Should 5 year-old kids be watching Star Wars??

[garybeck]

My 5 year old kid just came home from Kindergarten all upset because two of the boys in his class are all into Star Wars and he doesn't even know what it is. This really bothers me. I shouldn't have to expose my kids to violence that is not intended for such young ages, just because some of the other parents think it appropriate. Now my kid wants to know what it is, why he can't watch it...

WTF? It's no wonder we have a generation of young people who are addicted to tv, guns, violence, video games, ...

I realize Star Wars is not a super violent movie, but it's filled with guns, shooting, and things that my son just isn't ready for, nor should he be. I'm upset this is being shoved down my throat. I realize that I'm a little more protective and sheltering than the average parent but I think this is a little overboard. Aren't there enough great family/kids movies to fill a kindergartener's viewing time, that we can save Star Wars until they're 9 or 10? Some of the Star Wars episodes are PG-13, and for good reason! Kids this age should be watching movies that teach them about friendship and caring, not how to fight the evil empire with guns and swords. This is nuts! What's next?

[Dreamer Tatum]

1. I think there's some room between Star Wars and A Clockwork Orange

The violence in Star Wars is mostly stylized, unless Smith & Wesson has a new pistol that shoots lasers. I would be fine showing it to my kids.

[Barack_America]

2. Like the Indiana Jones series, for one.

I would show Star Wars to a five year old, no problem, provided they are able to sit through it.

Star Wars has a very basic "good vs. evil" message that I don't think is over the heads of many young children.

[Captain Hilts]

38. The Indiana Jones flick where Indy AND his father had sex with the same woman was the end for me. nt

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

116. Except for temple of doom.

The human sacrifice scene freaked me out even when I was a teenager. I don't think five year olds should see the still-beating heart ripped from someone's chest.

[Barack_America]

122. I meant to say that Indiana Jones in general...

...probably wouldn't be good for a 5 year old.

But yeah, creepy scene.

[gatorboy]

160. Temple of Doom is the reason we have the PG-13 rating.

Then again, Jaws was also PG.

[Deja Q]

3. Or anything Quentin Tarentino makes...

:hide:


And SW is fictional, not based in real life at all. There is a clearer difference.

Still, I like what the OP is doing -- pop culture can sully the soul.

[garybeck]

4. So because laser weapons are not real, that makes it OK?

I fail to see your logic. What exactly do you mean by "stylized?" If they were real guns it's not OK, but if they're laser guns it's OK?

My son has never seen a film with any kind of gun in it, "Smith and Wesson" or laser, or otherwise. The movie rating industry determined that these films are PG-13. I agree. I resent this being shoved down my throat.

[bbinacan]

9. So why did you ask

for opinions? :shrug:

[garybeck]

20. I'm not looking for personal advice on whether I should let my kids watch something or not.

I can figure that out myself, thank you.

I'm just trying to see if I'm virtually alone in my thinking.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. You're not alone in your thinking

That's why groups like the Parent's Television Council exist. To tell others what they shouldn't watch.

[garybeck]

29. thanks. nt.

[SidDithers]

166. Woosh...nt

Sid

[bbinacan]

30. That's what you asked. n/t

[sailor65]

35. Your OP title seems to ask that very question.

Which is why a lot of posters tried to help out with their opinions.

[garybeck]

151. Maybe you should read the OP again.

it says "should 5 year old kids...." not "should I let my 5 year old kid...."

if you read the OP it is pretty clear.

[cherokeeprogressive]

84. The subject line in your OP was an outright question that could be answered yes or no.

You asked. DU'ers responded.

Not too hard to figure out, is it?

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. Sounds like you made your mind up about this long before asking for help. nt

[garybeck]

22. see post #20.

[sailor65]

32. What about the rapid-fire fully automatic

crossbows in Shrek 2?

Pretty stylized......

[Ter]

74. Wrong

Only Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith is PG-13.

[Bjorn Against]

79. True, but the original trilogy came out before the PG-13 rating existed

I would guess that at the very least "The Empire Strikes Back" would have been a PG-13 if the rating had existed at the time of its release, I don't think they allow you to show a person getting his hand chopped off in a PG movie these days even if it doesn't show much blood.

[Ter]

88. But Anakin got his whole arm cut off in 2002's Epidode II

And that got a PG rating. There is no blood because it is instantly cauterized. :)

[Bjorn Against]

92. I don't remember that scene, but then again I nearly fell asleep I was so bored by that movie

If I had kids I would probably allow them to watch Star Wars, but I can certainly understand why some parents would not want them to see it until they were a bit older.

Back in the days of the original Star Wars trilogy a PG rated movie could get by with a lot more than they are able to get by with now. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was rated PG and it showed a guy getting his heart ripped out and people eating monkey brains out of the skull, many R rated movies are far more tame than that. Obviously the rating system is pretty messed up and parents need to use their own judgment rather than go purely off a few letters printed on a movie poster.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

81. Compared to a "Saw"-type movie with very graphic violence, lasers are pretty tame.

[rd_kent]

178. Sheltering your child from the realities of the world is not doing him any favors.

[Name removed]

184. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[garybeck]

6. OK, I'm going to change the OP and remove "Clockwork Orange"

it was a reverse euphamism and people are commenting too much about it. That was not my point.

[Maine-ah]

152. Hell, I saw it in the theater when it was originally released.

I was four years old at the time.

[Morning Dew]

5. Real SW or Cartoon network SW?

I think the cartoon network ones are Y7, maybe, but my 5 yr. old nephew watches them ( his mom is usually strict on what her boys watch).


on edit - looks like a PG rating

[garybeck]

8. we don't watch cartoon network either.

we just started tapping in to Nick Jr. Some of the shows there aren't too bad.

[Morning Dew]

14. i edited - the cartoon network ones are PG, I guess.

I can't keep track of all the shows that 5 year olds like... he likes Imagination Movers and Spongebob.

Heck, I kinda like Spongebob and I'm in my 50s.

[Shell Beau]

174. The ones on Nick Jr. are targeted for preschool ages.

All of the shows on Nick Jr. are appropriate for a 5 year old. Some may actually be considered too baby-ish for a 5 year old.

[phantom power]

7. Sounds familiar.

Several kids in my daughter's kindergarten class clearly watch it. Although they don't seem to be scarred for life, I have to wonder what a kid makes of Star Wars. I know I was a lot older before I was allowed to watch anything not Rated-G.

Then again, I let my kid watch Shrek, which is damn sure not rated G either. I'm busted.

[garybeck]

16. Woooooah. If we are comparing Shreck to Star Wars, somthing crazy is going on here.

My kids watch Shreck. I have no problem with that. I don't care what the rating is. Star wars is in a completely different world than Shreck.


they might not be "scarred for life" but let me tell you, it affects them. We went to visit a family recently and the kid was about this age and we opened the door and he came running at us with swords and guns before we even got to say hello. We asked the parents and they said, "Star Wars did it."

[Caliman73]

44. No, Star Wars did not do it.

Parents not teaching their children how to properly greet guests did it. It is easy to blame movies, tv, music, or whatever media you want. What did you expect them to say, "Yeah, sorry. We haven't shown our children the correct way to greet guests. It's our fault. We haven't instilled manners into our children." It is always easier to blame something external.

My son watched Star Wars, and Indiana Jones as a younger child, perhaps not 5, but not 13 either. He also played shootem up video games, though not games like GTA or Doom, or the War games. He never ran around with sticks or toy guns shooting people, unless he was playing with me or his cousins using Nerf darts or laser tag as is their function. He greeted guests appropriately and did not act out aggressively with others. I have taught him to box and defend himself, but he is not a bully. He understands that you treat others with respect and never touch anyone aggressively unless you have no other option.

