The Crosby Chronicles: There is a reason for movie ratings

If you are a parent of at least two children whose ages are separated by at least a few years, you understand the quandary of finding appropriate films and video games for all siblings to enjoy.

When my oldest son was younger, taking both boys to G-rated fare was no problem. Now that I have a tween, I selectively choose PG-13 films for him, leaving the younger one at home. But many parents choose not to discriminate and take all their kids to even R-rated movies. This is not right.

If parents badly want to see a more adult film, they should wait to see it by themselves, or if a babysitter is out of the question, wait for it to come out on DVD and view it once kids are not around.

More and more PG-13 movies are being seen by the under-10 crowd such as the current blockbuster “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” If families didn’t take all their kids to see that film, it would not have outgrossed Disney/Pixar’s “Cars 2.”

Having seen the new “Transformers” movie, I can tell you that it is definitely not for younger children. Besides dozens of expletives throughout the film, as well as sexual innuendo, the intensity of the scenes of Chicago being destroyed by robots is extremely realistic. Why expose six-year-olds to people screaming for their lives as they slide down the facade of a collapsing building? To me the imagery is too close to the real September 11th horrors.

Parents should choose more carefully the entertainment menus for their children. Sometimes saying “no” is a good thing.

Brian Crosby is a teacher at Hoover High School and the author of Smart Kids, Bad Schools and The $100,000 Teacher. He can be reached at brian-crosby.com.