The OP said, “the first two twilight movies.” The 3rd is coming out and he wants to know what the best way to go about explaining to a 6 and 9 year old why they can’t watch it.
My answer: “Because I said so.” ( I know, I know… not politically correct)
This isn’t a good way to respond to children who are old enough to understand.
The Bible says that parents (fathers) shouldn’t provoke their children. Just throwing authority around with no logical reason is very provoking. It creates an antagonistic “parent vs. child” attitude, and it cuts off communication, which is vital for good parent/child relationships.
I agree with those who have said that the best explanation is that “PG13 means that the movie is not appropriate for their age and that when they are 13, they can watch the movies.” This is logical, and it’s not just an opinion, it’s a fact. The ratings organizations, not parents, have determined that PG13 movies are appropriate for ages 13 and above. So if the kids have a gripe with this, they can get mad at the ratings organizations, not their parents!
I would also say that this means you must be super diligent in the future and consistent–there are other great children’s movies that are surprisingly rated PG13 for reasons other than sex, violence, and bad language (e.g., intense suspense). Do not slip up and allow your children to watch THESE movies, because they will call you out on your hypocrisy!
One suggestion–get hold of the old
Dark Shadows episodes (available on DVD or video). Borrow them from a fan unless you are willing to spend a lot of money.
When I was a young child, this show swept the country and children of all ages were watching Barnabas the vampire and Quentin the werewolf. (I personally was Team Barnabas, and my mother was Team Quentin!) This show was very appealing to children, and although religious teachers at the time predicted that we would all fall into sin and be doomed to hell from watching the show, most of us turned out pretty good. The show was basically “good vs. evil”, with no violence (the violence happened off-camera)–this “fairy tale” or “morality story” was good for children because it taught us to cheer for good and boo for evil. (Barnabas and Quentin were basically good even though they bore curses–for an analysis of their characters, read Romans 7–seriously).
There is still a very large and enthusiastic fan-base for this show, and tell your kids this–one of the biggest Dark Shadows fans is
Johnny Depp–he used to run home from school to watch Dark Shadows! He has announced that he and Tim Burton will join forces to create a new Dark Shadows movie with himself playing the role of his childhood hero, Barnabas Collins! I can’t wait! I hope he gets going on this soon. He’s a busy guy. I think he’s waiting for the Twilight thing to reach its height and THEN he’ll come out with the movie (right about the time your 6 and 9 year olds are 13 and 16!)
So if your children start watching the old show now, they will be cool and know all about the Collins family, Barnabas, Quentin, Angelique, Josette, Elizabeth, Julia, and all the rest of the great characters and plots on DS when Depp comes out with his DS movie!
You can find all the info about Dark Shadows by Googling for hours. There are lots of websites and fan sites, and Jonathan Frid, the actor who played Barnabas in the old series, has a delightful webpage with many of his essays about Shakespeare, English history, etc. Don’t let the fangs scare you away–little kids have always loved monsters. Think of how many fairy tales for children involve “monsters.” It’s just part of being a child. Even Pa in the Little House books played a game called “Mad Dog” with Laura and Mary when they were tiny little girls. It’s OK.
I agree. Very good post.