While violent movies, games, etc.. may have an effect of desensitizing people to violence, bad manners is a result of lack of teaching them consistently and maintaining discipline in the home.

[KatyMan]

63. Hesitantly,

I call bullshit on that story.
Star Wars is the classic hero's journey story that's been told for thousands of years. Google star wars and Joseph Campbell, and you'll likely find it's healthy for your child. We never had a problem letting our kids watch Star Wars from a young age and they both turned out great.

[Goblinmonger]

128. This English teacher argrees

and is warmed by the Campbell reference. Star Wars couldn't possibly be more iconic hero story. It's like wondering if your kids are ready for the Odyssey.

[XemaSab]

53. PG means "Parental Guidance Suggested."

You've clearly seen Shrek and you know that your kid can handle it. You've also seen Star Wars, and you know that your child may not be able to put it into the proper context.

Knowing when to let your kids watch PG movies and knowing which PG movies are okay and which aren't okay sounds like responsible parenting to me. :shrug:

[Shell Beau]

175. Exactly

[sailor65]

10. If you're talking about the original,

maybe you should watch it with him. There are plenty of good lessons in there (Obi-Wan "There are alternatives to fighting," Yoda "Wars not make one great," and so on). Friendship, loyalty, trust, striving for peace, forgiveness; these are all values espoused by one side of the conflicts in the original 3.

You can even explain that the title of the third movie was changed because the Jedi were opposed to things like revenge.

I would say the latter three releases are much darker though. I don't know that they'd give you the same value.

Your boy is going to be exposed to the culture, outside your control. Perhaps you can make an opportunity of it.

[garybeck]

19. Uh, let me tell you something

I shouldn't have to bend to everything that every other parent is doing just because they're doing it.

When I was a kid, 5 year old children did not watch star wars.


I have an older son, who is 21 now, and we sheltered him as well. I think we did a fine balance of sheltering and careful exposing. We never would have watched Star Wars with him at age 5. He is a wonderful person now, and he was not ill-affected by our over-sheltering. He is caring, thoughtful, non-violent, and at the same time, able to watch violent movies from the proper perspective.

I realize kids are going to be exposed to stuff, but there has to be a line somewhere. And I shouldn't have to bend to what other parents are doing.

[sailor65]

26. Hey, holster that weapon!

I'm not suggesting you BEND to anything. I was offering up a potential way to take an external exposure that you don't have a lot of control over and turn it into something more in line with the decent things you obviously try to teach your kid. And the lessons are there (SW) if you choose to use them as tools.

[wickerwoman]

67. Who is saying you have to bend to it?

Don't let your kid watch Star Wars if you don't think he's ready for it.

But don't tell other parents how to raise their kids if they think they're ready for Star Wars at 5. I saw Return of the Jedi when I was 5 or 6 and I was old enough for most of it (and simply bored at worst with the parts I wasn't). How is some other parent taking their own kid to see it "forcing you to bend"? Where are the boundaries?

If you think you're being persecuted every time pop culture or the world at large tries to get your kid to buy or see something you don't approve of then you're in for a pretty rocky 13 years.

[cherokeeprogressive]

87. No one is asking or telling you to bend to ANYTHING and I'm wondering how you feel they are.

If you don't want your kid to watch something, tell them why. Tell them the absolute truth. Be a fucking parent for Christ's sake. No one is forcing your hand in any way whatsoever by simply being a little more liberal with what they let their kids experience.

[Pithlet]

89. I don't know when you were a kid, but I was 5 years old when Star Wars first came out.

In fact, it was the first non-kiddie movie my parents took me to see. I loved it. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one my age who saw it either. Star Wars was all the rage and everyone was going to see it, often multiple times. Of course you shouldn't have to bend to what other parents are doing. Not all 5 year olds are the same and not all parents are the same.

[DaveinJapan]

99. When I was a kid, all the five year olds saw Star Wars, myself included.

And if any parents had dared forbid it, I daresay the kids would've been trying to go to court for an emancipation order!

[krabigirl]

110. Wow, just wow. 5 is not that young for Star Wars.

And I refuse to "over-shelter" my kids.

[Goblinmonger]

129. I agree you don't have to bend, but you seem pretty judgmental

of those that do let their 5-year-old watch Star Wars. Perhaps their kids are ready for it and yours aren't. Big whoop. My son watched Star Wars at 5. We talked about what it means to be a hero, about violence, and how cool the space ships were. He was ready for it. He's 13 and not a serial killer. He's a good kid. At 21, I'm sure he'll be like your son (once the hormones of puberty stop raging). Two paths to the same point.

[liberal_at_heart]

11. Little boys love to pretend to shoot things

I find it strange that it seems to be ingrained in our society that from birth we start grooming our little boys to shoot things and little girls to nurture things. I still see commercials for toy vacuums for little girls. I mean come on. What sick twisted person decided that a vacuum would make a good toy? I agree that at 5 little children should be watching shows that teach them how to get along with others not how to divide and conquer.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

The irony, considering Star Wars......

Princess Leia is pretty handy with a laser.

[Mz Pip]

13. Then don't let him watch it.

I was pretty strict about what my kids watched but "Star Wars" was in a catagory all its own.

The original Star Wars was one of the first movies my kid saw in a theater. He was 5. It was the re release that coincided with the release of "The Empire Strikes Back." He and his brother and their friends seriously grew up with the first trilogy. Even now, at age 32, he gets a kick out of watching it once in a while.

I guess it's violent but it's so not real that even at 5 my kid knew it was no more real than Pinochio.

[daedalus_dude]

15. I think Star Wars, particularly ep. 4,5,6 are pretty gruesome. They are precicesly that: war movies.

The new trilogy has brushed that over a little bit. Replacing humans by robots and the like. Redefining
human storm troopers as mindless clones.

But: Just because it involves teddy bears and people with masks killing each other, the theme still is war. I don't think the original trilogy was meant for children (although I think I was like seven or eight when I saw them).

edit: as for the "honorable jedi". why doesn't luke skywalker return to destroy the sarlacc after so many people were tossed in there? sure, he was engaged in mortal combat with those people at the time. but he could have had the decency to drop a large bomb inside that thing afterwards to give the whole business a clean ending.

[Ter]

75. The theme in Star Wars is overthrow your govenment with acts of terror

How many babies were on the Death Star in the nursery? Is Luke Skywalker all that different than Timothy McVeigh?

[redwitch]

98. You forgot the sarcasm thingie.

:-)

[akwapez]

102. The death star was the Stormtroopers' 9/11 (video link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV7Ha3VDbzE

[name not needed]

108. Don't forget about all those independent contractors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6lzEhoXads

[Withywindle]

138. Maybe because the Sarlacc is a living creature that also has a right to exist?

It's basically just a big animal that lives in the desert and eats whatever falls into its mouth. It's not evil. It's just hungry.

[pipi_k]

17. On the fence on this one...

On one side, I can see where parents would be concerned about the violence on the screen.

On the other side, I recall watching some pretty violent cartoons and stuff when I was a kid, and it never did me any real harm. What did hurt me more than watching violence in cartoons or on TV was actually the real life violence I had to see inflicted upon my mother by my father.

Parents can explain that whatever they see on the screen is not real...you can't do that when you're living with it.

And now that I'm remembering back all those years, I do recall that the movie that affected me the most was, surprisingly, "Lassie Come Home".

Even as a little kid I always had a soft spot for animals, and the thought of an animal being lost and not being able to find its way home just broke my heart. Seriously.

Anyway, my thoughts on the subject... Parents need to do what they feel is right for their own kids.

[AspenRose]

18. If it's any consolation, you aren't the only one grappling with this

I went out to dinner with a group of ladies one night and one of the women said her husband lets their 5 year old watch...she doesn't approve....and he tells the kids "well, if you can't watch it, it's your mom's fault."

