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A friend of mine, who is a pre-school teacher, recently had a child in her class tell her how much he liked the movie Iron Man. Surprised that he’d seen it, she asked the rest of the class, all aged between four and five, if they’d seen it. Every single child had seen the film, which carries Film and Publications Board (FPB) rating of 10SVL.
Fun police?
The FPB ratings are quite strict- they are designed to protect the child from exposure to anything inappropriate, but not everyone knows what they mean. If you’re a parent, you’ll be asked to provide your guidance about what your kid can watch, so here’s what the age restrictions mean:
Peer pressure- “but they’ve seen it”- is one reason kids may see something you’d prefer them not to, but it’s mostly that parents just don’t worry too much about those little triangles with numbers and letters on the corner of DVD cases. Your kid is hardly likely to become a serial killer after watching one “bad” movie, but it’s still a good idea to exercise your PG when it comes to their viewing, and remember that even if you allow your kids to watch everything, their friend’s parents may not have the same relaxed attitudes.
Do you pay attention to age restrictions on DVDs and games?
A friend of mine, who is a pre-school teacher, recently had a child in her class tell her how much he liked the movie Iron Man. Surprised that he’d seen it, she asked the rest of the class, all aged between four and five, if they’d seen it. Every single child had seen the film, which carries Film and Publications Board (FPB) rating of 10SVL.
Fun police?
The FPB ratings are quite strict- they are designed to protect the child from exposure to anything inappropriate, but not everyone knows what they mean. If you’re a parent, you’ll be asked to provide your guidance about what your kid can watch, so here’s what the age restrictions mean:
- A: All ages.
- PG: Parental guidance is advised for younger or sensitive viewers.
- 10M: Kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
- 13M/13PG: Kids under 13 must be accompanied by an adult or parental guidance must be given for DVD viewing.
- 10/13/16: No kids allowed under these ages.
- 18: Adults only.
"N" is not for "Nice"
- B: Blasphemy (religious sensitivity).
- D: Drug and alcohol abuse.
- L: Strong language.
- N: Nudity.
- P: Prejudice with regards to ethnicity, race, gender etc.
- S: Sexual conduct.
- V: Violence.
Peer pressure- “but they’ve seen it”- is one reason kids may see something you’d prefer them not to, but it’s mostly that parents just don’t worry too much about those little triangles with numbers and letters on the corner of DVD cases. Your kid is hardly likely to become a serial killer after watching one “bad” movie, but it’s still a good idea to exercise your PG when it comes to their viewing, and remember that even if you allow your kids to watch everything, their friend’s parents may not have the same relaxed attitudes.
Do you pay attention to age restrictions on DVDs and games?