesn't want her child to see the movie, she has every right to not allow her child to not see it. OP, since there is an option to let your child stay behind, then go ahead and have hom stay behind. not a big deal and ignore the posters who have worked themselves up over this.

I completely agree. My child was very sensitive about movies when she was younger. It's not that uncommon. And if they are sending out permission slips, then it cannot be completely unexpected that some children will not go on this or that field trip for whatever reason, so I've bet they've dealt with this before. I'm sure they can work it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did our parents have all this angst and handwringing when we were growing up?

My parents refused to let me go on a trip to the Bronx Zoo when I was in Kindergarten. She convinced another mom to keep her kid back, and still sent us to school that day. Still haven’t been to the Bronx Zoo!

[Anonymous]

I bet the movie is Aladdin.

It's rated PG, and OP knows it's inappropriate (for her & family) because she's seen it before when it was animated.

Otherwise it would be MUCH weirder if she goes to midnight showings of PG movies to screen them before Snowflake sees them.

I bet the Camp admins remember it fondly, but forgot some of the scarier or inappropriate parts (I'm definitely guilty of this with my own kids.)

I watched the trailer, and frankly, it does look scary. OP is the one who knows how her kids will handle it. There's a good chance her son has a huge fear of Genies (my DD had a paralyzing fear of gorillas for a very long time.)

Given that the movie is PG, I think it would be reasonable for OP to gently object and ask if there is alternative childcare. OR maybe there's a smaller group of kids who could see a different movie at the same time with a counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the movie and how old is your kid?

Those answers will determine if you are being a jerk.

6 year old and pg movie - you aren’t being a jerk.

+1

If they are taking kids that age to a movie, they need to choose something G-rated. Period. Little kids can be much more sensitive to things, and can find things scary or upsetting that wouldn't bother an older kid or an adult at all. "PG" means that some material may not be suitable for children, and parental guidance is necessary. So it's fine for OP to exercise that parental guidance and say that her kid can't go to the movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 12 and 9 who don't want to watch any movie that could be the least bit scary or sad. And she has a 6 year old? and most are 8 and under.

They should do a G movie or nothing, but should still provide alternate care.

I agree. I have a kid who is really sensitive to scary/sad things in movies, even cartoons. Other kids her age can and do watch and enjoy movies that she just can't handle. I'm not going to make her watch a movie that will scare her, make her cry, etc. It's a movie. If it's not fun, what's the point? If they are going to choose a movie that is explicitly labelled as being potentially unsuitable for kids, then they can't be surprised that all the kids don't go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did our parents have all this angst and handwringing when we were growing up?

My parents were incredibly strict. I don't think I saw a movie in a theater until I was 10yo.

But really, it didn't scar me for life. My own child is 4, and I have no intention of taking her to a movie anytime soon (though I'm not waiting until 10 like my own parents).

Personally I'm more concerned about the very loud volume of movies. I wear earplugs when I go to the theater. Can't really expect young kids to do that on their own at camp. Hearing loss is real, y'all (I say that as the child of a parent with significant hearing loss).

I knew plenty of kids who were not allowed to watch certain movies, or categories of movies, when I was growing up, and this was in the 1980s. Some parents let their kids watch anything, but plenty were vigilant and had strict rules. My own parents wouldn't let me watch any horror movies, even as a tween, because they gave me nightmares.

More to the point, if you have good reason to believe that a movie is going to upset/scare your child, why would you make him go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for those criticizing and judging the OP, does it make you feel that you are so much better than she is? I mean, isnt she the one that would know her child the best? Are you the same people that feign acceptance when it comes to other issues discussed on this board? would it hurt to at least try and be nice and if not, just don't say anything? If OP doesn't want her child to see the movie, she has every right to not allow her child to not see it. OP, since there is an option to let your child stay behind, then go ahead and have hom stay behind. not a big deal and ignore the posters who have worked themselves up over this.

Cool story bro. OP asked if she was being a jerk. People are responding. This is how it works here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the movie and how old is your kid?

Those answers will determine if you are being a jerk.

6 year old and pg movie - you aren’t being a jerk.

+1

If they are taking kids that age to a movie, they need to choose something G-rated. Period. Little kids can be much more sensitive to things, and can find things scary or upsetting that wouldn't bother an older kid or an adult at all. "PG" means that some material may not be suitable for children, and parental guidance is necessary. So it's fine for OP to exercise that parental guidance and say that her kid can't go to the movie.

+2

[Anonymous]

Took my 6 and 3yr old to see toy story 4, neither were scared. My 6yr old is sensitive and the only movie that has ever scared him was The Good Dinosaur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would refuse and not feel bad about it. Some of these camp directors are really clueless.

This, I have probably the only movie hating kid so I wouldn't think twice about saying no.