How to explain the dangers on Twilight to kids

[Consecrated]

Exactly, she made the mistake of letting her kids see a movie that is the craze now with grade school kids. She didn’t know the Catholic Church had spoken against it and she didn’t see the dangers until now. She made a mistake and now is trying to make up for it by explain to the kids why it is not a good movie to see. Actually she only needs to explain it to the 9 year old, the 6 year old wasn’t even paying attention to it she actually kept asking when it was over and had no interest in it.

It has? I missed that document.

 

[beeliner]

It has? I missed that document.

Cons, that is my problem here too.

I’m not taking an advocacy position in one direction or the other, I’d just like to know more about the films and in what way they are anti-Catholic.

The poster who has claimed that THE CHURCH, not individual Catholics, clergy or laity, but the Catholic Church as an institution has “spoken” against the series should give a link or reference to a reliable source.

 

[Cat]

beeliner, I think the OP’s question is not so much whether the films are anti-Catholic, but whether they are appropriate for 6 and 9 year-old children.

If you have read any of my posts in the Family Section, you will know that I am a proponent of raising “independent” children into independent adults who leave home at a reasonable age and live on their own. I do not believe in sheltering or coddling children. I definitely believe in exposing children and teenagers to the arts, including controversial arts.

But I do believe in age-appropriateness, especially when it comes to the arts.

I was a huge Dark Shadows fan (see my first post in this thread), but I started watching the show when I was in 6th grade, around 12 years old. I don’t think that show was appropriate for 6 year olds. Maybe 9 year olds.

But Twilight is much more graphic and sexually-charged than DS ever was, and I don’t believe it’s appropriate for little ones.

Older children and teenagers, definitely. But not little ones. They should be watching children’s shows and films like the Toy Story franchise and many of the Disney children’s movies. And even children’s art needs to be utilized with age-appropriateness in mind. I wouldn’t allow a very young child or toddler to watch a scary film like Snow White (the witch is very frightening).

 

[puzzleannie]

I am dating a woman who has two kids from a previous marriage age 6 and 9. She let them see the first two twilight movies and enjoyed them herself. Now she realizes the agenda of the movies and the things that go against our faith, etc. They want to see the next movie. How do we explain that the movies are inappropriate now that they have seen the first two? Are there any resources out there? Thanks

my suggestion is to read the books and watch the movies with your children, having first previewed them yourself, encourage them to identify problematic areas, if any, and engage them in discussion about them. This goes for HP, Twi, and other series out there that the kids will probably read, and may end up on summer reading lists in the future (saints preserve us).

If your child does not notice the plot or character situation that raises and issue for Catholics, simply ask him, what do you think about the way the character reacted in this situation? What should he have done better or different? Why? These are incredibly rich teaching moments and you are missing out if you make blanket prohibitions against pop lit.

The same with TV shows. Personally I would have some networks like ABC Family permantly blocked from my TV, but if you are watching something, do it together, and use the commercials to jump on situations in a show with an otherwise valuable message, to encourage them to question those which conflict with their faith. It gives you a chance to reinforce what the faith teaches and help them answer similar situations that arise in real life.

I think the issue of age appropriateness is far more relevant, and that is what alarms me most. It is hard in a family with a large spread of ages to restrict what the younger ones see and hear. Some of this will go over the heads of the 6 yr old, but the 9 yr old is going to have questions, and you must be ready to answer them. If you do make a blanket prohibition on an author, network, series, character etc. you must be prepared to state your reasons solidly within the context of our faith and moral life.

I remember my mother’s prohibition on watching soaps, and used it on my kids: I would not allow people who behave like that into our home in person, so I won’t allow them in via the TV set.