Game of Thrones (advice needed)

[lone wolf]

I must confess that I have never watched it. Quite a few guys at work do, and love it. Here is my issue. My partner's son came to visit for spring break, and brought Season 1 Game of Thrones to watch ~ problem is that he only turned 14 last week. I am adamant that there are situations, language and content that are totally unsuitable for someone his age. As far as I am concerned, he is not going to watch it in my house. Mom on the other hand could care less.


From watchers of the show, and who are parents, am I over-reacting ? Any advice or suggestions.

[brownbomber]

14 hard to say but it's violent and sexual
My kids aren't that old yet, but I'm sure he's seen it before.

[Buckhead]

At 14 he's probably seen and heard quite a lot already.

However, really not appropriate viewing for someone that age.

If his parents want to let him watch it at [B]their house[B] that is fine.

My house, my rules.

[dty]

18 is questionable. Definitely not for a 14 year old.

[BeeGuy]

Better you watch it with him, given the alternative.

Every kid with internet and a smart phone has likely seen far more exotic material by 14.

She's not that hot anyways.

[BeeGuy]

14 is highschool age.

Highschool kids have sex, do drugs etc etc

Making the show taboo is not going to work in your favour.

18 questionable??????

Bahahahahaha

[brownbomber]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

14 is highschool age.

Highschool kids have sex, do drugs etc etc

Making the show taboo is not going to work in your favour.

18 questionable??????

Bahahahahaha

Yeah by 18 nearly 20 years ago for me I wasn't very innocent at all by then. Drink drugs sex around 16 I guess, certainly knew all about it at 14 and I was a rural religious family

[Redfrog]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

14 is highschool age.

Highschool kids have sex, do drugs etc etc

Making the show taboo is not going to work in your favour.

18 questionable??????

Bahahahahaha

I'm with Beeguy on this . All kids do drugs, have sex etc.etc. so why bother having any rules or boundaries. I mean it's not like they have to follow any structure in the real world. The younger they get started, the better. Soon they won't need parents at all.

[Mickey]

Pretty sure if they have access to the internet they have seen and heard alot worse.

There is some nudity and some violence.

That is all.

Walking dead is probably alot worse for shock factor.

[Sundancefisher]

cinematography is great. Acting exceptional. Storyline from the books is superb albiet with some holes they are correcting as they go in the movie.

There is violence although not near as graphic as Walking Dead.

There is nudity and suggestive sexuality...for the most part fleeting. Definitely would feel awkward with a 14 year old in the room so my gut tells me that is too young. Mentally mature 16 year old ok. 18 of course.

IMHO

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

cinematography is great. Acting exceptional. Storyline from the books is superb albiet with some holes they are correcting as they go in the movie.

There is violence although not near as graphic as Walking Dead.

There is nudity and suggestive sexuality...for the most part fleeting. Definitely would feel awkward with a 14 year old in the room so my gut tells me that is too young. Mentally mature 16 year old ok. 18 of course.

IMHO

Most every 14 year old boy I know is 14 going on 19 not 9, they are far less child like that when I was 14 , 40 years ago. FS

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by lone wolf

I must confess that I have never watched it. Quite a few guys at work do, and love it. Here is my issue. My partner's son came to visit for spring break, and brought Season 1 Game of Thrones to watch ~ problem is that he only turned 14 last week. I am adamant that there are situations, language and content that are totally unsuitable for someone his age. As far as I am concerned, he is not going to watch it in my house. Mom on the other hand could care less.


From watchers of the show, and who are parents, am I over-reacting ? Any advice or suggestions.

He could probably sit you down and teach you a few things about sex and violence on the screen . His mom is ok with it and from what I gather you're not his dad (hate to tell you this but when push comes to shove you never will be and he and she will make sure you know it) Let him watch it , watch it with him and her and leave it at that . Not a hill to die on

[Dr. Phil A]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

He could probably sit you down and teach you a few things about sex and violence on the screen . His mom is ok with it and from what I gather you're not his dad (hate to tell you this but when push comes to shove you never will be and he and she will make sure you know it) Let him watch it , watch it with him and her and leave it at that . Not a hill to die on

Totally agree with you. I am in the same situation and have watched the results over the years as the kids got older. Very open communication with them about sex and what is going on in their lives. As Jr. has made to the top end of his teen years our step father/step son conversations are better because I can call a spade a spade.

