While the kids might say otherwise, I think I'm a relatively permissive parent. I've tried to give the kids their freedom. I've tried not to make too many arbitrary rules. And, when I've felt I needed to dole out punishment, I've tried to be fair.
One of the rules that I enforced all these years is that the kids weren't allowed to watch any R-rated film in the house until they were 17. Tonight, after standing firm for so many years, I relented. What a mistake.
Hannah, Jay, and I went up to the Redbox at Royal Farms to pick out a movie. The selection wasn't that great. After going through the entire roster twice, they finally said that the choice was mine. I settled on The Grey. I didn't know much about The Grey, other than it had Liam Neeson and a bunch of wolves. Liam Neeson seemed like a safe choice. I mean, how can you go wrong with a movie starring the guy who played Qui-Gon Jinn?
What I didn't know was that The Grey is rated R. By the time I realized that, I'd already made my selection. Standing there looking up at my youngest son (yes, I said "looking up" since he's taller than me now) and too lazy to start over from square one, I decided to go ahead with my purchase.
Now that we're 30 minutes into the movie, I guess I'm not that permissive after all. The reality is that I'm just very uncomfortable watching an R-rated movie with my kids. I really don't like sitting here watching a movie where the characters curse for no good reason and people's limbs get bitten off indiscriminately. It the cursing that gets me the most. It makes me feel like I'm failing to set a good example.
So, I guess that I'm a prude. I get it. But, do me a favor. Watch The Grey. Then watch Balto. You tell me which one is better.
This is where the magic happens.