:wow:

I wouldn't let my 5 year old watch it, FWIW. Trust your gut.

[deaniac21]

21. He'll probably become a huge Star Wars fan before you know

about it.

[cbdo2007]

23. I started watching Star Wars at about 5 years old and I turned out ok.

What do you think it's going to do to him?

[Mojambo]

I watched the first 3 with my nephew when he was 4.

It's pretty tame stuff. And I wasn't much older when I saw them as a kid.

I don't think it's out of line for a 5 year old to watch them at all.

Hell my nephew watched the prequels when he was 7 and those were way more violent. He didn't have any problems at all.

You've got a right to parent how you wish, but I don't think other parents who let their kids watch Star Wars at 5 years old are out of line at all.

[DerekG]

24. Revenge of the Sith and Empire Strikes Back are fairly dark

They're the best films of the series, but five-year olds should not be exposed to implied child slaughter, immolations, and hand-severings.

My advice: Stick with the self-contained fairy-tale original, and wait three years until you show him the rest of the saga.

[ddeclue]

25. Oh get over it... they are fine.. just don't show the pre-quels (1,2,3) they suck at any age.

:P

[MerryBlooms]

28. I raised two sons

As parents, we're faced with all sorts of situations we're forced into discussing/explaining, before the little ones are ready, it's part of our job as parents. I'm sure our parents had many of those times as well.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

31. You're asking other parents to bend to you

By not letting them make a decision about whether their kids can a) watch Star Wars and b) enjoy it and therefore talk about it to other kids, some who also enjoy it and others like your child who don't know anything about it.

Sorry, that's life.

[alphafemale]

71. That's what I was thinking. Your kids are going to learn about all sorts of things from friends

Shielding your kids from the real world is practically impossible past that point.

[moc]

33. Depends on which one and depends on the kid. (I have a 7yo son obsessed with Star Wars)

The original ones from 76-84 are perfectly fine for a 5 year old. There is some violence in some of the later ones (which precede the old ones in terms of the story line) that I wasn't comfortable with before but am probably fine with now that ds is 7yo.

Honestly, I think you're over reacting a bit. I venture to guess you don't have any older kids? It's REALLY hard to shelter kids completely when older sibs are in the house. I also have a 13 yo, and when now 7yo ds was 3-4, my 13 yo got a boxed set of Harry Potter dvd's for Christmas. HP can be just as violent as SW, imo. They watched them in the car on the way to St. Louis (12 hours). Ds was fine. He's not easily scared, though.

[Frank Cannon]

34. Star Wars (at least ep. 4, 5, and 6) is Masterpiece Theater compared to most...

kids' fare these days.

Sure, there's some violence. But there's no bad language, and the movies endorse a lot of positive values (friendship, courage, honor, sacrifice, etc.).

[blogslut]

36. When my precious babe was five

...her daycare planned a field trip to go see Jurassic Park. I was quite alarmed. I had seen the film and the opening scene alone scared the hell out of me. I kept my kid away from violent films and continued to do so well into her double-digit years. I told her daycare that I was not pleased with their movie choice and told them I did not want her seeing dinosaurs tearing humans apart. The daycare people told me that if I did not want her to attend, she could stay behind with the pre-schoolers. Well, that pissed me off even more because it seemed to me they would be giving her the impression that staying behind made her a baby.

I told my amazing child her choices: Go see this movie I thought was inappropriate or stay behind with the pre-schoolers. You know what she said to me?

"Mom. It's only a movie."

She saw the film. She liked it. It did not scare her or turn her into some gore-craving zombie. Today she is a well-adjusted adult woman and the best mother's day present she ever gave me was when she took me to see Kill Bill II. Neither one of us seeks out violent films but there are exceptions.

[Mz Pip]

58. similar story here

My older son started asking for a gun when he was about 4. He'd make them out of sticks, he'd make them out of Legos. But we always said no. When he was 5 he asked again and his Dad told him how guns were bad and how they hurt people, etc. Our son gave him a puzzled look and said, "I don't want a real one!" We pretty much gave up after that and by time he was 11 he had quite an arsenal of fake guns.

Now he's an adult and doesn't own a gun. He works as a prosecutor going after criminals who often do use guns.

[blogslut]

65. LOL!

Kids are so much smarter than adults are.

[gorfle]

104. Same story here.

When I was about 3-4 years old (yes, I remember back that far) I was asking my parents for guns, but my mother did not like guns and did not want me to play with them. So I made them out of sticks, and played "guns" or "cops and robbers" or "good guys and bad guys" with the neighbor kids. Eventually my Dad convinced my Mom that he can either play with toy guns made out of sticks or toy guns made out of plastic but either way I was already playing with toy guns.

We like to deny our nature as humans and we want to preserve the innocence we see in our children. But the fact of the matter is little boys have wanted to be war heroes since the beginning of time. Whether they were pretending to be Achilles, Charlemagne, Lancelot, Napoleon, Lee, Pershing, Patton, or Schwartscof, little boys have been pretending to fight like their heroes for as long as there have been heroes.

[Number23]

134. What a great post.

I was all set to be horrified that a day care center would think sending five year olds to see Jurassic Park was a good idea and then you flipped it on us! :rofl:

I'm glad things worked out. My baby is 3 now and there is no way in hell I'd let her see Jurassic Park until she's at least 8 but I appreciate your perspective. :)

[voc]

135. 5 is too young. 8+ is about right. eom

[blogslut]

144. Well, it's been 16 years

So that ship has sailed. :)

[LooseWilly]

37. I couldn't've been more than 6, or 7 at the outside, when I first saw Star Wars.

Though, come to think of it, I could probably be diagnosed as being addicted to tv and video games, not to mention alcohol and tobacco, with a strong predilection for guns and potentially for violence.

You make that sound like a bad thing. I will refrain from hurling epithets your way on that score... as I am fully accustomed to being vilified by the polite gentry of society, both inside and outside their church soirees.

I will instead suggest two points for your consideration, and hopefully thereby broaden the apparently narrow horizon of your mindset.

Firstly- are you sure your distinction between "friendship and caring" vs. "fight the evil empire with guns and swords" is a valid dichotomy? If you think about it... Luke's return to check on his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beroo (sp?) despite the threat that the Imperial stormtroopers might be waiting for him there, shows a deep level of "friendship and caring".. and toward parental figures that he'd been previously arguing with. The notion that some half-talented hack in a purple dinosaur suit singing a litany of superficial platitudes is somehow more "wholesome" or "age appropriate" seems to me to be implicitly stating "kids are dumb as rocks".

The example of Luke's return to his Aunt and Uncle's home is only one of dozens of scenes that I could cite and thusly analyze.


Secondly- I have personally discovered that my own son innately seems drawn to many of the same things that I am drawn to, has similar tastes, etc. in ways that have led me to believe that there are certain basic personality tendencies that are indeed affected by genetics. It is merely a spot of anecdotal evidence, certainly... but based upon that I personally suspect that, if you genuinely don't like Star Wars, odds are that your son won't be all that interested in it either. So play him a bit of it... most likely he won't break down and have nightmares for years. If you're really worried, start him off with a taste of "bubble gum space opera"- the Phantom Menace.

It's like the "Green Day" of punk rock... or "the Monkees" of psychedelic rock... about as non-threatening as can be (unless, of course, your 5 year old manages to pick up on the parallels between Palpatine's subtle political manipulations in order to become the President, with the political manipulations used to sell the Iraq WMD threat...).

[cali]

39. Grimm's Fairytales and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales

are a lot more provocative and violent than star wars. Children have thrived on that fare for generations.

[pipi_k]

164. I was just a wee child when I got a book full of

"Mother Goose" type stories.

The violence in them....!


Anyway, it probably wouldn't have affected another kid the same way, but I cried each time I read "Who Killed Cock Robin?"



