Using Parental Guidance
Picture this: You\'re dropping off a group of young teens to go see the PG movie Are We There Yet?, but as you pull up the movie complex, you start to wonder: How do you know the kids aren\'t actually planning to sneak into the R-rated Hide and Seek instead?

It is a tricky situation: It\'s natural for kids when they hit 12 or 13 years old to want to go to movies with their friends -- and without their parents. But how can you stop your kids from seeing movies that you don\'t want them to see?

Parents must be really clear about their expectations. Look at the movie listings of the theater your child is going to and clearly say which movies are not allowed. Tell them: "I trust you to see Movie X and it is a breach of that trust to actually see Movie Y."

Sometimes your children might be in a situation where all their peers are pressuring them to see something on you\'ve marked as inappropriate. If they can use the parent to help define a boundary ("My parents say I cannot see that movie"), it is much easier to say no.

If your kids see a movie that you have not approved, then perhaps they are not ready for the independence of the stop-and-drop. The consequence may be that your kids do not go to the movies without a parent along -- of course, you\'ll be sitting far enough away to give the illusion of independence.