Refusing permission for camp field trip

[Anonymous]

My 6 year old is very sensitive and needs a lot of coaching through sad content. I would not be okay with a day camp taking a “field trip” to a PG movie. That’s not what I pay for when I sign a 6 year old up for camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6 year old is very sensitive and needs a lot of coaching through sad content. I would not be okay with a day camp taking a “field trip” to a PG movie. That’s not what I pay for when I sign a 6 year old up for camp.

NP +1 Same situation here with a very sensitive 6 year old.

Don't feel bad, OP. Parental guidance needs exactly that - parental guidance. It's not about whether some random 20 year old supervising kids at a camp thinks it's appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

My "kids" are 31 and 35 now. They had lots o sleepovers growing up. Many times when they came home after the sleepover I would learn that the parents of their friends let them watch ""R" rated movies. I was not happy.
I remember taking my kids to see Jurrasic Park when they were 6 and 10 and they couldn't handle it. We left the theater.

[Anonymous]

I would love to hear how this worked out. As someone who lost her mind while watching the G-rated Search for Santa Paws (spoiler alert: the dog DIES), I totally appreciate the desire to monitor what my kids are seeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Is the new Aladdin scary/inappropriate? I seriously just told the babysitter she can take my kids to see Aladdin today, but they’re not super sensitive about movies, so I didn’t bother to check. And what was scary about the animated version?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Is the new Aladdin scary/inappropriate? I seriously just told the babysitter she can take my kids to see Aladdin today, but they’re not super sensitive about movies, so I didn’t bother to check. And what was scary about the animated version?

I would say there are a few dark moments and it’s suspenseful for sure. My 4 year old is usually a bit sensitive and didn’t have any problems with it other than constantly asking for snacks...

[Anonymous]

If the live-action Aladdin, my 7yo needed comfort through the whole first half. She has seen the animated many times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Nope and ET definitely scarred me, I had trouble falling asleep for years and still feel bad for my kid self. Op knows her kid best. I know mine and they would not get scared of any of those movies.

Yes, I was just going to post about ET and the Goonies. I was the only second grader who didn’t want to watch E.T., which was meant to be a treat. After ten minutes of hiding my face with my hands, my teachers let me sit in some office with a book. I was so much happier.

I would call to confirm the arrangements for students who don’t want to go to the movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Nope and ET definitely scarred me, I had trouble falling asleep for years and still feel bad for my kid self. Op knows her kid best. I know mine and they would not get scared of any of those movies.

Yes, I was just going to post about ET and the Goonies. I was the only second grader who didn’t want to watch E.T., which was meant to be a treat. After ten minutes of hiding my face with my hands, my teachers let me sit in some office with a book. I was so much happier.

I would call to confirm the arrangements for students who don’t want to go to the movie.

My dad let me watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with him when I was 7 because it was PG. jeeeeesus, I had nightmares for a full year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Nope and ET definitely scarred me, I had trouble falling asleep for years and still feel bad for my kid self. Op knows her kid best. I know mine and they would not get scared of any of those movies.

Yes, I was just going to post about ET and the Goonies. I was the only second grader who didn’t want to watch E.T., which was meant to be a treat. After ten minutes of hiding my face with my hands, my teachers let me sit in some office with a book. I was so much happier.

I would call to confirm the arrangements for students who don’t want to go to the movie.

My dad let me watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with him when I was 7 because it was PG. jeeeeesus, I had nightmares for a full year!

Omg, I was just coming into this thread to chime in with a similar story. I was 7, at a summer camp while my parents were traveling and I was staying with my grandmother. They showed us a movie at the camp, on the stage area of the Rec Hall where they closed the curtains and made it dark. It was Indiana Jones and the Temple of zdoom and I was petrified. I tried to leave, to go sit outside of the stage area but they wouldn’t let me. It was awful. I went home and had horrible nightmares and my grandmother yelled at me for being “bad” because I was crying and couldn’t sleep. It really did scar me and even now I don’t enjoy scary movies.

We took our sensitive 5yo to the Lion asking and he was freaked out and we left the theater during the very scary moments. A friend said Aladdin is even more intense.

[Anonymous]

Makes me appreciate my kid who is not a sissy.

[Anonymous]

Hi, this is OP, surprised to see this thread pop up weeks later. The camp tried to say there would be no staff to stay back with my 6 year old, but another parent overhead and said their kid didn't have permission either. The camp ended up staffing a room for six or so kids who didn't go.

I didn't say anything, beyond declining the field trip, but after that week they overhauled the field trips for the remaining weeks to be more age and theme appropriate (it is an art and sports camp, movies were never advertised).

[Anonymous]

OP, thanks for the update. So yours ended up being one of six kids who stayed behind! Glad to hear the camp staff are reevaluating what they take the kids to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Toy Story 4. I think that talking dolls are scary and will traumatize my DC. She's not even 9 yet.

HAHAHA

My 3 and 6 year olds loved it.

[Anonymous]

No wonder kids are such special snowflakes. Coaching a 6 year old at G movie is nuts.