But yes, you're right...kids have been thriving on that sort of thing for years. And what they don't get from books, movies, or TV, they are very capable of making up in their own minds.

[tammywammy]

40. My friend's 4 year old has seen bits and pieces of them

His attention span doesn't usually last. He's seen enough to know that Darth Vader is an awesome Halloween costume. :)

And as for your son, just tell him he can watch it when he's older. :shrug:

[Kaleva]

41. No more violent then Bugs Bunny and Road Runner

[notesdev]

42. Interestingly, there's not much violence in the original Star Wars trilogy

and most of it is ship-vs-ship rather than person vs. person

You would think there'd be a lot of violence, but it's precious little compared to common fare these days, and negligible compared to pretty much any video game, or the nightly news.

[Dorian Gray]

43. That's funny that you bring this up now

because my husband had a bunch of friends down this weekend, and one of them was saying he had just watched the first two movies with his kids (one in kindergarten and the other in 2nd grade). It seems a little over the top, but my mom brought me to see Jaws in the theater when I was five, and I survived. ETA: Though, to this day, I'm still deathly afraid of sharks!

[4lbs]

45. Eh, Star Wars, big deal. When I was watching Friday the 13th movies in the theater, I noticed

parents in the theater with their young kids. This was when I was in high school in the 1980s.

Talk about exposing kids under 10 to gratuitous violence.

Also, notice those Pixar movies have some violence in them? Toy Story has a kid in it that actually uses explosives to blow up toys. "A Bug's Life" has a fake bird being lit on fire with little baby ants inside screaming and crying, and a real bird feeding a human-like grasshopper to hungry chicks ready to tear it apart.

Just because it's not a human being shot by a phaser gun doesn't mean it's not violent.


What about the "classic" Disney cartoon movies?

"Snow White" featured an evil stepmother that hired an assassin to take her stepdaughter out and kill her, and bring back her heart as proof of her death.

"Sleeping Beauty" has a princess that is fed a poisoned apple.

[wickerwoman]

69. Exactly!

The essence of good storytelling is putting the hero (or group of heroes) in mortal danger. If the stakes aren't life and death, the story is boring as hell.

Pretty much every great story ever told has some elements that might be frightening to children. People (and children are people) like to be a little scared. That's what they like about stories in the first place and what maintains their interest in them.

Forcing your child to watch nothing but "Happy the Hugging Hippo" until he is 13 and can get into real movies without you is forcing him or her to miss out on a huge part of our cultural heritage.

[Pab Sungenis]

46. I was 7 when my parents took me to see it

but as anything involving kids goes, YMMV.

[DRoseDARs]

47. I assume you've never, ever told your child the Grimm brothers' fairytales either.

Or the Bible.

Get a grip. There's a reason "parental guidance is advised" isn't just something they slap onto rap albums. If you're this fucking worried about it how about, you know, spending some time with your kid and WATCH the movies with them? That way, as the parent, you can "guide" them through the imagery. Or you COULD just say "Not until you're older." and be done with.

"I realize that I'm a little more protective and sheltering than the average parent but I think this is a little overboard."

I'm 28 and I'm STILL dealing with the impact of this type of nonsense my mom inflicted upon me as a child. It's called "balance" Gary. Get some.

[eggplant]

48. Really?

You're whining about how other people choose to parent their kids, and how it interferes with how you choose to parent your kid?

Really?

[DainBramaged]

50. I was just going to comment on that

Again, the DU nanny state is taking on a life of its own.......next thing you know we'll be denying soda to the poor on food stamps.........

[MuseRider]

49. You, as his father,

has to decide what your child sees. It is hard to explain it to them but you can. I was very careful with what my kids saw for the same reason, there is no need for them to see that kind of violence at such a young age. My oldest came home from Kindergarten one day, looked at me and said, "Suck my motherxxxxxxx cock you motherxxxxxxx cockxxxxxx." He had no idea what he was saying but he learned it from another kindergartner who several months later in my car was talking about porn. What you think is best for your kid is the job of the parent.

My kids were not allowed guns or war toys. I took a lot of crap from other parents over that. Hold strong to how you want to shape your child.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

51. I was probably about 5 when I saw it the first time.

I feel no worse for the wear.

[barb162]

52. I think it's a bit too young but the parent should be the judge

of what a 5 yr old watches.

[slutticus]

54. Wrong. Kids this age should be watching star wars. I feel sorry for your son.

:(

He should be dreaming of light sabers, starships and jedi. Of wookies, droids and yes....darth vader.



However, I am stoked to see kids these days are still into star wars. Makes me feel not so old :D

[mainer]

77. I'm a mom and I think you could loosen up, frankly.

(oops, sorry -- this should have gone to the OP)

But then, I'm the mom who stood in line with her sons for the midnight debut showing of Episode 1. It was a school night, and I wrote an excuse note for them the next morning (they were exhausted) saying that I felt the Star Wars debut was a cultural even that I didn't want them to miss. They're adults now, but they never stop talking about what a cool mom I am.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

55. ROFLMAO!!!!

:rofl:

[MrsMatt]

93. May I join you? n/t

[Midlodemocrat]

113. You and me both, dude. You and me both.

[DainBramaged]

56. OK, I let my beautiful Daughter watch Star Wars when she was probably 5 or 6

and we went to see a Nightmare before Christmas when she was only FOUR. Not only has she grown up to be a very WELL adjusted and intelligent woman, she has NO concern for TV, violence, porn, video game addiction or guns, did I mention guns and violence? None of your paranoia.............


I guess sheltering them without letting them ask questions or exposing them to the world can reduce your idea of parenting to asking for advice on a message board........

[CRF450]

57. My parents and their friends dragged me along to see Jurassic Park when I was 6

Oh boy was I scared seeing that in the theater, most of it was the loud dinosaur roars cause you know how loud theater speakers are turned up sometimes... but then, seeing how real the effects were in that movie at the time really added to it.

I remember probably seeing the old star wars movies my older brother loved watching around that time but I didn't think nothin of it, never was interested in the star wars stuff back then. All I wanted to watch was action cartoons on cartoon network lol.

[Spike89]

59. Seriously, Star Wars didn't invent violence

I was a child before cable TV, but a president's assassination pre-empted the afternoon children's cartoons I was watching at 5 years old. Of course, I was probably watching Quickdraw McGraw, Tom & Jerry, or Yosemite Sam. Westerns and WWII were the genres of choice, and gun fights were a staple. The evening news was semi-edited footage of soldiers being killed in vietnam.

My parents taught me to be nonviolent, and they explained what I saw and heard on TV.

Beyond that, you mention that this is being shoved down your throat--but you don't mention who you think is doing the shoving. I think it is because you know it isn't anyone in particular you can blame. It is reality. Reality is that it is (and pretty much always has been) impossible to fully shield your children from society. More than a few people have tried to create isolationist utopian societies--basically for the purpose of controlling what their kids are exposed to. It rarely works as well as the parents intend.

Good luck, I'm sure your child will turn out to share your values, especially if you continue to care.

[Toucano]

60. You're fine.

There will be plenty of time for him to enjoy those things later on.

Innocence passes all too quickly.

[Obamanaut]

61. With a break from time to time for a Lord of the Rings marathon. I

have one scheduled for next weekend.

[Codeine]

62. I certainly wasn't scarred by cowboy and war movies as a tyke.

Any five-year-od so delicate as to be "unready" for Star Wars has larger issues.

[lastliberalintexas]

112. My 5 year old is that delicate

He cries reading Charlotte's Web- BEFORE Charlotte dies, when Wilbur is threatened with slaughter. He worries about the fact that the sun will explode/implode in however many billion years leaving us with no light and heat in the Milky Way. He hides his eyes watching animated movies like Balto because the action is so intense to him. I have to be more careful about the books he reads than the movies he sees since the books are more intense to him.

