I Watched Terminator 2 When I Was Only 8. Should I Let My Own Children Watch R-Rated Films? Let's Talk

Back in my day, we used to watch R-rated movies all the time. In fact, when I was only 8 years old, my dad took me to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the theater, and it still, to this day, has my favorite introduction to any movie ever.

Well, being the idiot that I am, I showed my son and daughter, who are 8 and 9, respectively, this intro, and I stupidly said, “You know, Grandpa took me to see this when I was only 8, and it’s rated R,” to which my children obviously asked, “Can we watch rated-R movies then?”

I walked right into that one, didn't I? I told them no, of course, since I felt bad for even taking my then-six-year-old son to a PG-13 movie like Godzilla Minus One. But my children asked me why I could watch a rated-R movie at their age, and they couldn’t, which really got me thinking: Should I let them watch R-rated movies? Well…

I Guess It All Depends On The Movie, Right?

Terminator 2 is rated R, sure, but I don't know if I would consider it a heavy R. What I mean is the rating is mostly because of the violence, as well as the profanity, as the movie has around 52 f-bombs in it.

Yes, that's a lot, and the first time I saw the movie, I was shocked! I distinctly remember turning to my dad, who gave me an apologetic expression, and I exclaimed, “They can say that?”

How naive I was, as the word was uttered several more instances after that first time. But, here's the thing: after that initial f-bomb, it didn't have the same impact for me anymore. In fact, I kind of didn't even notice it after awhile. So when it comes to my own children, would it really be so bad if they heard a few f-bombs in a movie? I mean, kids at their school say the f-word all the time, and I only know this since I've heard other kids saying it when I've picked my own children up.

So, really, if I let my kids watch an R-rated flick, it all depends on the movie. For instance, my son has asked if he can watch Deadpool, and I said absolutely not. Besides the profanity, there's also a lot of sexual innuendo in that movie, and the violence is a bit too extreme.

My daughter asked if she could watch The Evil Dead, since it's in one of my favorite horror franchises, which, in my enthusiasm, I've told her about several times. But besides the gore, that movie also has that scene (and you know what scene I’m talking about). So even though I saw an R-rated film when I was only 8, I'm not sure if my own kids are “ready” yet. But that brings me to my next question.

What Age Is Appropriate?

I’ve settled on 13. Is that the best age to let kids watch rated-R movies? Honestly, I have no idea, but I figure that if I tell my kids a certain age that’s not too far away, then they’ll be more amenable to accepting that rather than me just saying, “Wait until you’re 17.”

Because, honestly, I trust my children, and I don’t think watching a rated-R movie is going to warp them or turn them into deviants. For example, I’ve been a diehard Mortal Kombat fan ever since the first game debuted back in 1992. In fact, everybody I knew back then was a big fan of Mortal Kombat, and we turned out just fine.

Also, I swear I watched every Friday the 13th movie, unedited, by the time I was 13. My mom worked nights, so I used to wait up until my older sister fell asleep, and then sneak downstairs to watch them (in fact, I watched a lot of movies my sister told me not to watch).

In that way, 13 feels like a good age to me. That's because I’m the kind of father who has been answering any questions my children have from as early as they could talk; my rationale being that if they’re old enough to wonder, then they’re old enough to know the truth. So, when they asked me where babies came from, I took them to the library and showed them an age-appropriate book. I didn’t say, “The stork,” or anything that I would have to walk back later.

I respect their intelligence, and when my daughter started watching The Simpsons, I was a little apprehensive at first since there are sexual jokes. But at the same time, I know these jokes are coming since I’ve seen every episode multiple times, and I’m prepared to explain any bawdy humor that comes up whenever my daughter asks, “What do they mean?” Which brings me to my next point.

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

When my dad took me to see Terminator 2, we went into it blind. He told me that he had asked a coworker of his if it was “appropriate” for his 8-year-old son, and his coworker said that it was. But what’s appropriate for one parent may not be appropriate for another.

For example, I don’t curse in front of my children, but I know there are plenty of parents who do. So for them, Deadpool’s dialogue may not be an issue. For me, it is, at least when it comes to my kids. As another example, a lot of the kids in my son’s class have already watched Squid Game (my son’s friend asked him if he wanted to play “Russian Roulette,” to which my son, thankfully, didn’t know what he was talking about).

So whatever R-rated movie I let my children eventually watch when they turn 13, I’ll of course have to watch it first. In other words, unlike my dad, I won’t just take another person’s word for what is appropriate for my kids.

I feel this is my job as a parent anyway. I’m not throwing any shade, but my kids don’t even have cell phones. I know, how is that even possible, right? When even kindergarten kids have smartphones these days, I feel like the odd parent out since I won’t let my children have them. But even with parental settings on, there are just too many outside factors that I can’t control that I don’t feel comfortable with.

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

Being a parent is knowing that your children aren’t going to do what you want them to do, probably 99% of the time. For example, my mom didn’t want me watching Friday the 13th, or the Halloween movies (which I’ve also watched all the way through), but I watched them anyway. It’s mostly because my mother and I never had that conversation of what I should or shouldn’t watch. It was just implied.

However, it doesn’t matter the generation. If a kid wants to see something badly enough, they’ll find a way to see it, and my kids are no exception. Like, my son had to be the one who narc'd on his sister when he told me that she watched an episode of Hazbin Hotel on my account. I have since pulled Prime Video from my television and now only watch it on my phone.

That said, for my son to even narc on his sister in the first place just tells me that 1, she must have done something that pissed him off, so he wanted to get her in trouble; and 2, even he realized that she shouldn’t have been watching a show like that.

So, when it comes to an R-rated movie, I want to be there when they watch one all the way through. Firstly, I want it to be something that they want to watch so it shows that I trust their maturity level. And secondly, I want it to be there to explain things, if need be. For example, when I used to sneak downstairs and watch Jason kill horny teenagers, a part of me thought sex was bad and that the camp counselors DESERVED to die since they shouldn’t have been having sex in the first place.

But I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking sex is “bad,” or that violence is “good,” which I grew up believing since I watched these films alone at such a young age. I want them to know the risks of sex and the consequences of violence, and I feel I can do that if we watch these films together.

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