Okay it's time for my rant to moms out there. Once again one of my kids friends went on and on about the rated R Movie she watched with her parents and how scary it was and how she had bad dreams and hated it. For whatever reason, kids love to tell me stuff--I guess my kids let friends know what I do for a living and that I write books so they like to come talk to me.

Honestly, I so don't get how some parents--adults I enjoy talking to and seem to have it together--have this chip missing inside their brain that doesn't allow them to filter what is okay for kids and what isn't. Movies have ratings for a reason. And if it has been given an R rating, there are elements in the movie that have been deemed too harsh for young minds. By the way this rant also goes for parents allowing M-rated video games for their kids--seriously! Give me a break! Shockingly I hear about this more than I hear about the movies!

This particular child I'm referring to today was subjected to two horror films that her parents wanted to see so they turned them on cable when she and her 3 year old sibling were still up and had them watch it as a family. Both these movies are films I would not personally choose to watch because the subject matter is too disturbing for me--an adult! I asked her why she didn't just tell her Mom it was too scary. She said she did but her mom wanted to watch it.

I must say in every single incident where one of my kids friends have told me they've seen scary or risque movies in the past few years (my kids are 10 and 9 now) the kids said they were films their parents wanted to see. Thus it is quite clear that parents are thinking more of themselves than their role as a parent. I'm not judging the parents personal choice in movies THEY want to watch for them, but come on, you can watch them when your kids are asleep, in another room, or while at a friends house.

It is our job as parents to protect what goes into our children's minds during their childhood. If you have been blessed with the role as parent--then parent, don't be a "buddy" to your child. And that means protect, as best you can, what you permit your children to see. And FYI, if your kids are having recurrent nightmares, chances are they have been playing video games or watching media that is disturbing them.