However, my son doesn't have "issues"- he simply is incredibly sensitive and empathetic. He's also incredibly happy and well rounded, and I let his own interest guide his hobbies (even when he's fighting me because I want him to go play outside and he just wants to sit and work his multiplication workbook). Personally, I find it rather scary that a progressive would suggest that a young child who has a problem with a violent film has issues.


While the OP might have seemed a little hypocritical in that s/he seems to want to impose beliefs on others, I am surprised at the nonchalance shown by many on this thread to the violence to which children are exposed. I let my son's interests guide him, but I also try to hold his innocence for the time being. Kids grow up so fast these days in America, with 10 yeaar old little girls dressing like prostitutes and little boys acting like thugs. Children in my son's class play violent video games and then act very aggressively on the playground. Is the video game the only reason for such behavior? Of course not, but it can't help.

While I would never want the long arm of the government prohibiting parents from allowing their children to see such violence, I do wish parents paid more attention to what their children are watching.

[Withywindle]

143. I cried reading 'Charlotte's Web' too.

I was...6, I think? It's a very sad book.

Just a little while later, my mother became very depressed when her best friend committed suicide. She's a sensitive person, and sometimes she would break down crying at dinner, and sometimes she would hide out in her room. Her friend, "Sally" had babysat me a few times and I knew her and liked her, and someone had to explain to me in terms that I could understand that she was gone, she would never come back, and that's why Mom was so sad. It fell to my dad, who is a very loving and intelligent and wonderful man, but kind of socially awkward, and one day while we were taking a walk in the woods, he kind of blurted, "Well, Sally shot herself in the head because she was really sad all the time. And that's why Mom and I are sad."

So, small child equation: sadness = death. !!! My PARENTS were sad. Dad said so. Does that mean they would die? I was sad. Does that mean I would die? (Depression runs in our family, we all have it...but some 35 years later, knock wood, we are all still alive, so, obviously not necessarily.)

I was really glad I'd read Charlotte's Web. I was really glad I'd already cried over Bambi's mother's death. I felt these gave me something like the beginning of a framework to address these mysteries. I got very spiritual. I started making little shrines and leaving little offerings at the bases of trees everywhere and burying "significant" things for future archeologists to find.

Coping tools. Very important for young children. Star Wars factored in, too - Obi-Wan's talk about the Force and the way he disappeared when Darth Vader's lightsaber hit him and how he could still speak to Luke, spiritually, afterward. All these things factored into my child-consciousness that death is real, death hurts the living deeply, death is mysterious, death is something we all have to try to understand.

There was a time when children were not necessarily sheltered from death, because people died at home and everyone was expected to be at the bedside and to help take care of the body. There were times when almost every child in almost any generation knew someone who'd been killed in a war. The sheltering from those realities that a lot of kids have now is a gift and a blessing (in some ways: I do NOT think children should be "sheltered" from loved ones' funerals), but it in no way means that children should be protected from even encountering the ideas through films and stories. Films and stories are the safest ways we have to explore the things that scare us!

I used to cry over the end of the universe too, the earth being swallowed up by the sun. I also grew up in the late Cold War, and I don't ever remember a time before I knew that nuclear war was a possibility, and that when it happened not only could my parents not protect me but it would kill them too...and my dog, and my favorite trees, and my favorite books, and my favorite bands, and not only everything I'd ever loved but everything I might love in the future, and none of the adults I knew personally had any power to do anything about it. Hard to respect "adult authority" as the be-all and end-all when you know they're just as vulnerable to your biggest fear as you are.

[The Straight Story]

64. Question is - what harm do YOU think it will do to your kids? (nt)

[Crunchy Frog]

66. Star Wars according to a 3 year old. Cutest video ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBM854BTGL0

[Starbucks Anarchist]

85. "Don't talk to Darth Vader. He'll getcha!"

:rofl:

[redwitch]

103. Adorable!

And very funny.

[tammywammy]

130. That's too cute!!! n/t

[Lyric]

68. Mine did, and he's not addicted to guns or violence.

Quite the opposite, in fact--my son is more sensitive than most kids his age, and far more empathetic. It's not about age, it's about individual development. There are five-year-olds who are perfectly capable of handling Star Wars, and there are twelve-year-olds who aren't. Only parents know what's best for their children. If the parents of those other boys feel that their kids are capable of watching Star Wars or whatever, well, they're the ones best qualified to make that choice, and it's really none of our business.

[Spike89]

70. Oh, and the kids may not have seen it themselves

Your kid may be your oldest child, but perhaps the boys in his kindergarten had older siblings. As an older brother, I can attest to how dependable my little brothers were in being fascinated by whatever me and my friends were doing.

[Joe the Liberal]

72. 5 year old's would be fine if they watched the Star Wars films IMO. n/t

[seabeyond]

73. keep to your standards. it works well. nt

[Marlana]

76. I saw Return of the Jedi when it first came out and I was 6.

I turned out okay. But it is your kid and your decision to make. I think Star Wars is pretty tame & I started watching it with my cousin when she was four.

[LeftyMom]

78. Mine loved them at that age, and he's fine. I think you're over-reacting.

If you don't want your kid to watch them yet that's fine, but getting all bent because some other kids did and talked to your kid about it is a bit silly.

[Kitsune]

80. S...seriously? You're worried about Star Wars?

By the time I was your kid's age, I'd memorized all three movies. My sixth birthday was Star Wars themed. I still love it even after Lucas came back and wrecked them. None of this has rendered me some kind of bloodthirsty sociopath. There's legitimate concern and then there's ridiculous and, no offense, but I think you've gone into the latter here. Too many parents these days do.

[intheflow]

82. My sister babysat my 4 year old

(this is 20-odd years back), and when I got there to pick him up, he and his 3-year-old cousin were watching The Terminator!! :grr: This from my sister who was 10 years older than me--I was all of 21 at the time and even I knew it was completely inappropriate for 3 and 4 year old boys to be watching that. She continued to let her son watch that kind of violent, R-rated stuff throughout his childhood, and ended up with a morose, depressed teen who started drugs pretty early. My son? Star athlete, cheerful kid. I'm not saying that viewing habits alone determined the two kids' personalities, but I doubt it helped my nephew along in any kind of constructive way.

[ddeclue]

83. How's it any different than taking the kid to church?

I mean the Bible's full of death and destruction, torture, murder, pain, etc.

[lastliberalintexas]

114. One of the reasons my child isn't exposed to that either

[Starbucks Anarchist]

86. It's a perfectly acceptable movie(s) for someone his age.

[TransitJohn]

90. Oh. My. God.

That is all.

[Third Doctor]

91. I saw ROTJ

on theaters at age 9. I actually saw the other 2 later. I was a SW nit as a child and I don't think I exhibit antisocial behavior as a adult.

[yodoobo]

94. The original was going to be rated G

So they threw in the skeletons burning of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru to lock in a PG rating.

The studio felt that a G rating would kill the movie.

Yes its fine.

[WeDidIt]

95. Dude,, I was watching Bugs Bunny at 5.

and not your PC Bugs Bunny, either.

[Motown_Johnny]

96. There is a "Clone Wars" cartoon. based on Star wars.... Maybe that is what he wants to see

I would suggest your watching some of the episodes and then deciding if it is suitable

try this link


http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/starwars/index.html

[gorfle]

97. I saw it in theaters when I was 6.

I realize that I'm a little more protective and sheltering than the average parent but I think this is a little overboard. Aren't there enough great family/kids movies to fill a kindergartener's viewing time, that we can save Star Wars until they're 9 or 10?

I saw it in theaters when I was 6. I thought it was awesome then, and still do.

