I think I've finally finished filling out all of the paperwork the kids have been bringing home from school. It seems like I fill out the same things every year! Something new was a list of movies from one of Kyle's classes with a form to sign. All of them were rated R except one. I remember an occasional questionable media presentation before - but this seemed like a lot. Kyle said the rules have changed and now teachers can show R rated movies. So I was to fill out the form and give a reason if there were any movies that I didn't want my child to participate in. Jeff reminded me that I didn't need to detail all of the doctrines of the church to make my point and that "Religion" would suffice. I went for a bit more detail. This was my reason:
We have a high standard of expectation in our church when it comes to traditional morals and values. In 1986 Ezra Taft Benson, then president of the church, issued this statement that is still the standard today: “Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic.”
Furthermore, I think awareness can be raised, and an appreciation for the sacrifices that have been made for our freedoms can be achieved without having to experience the gore and drama through the eyes of a Hollywood director. I think it is wise to avoid the intentional addition of disturbing images of violence to young minds. Perhaps these images and impressions will not always be in the forefront of their recall, but research has shown that they will be imprinted in their permanent memory, affecting behavior and the formation of intent attribution.
A good resource for movie evaluation that we use is www.kids-in-mind.com . The site gives an overview of the movie, and number ratings 1-10 based on 3 criteria - Sex & Nudity, Violence & Gore, and Profanity. Each category is detailed for the review.
A little bit of a soapbox? Maybe. What I tell my kids is that standard didn't come from me - I just agree with it and see the value in it.
It's hard to be the parent sometimes!
4 comments:
Wow. Good for you. Can I have a copy of that so I can give it to Jillise's teachers in 8 years?
Geez... I can't believe schools are okay with "R" rated movies being shown when you can't even get into a "R" rated movie until your 18!? Only a handful of kids in high school are 18. Good for you! I bet Kyle was embarassed though.
I love the beautiful family photos on your blog!! I can't believe your kids are looking like they're my age already...of course I'm staying in my early 20's never aging, right? haha.
Wow, that's rediculous. I'll be all over that situation when my time comes. No one is going to shove an R rated movie down my childs throat, and his grades or education shouldn't be dependent on him watching one. There are so many other ways to teach what they are trying to teach. Todd always reminds me that "leadership often times means loneliness". And it's so true. It really is so much easier to just jump on the bandwagon with everyone else and stay quiet to keep the peace. But I would much rather stand tall all by myself than let society encourage me to make bad choices. Good for you for standing up for yourself and hopefully encouraging a lot of other parents to do the same thing.
"He never said it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it."
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