Movies

/

I find it interesting that, as a secondary school teacher/principal, I was often asked questions on how to raise teenagers, even though I did not have any yet.  Now that my kids are entering that stage of life, the ‘how-to’ questions from others have ceased.  In fact, I am more likely to have the ‘how to’ questions now…

The latest issue is (what else?) movies.  Before the team travels to Anchorage, the manger of my child’s baseball team called a parent meeting.  The coach said that PG-13 would be the appropriate level of movies to watch, but concerned parents should e-mail.  Of course, I had to e-mail.  The issue is what to say?  More specifically, how can I be a winsome witness for Jesus?

Here is what I said: 

Hey, ----,

 Thanks for all that you are doing for the boys.  Here’s to a great week of baseball!

As to movies – I confess I am an odd one.  I would let my children watch Lord of the Rings (R), yet not watch the Bernstein Bears (G), when they were in 1st grade.  Films that honor valor, courage, family & God are films we watch, no matter the rating; films that don’t are films we avoid as a family.  I really do not want to ‘deprogram’ my kids about respect for authority, casual swearing, etc. if better options are available. 

As a rule of thumb, I think PG movies are more likely to make the grade than PG-13.  Therefore, I am asking that the movie ‘guide’ be PG for the trip.  We will gladly send up some movies for the teams if that is helpful.

What would you have said/done?  What standards do you use for movies? (I don’t use the R, PG ratings at all - I use http://www.pluggedin.com/ alot)

(BTW – the coach was and is very gracious and easy to work with.  We have been asked to choose the movies for the trip – Facing the Giants, anyone?)

KS

(P.S. – Grace just told me that she does not like Bambi – she thinks that PETA wrote the screenplay….lol)