[DaveinJapan]

100. +1

[bevoette]

101. seriously??

SW and the rest of the trilogy were gems of my childhood

i can't believe this would even be a question :shrug:

[crim son]

105. Heck, I wouldn't let my oldest kids watch "The Lion King"

because of the fratricide. My younger son has a lot more freedom and it doesn't seem to have done him any harm. I still permit no weapons of any sort in the house, and no violent video games. So, you must choose what you're comfortable with, but not necessarily call parents who don't agree with you "nuts." IMHO of course.

[aikoaiko]

106. My four year old loves Jurasic Park. Its a little scary at some places but it thrills him

And he loves dinosaurs.

I'd let him watch Star Wars.

[Greyhound]

107. I think chapter 1 was written specifically for 5 year olds. n/t

[krabigirl]

109. I dunno, I saw it in the theater when I was 7, back in the day. Not sure about 5.

[27inCali]

111. I was watching it by that age

I'm fine. I think your being a lame dad and you gotta give your kid some room to live. Mild violence is a natural part of childhood for most boys and a lot of girls too, it's healthy for them and prepares them for the dark realities of life. And I think in a way, this is more about you not being able to accept the reality that your kid is growing up and is going to lose his innocence bit by bit. That's life though man, you gotta let go so they can live, so they can experience pain and fear in small doses early on so they can learn to conquer those things and prepare themselves to wrestle with the pain and fear of adulthood.

if you coddle your kids too much and guard them from anything scary or violent, you leave them unprepared for grade school, where kids will get bullied relentlessly if they come off as weak or unable to stand up for themselves (especially boys). That pattern can follow them the rest of their lives too -do you want your kid to grow to be the guy who's always getting pushed around and taken advantage of?, -no you don't, but that's what you are setting up your kid for.

I'm a dad BTW.

[saltpoint]

115. STAR WARS is fun.

IMO it's fine for 5-year olds to like it and watch it.

[Midlodemocrat]

117. This thread is full of amazing win!!!!

It is after all, just one baby step from Star Wars to Saw IV.

:rofl:

[Stargazer09]

118. Yes.

Star Wars is not a violent movie, it's obviously a fantasy, and it's incredibly popular, especially among boys. Sometimes, you have to weigh the "sheltering" versus social acceptance. Little boys who don't know about Anakin and Luke Skywalker, or who have no clue about lightsabers, are just not going to have many friends to play with.

Unfortunately, I've had to deal with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers with my pre-teen daughter. All of her friends love the shows, and I'm not going to limit her ability to have things to discuss with her friends by prohibiting those shows.

Life isn't perfect, and no matter how hard we try, we can't raise our children in a vacuum.

[lastliberalintexas]

119. I wish you hadn't specified the movie

Perhaps then this thread would have been a better discussion of the gratuitous violence to which children are exposed. I know someone who wouldn't let her 14 year old see Juno because of the sexual content (oh the horror) but had no problem with her 6 year old watching The Dark Knight. I only wish parents were as uptight about their kids seeing violence as they are about their kids seeing sex.

[supernova]

121. That's fucked up

But it just further emphasizes that we fetishize violence and are afraid of sex.

[lastliberalintexas]

125. Yep

Personally I'd much prefer my child when older see 2 people making love than the violence that's out there. Thankfully my son has no interest in violent shows or books (at least for now).

[jdp349]

140. or even better! as casual about kids seeing films involving sex as they are about violence

[Igel]

120. When I had a 3-year-old, I'd have said, No.

Now that I have a 5-year-old, I'd have to say, "Been there, done that."

Seriously. I've watched the other 5-year-olds play. Violence? Well, not enough to actually land anybody in the hospital. My kid cringers. But virtual violence is okay.

We had the same experience that my SIL had. No guns, no cartoons with guns, no play guns. However, somewhere along the line between age 3 and 4 he got the idea. No gun? Fine: Hold up a stick and say "bang!" Or the tube from a roll of paper towels. Or the plastic pole-like thing that held his streamer. Whatever. Perhaps he got it from another kid. Perhaps a cartoon slipped past the mommy&daddy filter (TM). Who knows?

Now it's Doctor Who and Stargate Atlantis (on DVD, of course). He wasn't that interested in the second Transformers movie.

Nonetheless, he was near tears when a classmate said that she stepped on a toad to kill it. And the worm that ate the first of the little squashes growing in the garden last week? No, I wasn't allowed to kill it--I had to find another small squash to feed it, and now it's quietly pupating in the den so he can watch it.

No, I can't kill a bug, he's too sensitive for that. But he can watch the Stargate Atlantis team kill off dozens and dozens of Wraith. He can clearly discriminate between real and fictional violence. I think.

[lunatica]

123. Star Wars is actually the age old hero's journey of mythology

It teaches children about the hero's journey and how good overcomes evil.

Also, you may let them watch it but with you so you can be sure to explain it's all 'pretent'.

It's best for your children to learn about evil while being in your protective arms. Much better than being ignorant of it only to be exposed to it in a harsh way.

It took me years to let my son see Jaws, but when I finally let him see it I made sure he understood it was all pretend and that it wasn't real. I also had him see it again so he knew what was coming AND that is was all pretend. It worked. My son is now almost 40 years old and still sensitive and gentle.

[soleft]

124. I wouldn't let my son watch Jurassic Park when it first came out

Even tho he was way into dinosaurs. I did pick up a boot leg copy and show him the part with the Brachiosaurs in the beginning. his friend went home and told his Mom I let them watch Jurassic Park. She was SO pissed! I don't blame her - we cleared up the misunderstanding.

[cornermouse]

126. Parental decision and a child who you know

and we don't. That said, if you think it will give him nightmares then, no he shouldn't watch it.

[winyanstaz]

127. Children learn by what they see and hear......

I have often been a bit upset with my ex daughter in law when I hear of the violent movies she has let the girls see..they are only 10 and 12 but they watch all the horror movies etc that their parents watch.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

131. Star Wars is perfect for a 5 year old.

Frankly, I'd say Star Wars is healthier for any given 5 year old, all things being equal, than a parent who objects to the content of Star Wars.

[nadinbrzezinski]

132. No I am with you and I did a triple take when my nephews watched it

so don't get me started on that rant. they are not ready for Star Wars, Indiana Jones or Spiderman... There I said it.

[Zavulon]

133. No, but mostly because it sucks. It's the most overrated movie ever, and

it's also unfortunately just the sort of thing kids like. Expose your kid to that shit, and you'll have to put up with it until he moves out.

[GreenPartyVoter]

136. I wasn't allowed to watch the original ones until about 6th grade or so (my lil bro was 4th grade)

[Withywindle]

137. Well, I saw it and LOVED IT at 7.

That's how old I was when it first came out in theaters. (1977) My dad and I must have gone to the theater to see it again and again 8 or 9 times that summer. It was rated PG back then - the PG-13 rating didn't exist yet.

Serious father-daughter bonding going on there. We put together model kits of the Millennium Falcon and X-wing Fighters side by side at the kitchen table for years.

And yeah, any kid left out of the Star Wars loop in those years would have been...out of the loop. That's what me and all my third-grade friends talked about and played nonstop. My parents thought it was adorable and got me lots of the toys for Christmas and birthdays.


(Later on, when Han Solo become directly responsible for my age 10-13 pubescent sexual awakening, I didn't share that with my dad quite so much. :blush:)

[Swamp Rat]

139. The New and Old Testaments are very violent too.

And there's a lot of 'begatting'.

[GreenPartyVoter]

141. Mine were a couple years older, maybe, when they saw them. Their friends'

parents have always been thoughtful enough to call and ask if a particular movie is okay for them to watch. Sometimes I have said no and it was no big deal. My kids will also ask me if I think a movie is ok for them. (They are nearly 10 and 12 now.) And sometimes, in fact, they tell me that they think something isn't right for them.

