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WootBot


 quality posts: 14 Private Messages WootBot

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When I was 3, I distinctly remember watching and subsequently being terrorized by the movie Poltergeist. I promise you that my parents were not bad parents. I was actually quite sheltered from movies and TV shows with violence, gore and gratuitous adult situations.

I think maybe they let that one slide because I was just on the cusp of awareness, whereas before the rationale was "she's just a baby, she doesn't know what's going on." Little did they know, it scarred me for life. (Just kidding, mom and dad!)

So now that I have a son of my own, and my husband and I are prone to watching movies and shows that are wildly inappropriate for children, I wonder at what age I need to start worrying about it. Or should I be worrying about it already? He's 7 months.

Incidentally, I also have the mouth of a sailor. It's something that I take great pride in and consider to be a significant part of my self-identity. I masterfully weave profanity into daily conversation with the art and skill of … I dunno … someone who weaves really well. Obviously I'm being facetious, but it has occurred to me that if I don't start locking it up, my son's first word might just be the F dash dash dash word. And as funny as that may seem at first, I'm sure it would lose it's luster quite quickly.

So what do you think, fellow parents? At what age do you need to start seriously worrying about what your kid is watching on TV, and also the filth that can (totally by accident of course) sometimes come flying out of your mouth?

Photo by Flickr member dougbelshaw, used under a Creative Commons License.

Zephrix


 quality posts: 0 Private Messages Zephrix

2 or 3ish. But I wouldn't watch anything "graphically" scary around 1 or later.

Our 3 yr old, has used some words in the correct context, so apparently we didn't stop soon enough.

lancer843


 quality posts: 0 Private Messages lancer843

Always until about age 12 or 13 depending on the maturity of your child. Around that age I think that they can see the more intense movies. Until then, I rarely slip in a pg-13.

325imax


 quality posts: 0 Private Messages 325imax

The time to be responsible is now. Especially with what comes out of your mouth. As for TV, does your child watch TV yet? Some small children watch the tube because of the sounds and lights, and others just play with their rattle and toys. When your child starts to show interest, Turn it off.

amynance


 quality posts: 5 Private Messages amynance

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325imax wrote:As for TV, does your child watch TV yet?



He does. He also really loves the computer. So when we noticed that he was paying attention, we started playing Sesame Street videos on YouTube and he's mesmerized ... for 2-3 minutes at a time.

amynance


 quality posts: 5 Private Messages amynance

Staff

Zephrix wrote:
Our 3 yr old, has used some words in the correct context, so apparently we didn't stop soon enough.



I know it shouldn't, but that cracked me up.

ThunderThighs


 quality posts: 318 Private Messages ThunderThighs

Staff

Heh, I had to clean up my language when son was born too. I figured I might as well start early as it takes practice. I'd still slip but it was easier when he got older to tell him that he wasn't to use those words and especially not outside the house. Now that he's 21, I'm pretty much cuss up a storm. Sigh.

As for movies, our son had the attention span of a gnat so we didn't have to worry too much about them when he was really young. When he was 3+, we made sure they were appropriate.

We weren't strict on the ratings so much as teaching him when things were appropriate. My ex introduced our son to South Park at a pretty young age (sigh). It just mean reinforcing that stuff you see on TV and movies may not be appropriate in real life. For the most part, it worked pretty darn well. We never got a call from school for inappropriate behavior anyway.


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healthstatus


 quality posts: 0 Private Messages healthstatus

My three year old (who is now 25) came back from his grandma's house one day, we asked him what he had done over there. He replied, "We made damn cookies!", I asked if they were any good and he said "Not good". Upon questioning the grandma, the cookies came out burned and flat and she had said, "These damn cookies aren't turning out." and our little magpie had picked up on it.

In a car parking lot someone almost hit us in our car, I screamed "a**-hole", and a little 2 year old voice from the backseat echoed for me.

linke79


 quality posts: 0 Private Messages linke79

I have a filthy mouth, but I've always been careful about my language in front of all kids, so that's never been a problem for me.
As for movies, my 1 year old screamed at me today during dinner.."IF YOU DON'T EAT WITH ME YOU DON'T EAT AT ALLLL!" which is a line from Beauty and the Beast. She also loves to scream, "MOMMY..YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH THAT BOAT!" when I'm near her toys (that's from Finding Nemo). Basically, movies have turned her into an a-hole and I've only let her watch rated G movies. She would probably shoot me and call me a "B" if I let her watch anything PG.

CDubbs684


 quality posts: 1 Private Messages CDubbs684

Pretty much once they start paying attention to the screen or sit down specifically because you are putting in a movie. If they pay attention to the screen 3/4ths of the time, they are beginning to understand the varied scenes elements of something larger, rather than disparate episodes with the same characters.

This time is important not because they "get it" at this point, rather because they will "get it" soon.

You (hopefully) don't lower the bottom of the crib after they can climb out.

For my son, this time is 18 months.

If it won't matter when I'm 90, it's no big deal.
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