Kids-In-Mind.com Helps You Decide Which Movies Are Child Friendly

Have you ever popped in the latest kids' DVD release only to realize it was vastly inappropriate for your kid? With such varied values among parents these days it can be difficult to determine which movies will be classics in your household and which will have to be turned off mid-way. Of course, having to turn off a much anticipated movie-- essentially amounting to closing the barn door after the proverbial horse has escaped-- can lead to tantrums, hysterics, and endless questions concerning whatever subject matter led to the censorship in the first place; all things most parents try to avoid.

After the last such incident in my house it became apparent that we needed to do more research before turning on the DVD player. "Wouldn't it be great," I thought, "if there was a way to look up movie reviews on kids' movies, the way we do for adult movies?" Luckily, through the magic of the Internet, the solution appeared. Kids-In-Mind.com was more than we were even hoping for. Not only do they review kids' movies but they also review any "adult" movies you might be considering allowing your kids to watch. The reviews are presented as an objective list of any significant themes or events in the film. The primary rating is simply a number based on the film's scores in three main topics: Sex and Nudity, Violence and Gore, and Profanity. They also discuss instances of substance abuse, list discussion topics the movie presents, and the primary messages the film is meant to convey. The point is that a parent can pull up any movie and determine if it is appropriate based on what the movie actually contains, rather than a generic guidance rating.

For example, a friend recently lent me their copy of Disney's Ice Princess, a movie with a perfectly acceptable G rating, for my girls to watch. I quickly logged on and pulled it up in the Kids-In-Mind database. With a Sex/Nudity score of 3, I discovered in little time it would be a movie I would deeply regret allowing my already boy-crazy five year old daughter to watch. The movie is about teenagers and contains several scenes of kissing. A few kisses between teens certainly earns a mild score on my personal sex rating system, however, since we've already received two complaints from the kindergarten about our daughter kissing her classmates, the movie has already been returned to it's owner unwatched.

Overall, the website is pretty conservative. That Sex/Nudity rating of 3 also included the fact that the girls in the movie wear "skating costumes that are short, revealing thighs and matching underpants, and low-cut with sheer fabric inlays that reveal cleavage." Well, duh. You'll probably see about as much cleavage during the Olympics coverage. Yet, this kind of objective reporting of facts is what really drew me to the site. I would much prefer to have that information and decide that its not a big deal, than to be surprised by a teenage make-out session.

I encourage you to look up a few of your kids' favorites as well as any new acquisitions you might be planning. Who knows? You might save your self a few dollars, and headaches, in the long run.