They go to school with kids who have been watching CSI for the last 3 years, which is something I wouldn't let mine do. (They cover their face if they have to walk through the room if I am watching it.) On the other hand, they love dungeon-style video games and movies like LOTR. Why they are comfortable with some shows and not others I have yet to figure out, but as long as they have a sense of what is right for them, and their dad and I agree, then we let them watch it. (I also let them watch things at home that I might not let them watch elsewhere because I want to be able to talk about with with them if anything comes up that needs discussing.)

[Withywindle]

145. Hell, I'm 40 and I still cover my eyes

...at the giant spider scenes in the last LOTR movie. And I read the book for the first time at 12, and know to skip those pages on re-reading even now. Tolkien was way UNDERrated as a horror writer. :scared:

I also don't watch anything that I know will have explicit medical/surgical footage, and also say "excuse me" and walk out of in-depth conversations about medical TMI. Especially anything to do with pregnancy or baby poop or surgery. :scared: :puke: I get VERY physically queasy and pale and clammy. If I don't excuse myself, bad things happen. I just can't take real-life accounts or real documentation--But I can take almost any level of gore in movies because I know it's fake....except giant spiders. That's the only thing I can't convince myself it's fake enough.

How does anyone get to know their limits? Trial and error! That's the only way. Lots of error. And it starts young.

[jdp349]

142. Yes of course!

It's an epic story that touches upon some interesting important themes especially with the Jedi Light vs Dark side. The movie includes violence but that's because of the nature of the story. If you rule out exposing your children to any film including violence then you needlessly limit their exposure to the issues that in some ways really define the human condition.

Perhaps it comes from growing up in LA with a father active in the film industry but back in the day we were exposed to everything! It did nothing but enrich our minds and imaginations.

[comtec]

146. There are cartoons, the clone wars is on CN

perhaps that's what the other kids are referring to?

[Confusious]

147. Yes, you are overprotecting and sheltering

I saw them at 7 years old. Wanted so *BADLY* to be ben kenobi.

Alec Guinness hated people who would come up to him about that role. But so many people saw it and wanted to be the good, wise warrior. One who fights only when he absolutely needs to.

I don't think the violence in the movies is anything. I had met bullies who were worse by that age.

Besides that, you're also isolating him from his friends. His friends get to see it, and they are going to look at him as some sort of ocast when he doesn't know what they are talking about.

[saltpoint]

148. And if you're 105, it's still great fun.

[uppityperson]

149. It depends on the kid. My nephew dealt well with films, my kid didn't

Some kids will always be into things that others aren't. You are the best judge of when and what is appropriate.

[Cid_B]

150. Sweet baby jesus...

If I can find a star wars theme pacifier I'm gonna pick that sucker up!

Also, whats wrong with books/films/anything that promote beating the bad guys? My kids are going to be raised on Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Starship Troopers. We'll see how much of it sticks...

[newportdadde]

153. My 5 year old and his 3 younger brothers watch it, of course I have to explain Han shot first....

There are a lot of things out there worse then having a 5 year old ask about Star Wars, a couple of months ago my 5 year old son told one of his brothers he had an STD, picked that up from school I guess or else my 3 year old and I need to talk about the women he is dating.

From my point of view Star Wars isn't that bad, you will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view...

I watch it with them and 'edit' it as we watch to avoid more of the questionable areas. It is one of the strangest movies they just seem drawn to it right from the start. I also use it as a lesson about anger, if they are mean to us or their brothers they will turn to the darkside and have to wear a metal suit and those suits really chafe!

For Christmas we are getting them lightsabers and blasters so I guess we will have our own Jedi temple at our house.

Edit to add that I saw the first film in a theater when I was 5/6.

[Orsino]

154. This is the conundrum of raising kids nonviolently.

You want them to grow up with the best social skills, but this means cutting them off from some of the shared culture of violence.

It's nuts, but it's what you signed up for. Congratulations for attempting the impossible, and good luck. :patriot:

[8 track mind]

155. I saw it when i was 5

Saw it in 1978 at the Holiday Drive In, on old Rt. 66 in Springfield, Mo. Mom and Dad loaded my brother and i in the 1973 AMC Hornet Sportabout. It was the greatest thing (at the time) i had seen in my life and it's one of the best memories of my childhood. We went to see The Star Trek movie the next year. Didn't make much sense to me at the time. "The Black Hole" was more violent and scarier than Star Wars, and it was Disney flick. That damn red robot Maximilian scared the living hell out of me, especially when Tony Perkins got hacked up.

[Statistical]

156. Star Wars = classic good vs evil. Heros are Heros and villians are villans.

Of all action movie I would imagine it is one of the better ones for children.

It has a message (light side of force, protecting the weak, overcoming evil), it is fun, and kida might learn something without realizing it.

Hell Yoda says some pretty insightful stuff for a Muppet in a Hollywood movie.

Just a couple:

Yoda: I am wondering, why are you here?
Luke: I'm looking for someone.
Yoda: Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?
Luke: Right...
Yoda: Help you I can. Yes, mmmm.
Luke: I don't think so. I'm looking for a great warrior.
Yoda: Ohhh. Great warrior.
Yoda: Wars not make one great.

...

Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.

...

Toda: Do or do not... there is no try.

...

Yoda: Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

[gatorboy]

157. If we're talking about the first three, absolutely let him watch.

Nothing PG-13 about the first three films and bedsides, Return of the Jedi is full of Muppets anyway.

[Javaman]

158. ...

:banghead:

This should be in the lounge.

[AzDar]

159. Star Wars is a classic Dark vs. Light tale, and like many classics, the minimal violence isn't

really gratuitous.

The simple theme is illustrated by the fact that when my sons were 3 and 10, they were playing 'Light Sabre Duel' on our staircase.

My 10-year-old says to his 3-year-old brother, "it's YOUR turn to be the bad guy".

And 3-year-old Baby AzDar says happily,"okay, I'll be Cheney".

This made me so proud that I wrote about the episode in his baby book, and also posted the story here.


If you don't want to let your child watch Star Wars, simply don't, and explain to him why.

Easy peasy. :hi:

[rvablue]

161. Garybeck, if you have a 5-year-old you must've been quite young when Star Wars first came out...

so tell me, how old were you approximately and did your parents let you go see it?

I would think, probably yes.

I saw the first Star Wars at five. I was more into the weird alien creatures and Princess Leia's hairdo.

I didn't turn out to be obsessed with violence or video games. My parents bought me an Atari set for Christmas soon after and it laid dormant under the TV until friends or cousins came over.....

Let him see the movie. IMO, it's a great tale of being courageous and doing the right thing despite temptation.

[ctaylors6]

162. I think the age you let them watch depends a lot on the specific child

I have two kids. One is more anxious and was more easily frightened at that age. He did not see Star wars until he was closer to 7-8 yo. He's not really a sci-fi kid though, so he never really asked to watch them anyway. Lots of his friends loved the movies then but he just wasn't interested. Since he wasn't interested, it didn't upset him because he didn't feel left out.

My younger one saw #4 when she was in kindergarten. She thought Darth Vader was a little scary but didn't really get into the movies until just recently (she's 8 now). I let her watch all but the 3rd one last year. She just saw the 3rd one with me. I think the 3rd one is the only one rated PG-13 (the rest are PG), so I watched it first. I think it was PG-13 because of the gore during the scene at the end with Anakin getting burned. She wouldn't watch that part - turned away, until I told her it was over.

I'm probably on the more sheltering end of the mother hen scale. I really didn't mind the light saber fighting in the movies. I think the movies (esp 4,5,6) are pretty tame as far as the violence. Sword fighting without any kind of gore (again, except for #3 which was quite gory for kids at the end IMHO). I also think the movies have some good things to teach as far as good vs evil, having a good character, etc.

