Guide To Choosing Movies For Your Kids

With the extensive exposure to media that children get nowadays, it is not surprising that many of them ‘watch’ their first movie even before their first birthday. Although mere exposure and actually watching and understanding the movie are two different things, it is recommended that kids younger than two years old are not allowed to watch television, or movies for that matter.

Still, once the kids reach a particular age, it is inevitable in some households that these kids will have watched a handful of movies. Media such as TV shows, online videos, and movies, are not all bad for the children because once children’s brains are mature enough to process these media, there could be benefits to this activity as well.

However, it is still very important to monitor and choose the movies for your kids. Below are some tips to help you choose movies for your kids.

·         Everything goes through you. Think of yourself as your children’s gatekeeper – you get to choose which movies and TV shows get to go inside your children’s brains and nothing goes directly to them without going through you. Set this rule firmly in their minds, so that your children will also get into the habit of asking you before watching anything.

·         Watch it yourself. The best way to find out if a movie is suitable for your children is to watch it yourself. Even if it is a Philippine movie, an old movie, an animated movie, or any other kind of movie, make sure that you watch it first before letting your kids do the same thing. Watch this movie with a critical eye, always asking yourself whether it is appropriate for your own kids.

·         Research. There will be times when it will be difficult for you to watch it yourself beforehand such as when you and your family will be watching at a cinema in one of the malls in thePhilippines. In these instances, your weapon is your research skills. Read reviews and ratings to find out as much as you can about the movie. However, your final judgment will only be based on these reviews so make sure that you do a thorough research.

·         Anticipate issues. For movies wherein some sensitive issues might have been tackled, it is important to ask yourself regarding your stand on these issues that have cropped up. Thinking through these issues will help you guide your child on said issues.