The movies we watch

I have a confession to make: I really can't watch the movie Planes again. Or Cars. I've seen those movies way too many times. And, seeing as how I didn't really enjoy them the first time, each subsequent viewing has torn away a piece of my sanity.

But they are my son's favorite movies. And every time he earns a movie, those are the ones he chooses to watch. But we need to expand his horizons. Carefully. So, lately, when he earns a movie, Mommy gets to pick it. This is how we've watched Frozen, Aladdin and Tangled. 

Does my son like these new movies? Sometimes. Sometimes he just wants the familiar movies he is used to. And I get that - I am pretty sure I watched The NeverEnding Story and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory enough times to give my Mom a migraine. (Sorry, Mom!)

What I need to keep in mind when introducing my son to new movies is the content. Especially since we can't trust movie ratings anymore. Evidently, the longer you are exposed to violence, the more you become desensitized to it. This basically means that adults are a becoming a poor judge of the amount of violence that is appropriate for a PG-13 rated movie. 

In our household, we use Common Sense Media to determine which movies to try out or to give us a refresher on the movie's content before showing it to our son. It's reassuring to hear reviews from other parents and then apply that information to what my son likes in movies.

What about you? Have you let your children watch a movie recently that surprised you with the violence/language in it? Share with me in the comments.