I definitely understand the peer pressure thing. I have found that to be even worse with some of the girl stuff. I've also found that a lot of the pushing down age-wise thing happens when my kids' friends have older brothers and sisters. There's definitely a balance between saying "no" when things really are not appropriate and relenting a little bit if it's a matter of the kids fitting in. I would never let my kids do something I didn't feel was appropriate but if there's wiggle room and the kid really is feeling left out socially, I've tried to move a little down the mother hen scale.

Good luck! These issues are so tough.

[BoneDaddy]

163. My children love it

sorry.

[negativenihil]

165. Well

I grew up on Return of the Jedi. Must have seen it about 100 times when it was out - and i was 3 (and now a life-long star wars fan).

I turned out ok.

Also - the only episode that's rated pg-13 is episode 3 - from the prequel trilogy. The original main trilogy of movies - esp the first one - is fine for kids with adult supervision. There's mild violence, but no blood or gore. No foul language - and death is handled in a very easy to understand way.

[MrsBrady]

167. I saw it first run in the theatre at 5 years old.

But if you don't want your kid to see that stuff, then don't have him watch it.
It's up to you.
You don't need anyone else's approval, and certainly not your child's.

[Darth_Kitten]

168. I watched Star Wars at 9.............awesome experience....

:)

[LanternWaste]

169. I imagine it may be safer in the long run to simply allow your little one...

I imagine it may be safer in the long run to simply allow your little one to maintain the traditional, "non-violent", much more saccharine media and entertainment before you allow him any hints of violence or disturbing images. Might I suggest the following...?

[lukasahero]

170. Parents are often put in the unenviable position of saying no

to their children's wants. You are the parent. If you want your child to watch something, that's your decision. If you don't, that's your decision as well. However, it's unreasonable to expect the world to accommodate all your decisions as a parent.

If you don't even want your child to know that certain things in the world exist, perhaps you should consider home-schooling them?

[AzNick]

171. I saw the original SW at 7 with my 5 year-old cousin

It was pre-screened by my uncle and his older daughter, and approved for my cousin and myself. They are catholic and wanted to make sure it was ok, which it was.

Note this was episode 4 (New Hope), which was somewhat dark. Episode 5 (Empire) was much much darker and is still watchable. After that episode 6 (Jedi), then 1, 2 and 3 are kid movies. The contrast between E5 and the ones that followed is pretty big.

[JANdad]

172. Hell my kids watch Transformers...

We love watching them together (5 & 4) and we TALK about the movies and how they are NOT real...

[jane_pippin]

173. This is extremely sensible. Kudos!

Childhood lasts so few years. Why expose them to laser-violence and wise green trolls before they are ready. Don't get me started on Chewbacca. If I wanted kids to be afraid of dogs, well, I'd let them pet dogs.
Also, this might be a tangent but I don't like letting kids watch Spongebob because of all the screaming--can't Spongebob and Patrick just talk things out first?! Diary of a Wimpy Kid is out because it teaches them to think subversive thoughts, plus it starts them into reading comic books and I don't want to have to explain animae/manga stuff to a kid. No way. Plus comic books aren't books. BOOKS WITH WORDS ARE BOOKS.
I am sick of things being shoved down our throats too!! That's why my kids can't watch Dora the Explorer. I mean, a talkin' backpack?!! That's just something they can't handle yet and I resent having to explain to them why they can't watch it and like, parent, just because other kids are allowed to go on a magical journey of discovery and bilingual learning.
Seriously, I wish I could put every kid in a soundproof bubble from ages birth to 12. That way they wouldn't find out about our harsh world and I wouldn't have to worry about explaining things that make me uncomfortable until I'm good and ready. They'll be so happy and safe we'll both be shittin' rainbows well into the kid's 30s.
Kids are our nation's most precious gift--more precious than even clean coal and High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!--and I say you do what ever it takes to keep them pure and unblemished. They don't know how to think for themselves until they're like 25 anyway.
I know you got a lot of flames, but your kid is your business so if you don't want him/her to be indoctrinated into the military-industrial-laser-war complex/warped for life and turned into a gun totin, rootin' tootin' lunatic who drives around in a spaceship bootlegging god knows what and shootin' first, I say hat's off!

[dolo amber]

176. x 1000

:patriot: :thumbsup:


(:rofl:, also.)

[rd_kent]

179. wow. just wow.

You got a lot going on in there, huh?

[PeaceNikki]

181. I wish I'd listened to such sage advice.

Instead I totally am stuck with a gun totin, rootin' tootin' lunatic who drives around in a spaceship bootlegging god knows what and shootin' first.

:(

[J-Lo Biafra]

185. This is the greatest post in the whole wide woild!

:rofl:

[tammywammy]

187. I wish I could recommend a single post.

:rofl:

[Blue-Jay]

188. !

:rofl:

[rd_kent]

177. You should rephrase your statement "it's filled with guns, shooting, and things that my son just..

it's filled with guns, shooting, and things that my son just isn't ready for to "things that I am not ready for my son to be exposed to." TWO generations of kids have grown up with that movie series. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the story, and the one that most fail to see is that violence, while a part of life, is NOT always the answer.

BTW, kids LOVE shooting movies. Star Wars did a good job of not including a bunch of gore along with the violence.

[Name removed]

180. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[happy2bhere]

182. It's no wonder we have a generation of young people who are addicted to tv, guns, violence, video ga

I agree. From many of the comments here, parents are just not paying attention or not caring about what their children are being exposed to. I am surprised that more people don't think that constant violence and sex on tv do not affect the psyche of their children.

Than being said, we let our kids watch the original trilogy at about age 7. But the next is much darker, especially Anakin murdering all of the children, the dismembered burning body of Anakin...just sick and twisted.

My kid is now a Star wars fanatic. I know more about it than I ever thought possible. He's read all the books (there are 20 different series of continuations of the story) plays the miniatures games etc, video games(not the sick and twisted ones) Even though it is violent, it has encouraged him to learn how to make his own movies, he can create his own ships and animate them in the blender program currently used by professionals in the movie making industry. He uses a green screen to act out his own movies and put them into a set that he created on blender as well. It has been an incredible inspiration to him so I would never consider taking it away from him. There just has to be balance.

We all agree that we will not accept sick and twisted mindless killing video games of any sort. There are so many great video games out there, they don't need to play the ones where you just walk down the halls killing anything that moves, sort of like Ft Hood and the other killings we read about every day. How can anyone think those do not affect at least some people in our society?

I am personally very worried about the direction of our society. We Homeschool. We don't have a TV antenna and only watch movies. The crap on TV is ruining children's minds. They should not have to worry about being sexy at 10 either. Children weren't having sex in the bathroom or classroom when I was in middle school. I think it is abnormal to be thinking about it at that age, but every tv show has adults dressing and acting like whores, viagra ads every commercial break....won't anyone think of the children? BASIC psychology tells us that yes, what children are exposed to on a constant basis does affect their thinking and perception of reality.

[Xenotime]

183. I would not let them watch it. There is too much violence in those movies.

Too many people die.

[gkhouston]

186. Careful what you read to him, too. We read _The Princess Bride_ to our daughter when she was 5.

She loved the book so much we let her watch the movie, too. :scared: A few years later, we were giving her a Cliff's Notes version of WWII while on a car trip. When we got to the part about Germany invading Russia, she piped up with, "Hitler got involved in a land war in Asia"? My husband damned near drove off the road.

[mitchum]

189. Isn't that who it was made for?

[TheKentuckian]

190. The question is, is there any better age than 5 to see Star Wars?

I'd say no but I'm biased because that's when I saw it.

[cynatnite]

191. It's Star Wars...not Saw V. Geez. n/t