Should I Let My Kids Watch R-Rated Movies Like I Did at Their Age?

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Growing up, I frequently watched R-rated films, including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” at the age of 8, which remains my all-time favorite movie opening.

I made a mistake by showing them the intro, and I said something careless, like “Grandpa showed me this when I was your age, and it’s rated R.” Naturally, they wondered if that meant they could watch R-rated movies too.

It turns out I made a misstep there, didn’t I? I had declined to take my six-year-old son to the PG-13 film Godzilla Minus One. However, my kids questioned why I was allowed to watch rated-R movies at their age while they couldn’t. This sparked some thought: Should I allow my children to watch R-rated films? Well…

I Guess It All Depends On The Movie, Right?

Terminator 2 carries an R rating, but I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as a very intense or heavy R. The primary reasons for this rating are the frequent and intense violence, coupled with a substantial amount of profanity – approximately 52 uses of a strong language term throughout the movie.

Indeed, it was quite a lot, and when I first watched that movie, I was genuinely taken aback! As clearly as daylight, I recall looking at my father, his face filled with sympathy, and exclaiming, “Could they really say that?

Initially, I was quite unsophisticated, as the profanity was used multiple times following its first utterance. However, let me clarify: after that initial use of a strong curse word, it lost its power to shock me. In time, I hardly noticed it. So, considering my own offspring, would it truly be detrimental if they heard a handful of such curses in a film? Given that children at their school casually use the same curse word, and I’ve learned this only because I’ve overheard other kids saying it when picking up my own children.

Essentially, whether or not I allow my children to watch an R-rated film depends on the specific movie itself. For example, my son recently asked if he could watch Deadpool, and I firmly said no because of the excessive profanity, sexual innuendos, and overly violent content in that particular movie.

My child inquired about watching “The Evil Dead,” as it belongs to one of my preferred horror series, a topic I’ve shared with her on numerous occasions. However, the film isn’t just gruesome; there’s a particular scene (you can guess which) that gives me pause. Though I watched an R-rated movie at age 8, I wonder if my kids are mature enough to handle it now. This leads me to my next query…

What Age Is Appropriate?

I’ve decided on 13. Should this be the appropriate age for children to watch R-rated movies? To be honest, I’m unsure, but I believe it would be more agreeable for my kids if I suggest an age that’s not too distant in the future compared to just telling them they have to wait until they’re 17.

I have full confidence in my kids, and I don’t believe that watching a rated-R movie will negatively impact them or make them act inappropriately. To give you an idea, I’ve been a devoted fan of Mortal Kombat since the original game was released in 1992. In truth, nearly everyone I knew back then shared my enthusiasm for Mortal Kombat, and we all turned out alright in the end.

By the age of 13, I had seen every uncut version of the “Friday the 13th” series. Since my mom worked nights, I would stay up late after my older sibling fell asleep and then quietly slip downstairs to catch these films (in fact, I often watched movies that my sister explicitly warned me against).

To me, thirteen seems like a fitting age due to my approach as a father: I’ve been answering my children’s questions since they first started talking. My reasoning is simple – if they can ask, then they deserve the truth. When they inquired about where babies come from, I took them to the library and showed them an age-appropriate book instead of using stories like “the stork.” This way, there’s no need for later explanations.

I value their intellect, and when my child began watching “The Simpsons,” I initially felt a bit concerned due to its adult-oriented humor, particularly the sexual jokes. However, having watched every episode numerous times, I’m aware of these elements and am ready to clarify any risqué jokes if my child asks about them, which leads me to my next point.

Whatever They End Up Seeing, I’ll Of Course Watch The Movie First

The first time I watched Terminator 2 with my father, we went into it without knowing much about the movie. He had asked a colleague if it was suitable for an 8-year-old boy, and his coworker said it was. However, what one parent finds acceptable may not align with another’s standards.

For instance, I never use curse words around my children, but there are certainly parents out there who do. Consequently, they might find Deadpool‘s dialogue unproblematic. On the other hand, I personally take issue with it, particularly when my kids are involved. To illustrate another point, a large number of children in my son’s class have already seen Squid Game. In fact, one of his friends even suggested they play “Russian Roulette,” which fortunately, my son was unfamiliar with the term for.

This version maintains the original meaning while attempting to make it more natural and easy to read by using more common phrases and sentence structures.

Regardless of the R-rated film I eventually allow my kids to watch once they’re 13, I’ll make sure to check it out myself beforehand, rather than relying on someone else’s recommendation about what’s suitable for them, unlike how my father might have done.

In simpler terms, I consider it part of my role as a parent to make these decisions. I’m not implying any judgment, but my kids don’t use cell phones. It’s surprising, isn’t it? Nowadays, even kindergarten children have smartphones. This makes me feel out of the norm since I won’t let my kids have them. However, even with parental controls, there are numerous factors beyond my control that make me uneasy.

This brings me to my last point…

Lastly, I Know My Kids Will Likely Find A Way To Watch Something That They Want To See Anyway, So I Want To Be There When They Do

Raising children often means accepting that they won’t follow your wishes most of the time, such as when I chose to watch the ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Halloween’ movies despite my mom not wanting me to. This was because we never explicitly discussed what I should or shouldn’t watch; instead, those boundaries were implied.

Regardless of their age, if a child desires to see something strongly, they will find a means to do so, and that certainly applies to my kids. For instance, my son was the one who informed on his sister when he discovered she had watched an episode of Hazbin Hotel on my Amazon Prime account. Consequently, I have removed Prime Video from our television and now only watch it on my mobile device.

In other words, the fact that my son tattled on his sister suggests two things: firstly, it implies that she must have done something that annoyed him enough for him to want to get her into trouble; secondly, it shows that he himself recognized that the show she was watching was inappropriate.

When it comes to an R-rated film, I’d love to join them during its entire viewing. Primarily, I want it to be a movie they genuinely want to watch, which demonstrates my confidence in their maturity. Secondly, I’m there to clarify any complexities or discuss any potentially confusing aspects. For instance, when I would secretly watch Friday the 13th as a kid, a part of me thought that sex was wrong and that the camp counselors were deserving of their fate because they shouldn’t have been having sex in the first place.

Instead of instilling a negative view of sex or promoting violence in my children as I did when I grew up watching those films alone at a young age, I’d rather they understand the potential risks and repercussions associated with each. I believe this can be achieved effectively if we watch these films together as a family.

But what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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2025-06-30 12:08