As we worked on our list for this year Jack mentioned that he's ready to go to the next level of scary movies. As a fan of Jaws, a genre he calls "sharksploitation", and anything monster related we figured he is ready for some more intense movies. This also allows us to up our rotation of Halloween movies which has gotten a bit stale as of late.
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What Scares You, Probably Isn't the Same as What Scares Your Kid
I am afraid of what real people are capable of, think cults, demon worship, things like that. I know that's not what keeps my kids up at night, however creeping around and jumps scares do. So keep this in mind when exploring scary movies with your kids.
Screen Movies in Advance
If you haven't seen the movie and are unsure, watch it in advance. This way, even if you do go ahead and watch it you know when to pause for warnings, cuddles, ad more. If you've watched the movie a long time ago, check out other parental reviews for potential pitfalls.
Ask Your Kids If They Want Spoilers
Molly is much more likely to watch a movie that she's on the fence about if I let her know that there is a happy ending, or that all deaths are bad guys. If I answer the question surrounding whatever is stressing her about the film, so long as she doesn't provide spoilers for others we're all set.
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Use Online Resources
Sites like Common Sense Media provide a good picture of what to look out for in a movie to see if it's a deal breaker for you or your kids depending on the content. I find the reviews for kids, by kids, most helpful when deciding whether or not to let my kids watch.
Rating Systems Exist for a Reason
If a movie is R, it's usually for a reason. Find out why and make an informed decision.
Have Them Read the Book or Graphic Novel First
They'll know what to expect and it gets them reading! Win Win.
Image Courtesy of The Crow Fandom
Often the Older the Movie, the Less Scary It Is
If old special effects don't hold up well, odds are your kid won't be as scared as you were when you originally watched the content when you were knee high to a grasshopper. That being said, some horror movies are timeless and remain scary decades later.
Turn it off on Request
If they have had enough, turn it off. Same goes for if they want to leave the room for a particularly intense scene and return when it's done.
Ask Other Parents
I know that my kids are up for more intense content than some of their peers. I always get excited when another parent mentions their kid watched something that I thought might be too scary for my kids because it gives me assurance that my kids can handle it.
Take Notes and Learn Limits
If something doesn't work this year you can return to it in a couple of years. If one kid is really into something you can let them watch it while the other kid gets to watch something else. We've just had to remember to ban Jack from talking about something he watched that may scare Molly.
At the end of the day it's all trial and error. The other night we watched Ghost with resounding success (Molly loves comeuppance). Later this week we're going to try The Sixth Sense.
What movies have you let your big kids/tweens/teens watch this Halloween and how did it go?
