How old was your DC when they watched their first movie at home?

[sarahsthreads]

We're definitely not a no-TV household, although we are a limited, mama-controlled TV household still. Carrie watches Blue's Clues and/or Signing Time once a day, with the occasional Go Baby short thrown in (I don't know why she loves that so much, but she does!) Just this past weekend she watched an episode of Sesame Street for the first time. Oh, and she watches baseball with daddy sometimes. ;)

Anyway, for Mother's Day I bought myself Lady and the Tramp on DVD - from Carrie, of course! Carrie is completely obsessed with dogs and my mom thinks I should let Carrie watch the movie. But I feel like she's too young still (she's 19 months). I sat down and watched it for the first time in 15 years, and there are three things in it that I think are questionable: the dogs crying while they're in the pound, Tramp fighting the rat in the baby's room, and when Trusty gets run over by the wagon. I just don't think she's verbal enough yet to have a conversation about things that may be potentially upsetting to her.

Am I over-thinking this? Is she just going to see animated dogs on the screen and not realize that there are scary or sad parts? I'm not even sure she'd have the attention span to watch the whole thing anyway, although it's not that much longer than a Sesame Street episode...

Sarah :)

[janeybwild]

Megan was 2 3/4 when we watched our first movie at home (Toy Story). She had loads of questions about it/during it, and we watched it with her, talking about it as we went. She has since seen Tarzan and the Lion King, both have similar problem scenes to what you described. No doubt they are harder. We don't let her watch those anymore becuase she gets upset by the fighting/loudness. I think it really depends on your child and what they can handle. Megan is on the sensitive side, so that's why waiting was better for us. Your child may do fine, but I would recommend you watch with her and talk about it during. HTH.