As for the violence angle of this discussion, I always fall back to this thought. What are these kids counterparts in other areas of the world seeing and doing? Most of the ME teens have seen death and violence up close, being raised to believe that it is the only way to obtain anything, solve situations, and put fear in to those who are somewhat pacifist. So in the end is your kid even aware that this is what is going on and are they prepared to deal with it. This has been the way of the world since its inception and those who think they can soothe the savage will only get so far.

[DiabeticKripple]

sounds like once im done walking dead season 4 im starting game of thrones

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by lone wolf

I must confess that I have never watched it. Quite a few guys at work do, and love it. Here is my issue. My partner's son came to visit for spring break, and brought Season 1 Game of Thrones to watch ~ problem is that he only turned 14 last week. I am adamant that there are situations, language and content that are totally unsuitable for someone his age. As far as I am concerned, he is not going to watch it in my house. Mom on the other hand could care less.


From watchers of the show, and who are parents, am I over-reacting ? Any advice or suggestions.

Sadly you are, now if this were the 60's 70's or 80's perhaps you could be right. If you devoutly religious i could see all that great sex they have getting in the way.
My 13yr old watches plus he has read 4 of the books. FS

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

It's 'inappropriate', sure, but at 14 I don't know that I'd stop him. The violence is everywhere, and if he's interested in seeing boobs and knows how to work a keyboard...

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Mr. Bigglesworth

It's 'inappropriate', sure, but at 14 I don't know that I'd stop him. The violence is everywhere, and if he's interested in seeing boobs and knows how to work a keyboard...

It does make some sence on the surface to say, if you let a kid go online without supervision then you might was well let him watch whatever he wants on TV. Why start trying to be a parent now? He's probably seen worse.

But here's the counter... just because a kid is doing something doesn't mean you condone it or allow it in your own house. Your kid may smoke pot or drink under age, but it doesn't mean you allow it in your home. My sons are 23 and 25, and I know neither are virgins, or have been for a long time. But I would never allow them to bring girls home and sleep with them, and they have enough respect to never ask. The girlfriend sleeps in separate bedrooms if she stays here.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

It does make some sence on the surface to say, if you let a kid go online without supervision then you might was well let him watch whatever he wants on TV. Why start trying to be a parent now? He's probably seen worse.

But here's the counter... just because a kid is doing something doesn't mean you condone it or allow it in your own house. Your kid may smoke pot or drink under age, but it doesn't mean you allow it in your home. My sons are 23 and 25, and I know neither are virgins, or have been for a long time. But I would never allow them to bring girls home and sleep with them, and they have enough respect to never ask. The girlfriend sleeps in separate bedrooms if she stays here.

Yup, fair point and I would agree. There is absolutely a difference between realizing that things do go on that are out of your power, and giving consent by giving your permission for those things to happen. But this, to me, isn't an example of 'make the right choice', it's just about exposure and whether the boy is or isn't too young to see that much voilence/nudity/whatever.
That said- there's obviously some common sense there and 'exposed' doesn't equal 'zero barriers'. Probably not reasonable to say that my 2 year old ought to be able to sit and watch Wolf of Wall Street "because surely he has already heard an F-bomb or two dropped by me by accident".

My point was only that at 14, when the boy almost certainly has access to a computer or smart phone- if nudity is the worry, is the OP really sheltering him from anything? Allowing him to watch Game of Thrones doesn't have to be the same as saying "Ok. Bridge crossed. Go ahead and bring some hard core movies into the house now".
Same goes for violence...he can try and limit the kids exposure, but when every video game he plays and every PG-13 action movie of the last decade is full of it, I'm not sure that saying "not in my house" amounts to anything more than burying your head in the sand.

IMO it makes more sense for the OP to ask himself if this (small) battle needs to be fought, being that the kid is already exposed to these things on a daily basis at his own discretion.

[AndersonSkiTeam]

I guess I have different expectations for my kids than many of you have. I think many kids do not want to be drinking, watching porn, and violence at the age of 14. I think that many kids at this age do watch inappropriate things and sometimes by their choice, but most of the 14 year old boys I know are not drinking and not watching porn because more is expected of them. It is not simply thought that all boys do these things so just let them do it. Odds are they will be curious but I hope they choose not to participate regularly in these things. Every parent can make the choice of where to draw the line, and I am sure I am more on the prude end of the spectrum, but don't be scared to expect more from your boys.

[Redfrog]

It sure is easier to not set boundaries....at least at 14. At 22 and up to his ass in gators....mmmm not so much.