Why I Let My 5-Yr-Old Watch "The Goonies"

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I'm pretty strict about what I let Noodlebug watch. We stick to "G' and "PG" movies and he has yet to see any of the "Star Wars" films.  Our family usually has a Family Movie Night each Friday. My husband makes homemade pizza and we watch a family-friendly film.  We have an impressive collection of animated movies and I love them. Sometimes, I want to watch something different.  One evening, I ran across "The Goonies" On Demand and decided we needed to watch it. I had loved it as a child.  However, I was a bit older than Noodlebug when I saw it. I knew we needed some preparation prior to watching it.

Questionable Things to Watch For:

1. Cursing--My son hears curse words in his day-to-day life.  My husband still hasn't managed to curb that habit. We have discussed with Noodle that these are grown-up words and that he does not have permission to say them. So far, we haven't had a problem. I told him that this movie would have some grown-up words.  He understood.  There is also a little potty humor that went over his head.

2. Villains--The Fratellis are not nice people.  They use guns. They kill people. They torture one of their own. They threaten children. I warned him in advance about this.

3. Dead Bodies--There is a dead body in this movie. It falls out of a freezer onto one of the boys. It could have been scary. I explained it beforehand.  He knew what to expect. It didn't scare him.

4. Sloth--Sloth looks like a monster. His character is introduced in a way that creates a lot of scary suspense. I waited until just before Sloth was revealed and paused the movie. I told Noodle that we would be seeing a man who looks really different. I said that just because he looked different didn't mean that he was bad. We discussed how just because people look different does not mean that they aren't worthy of love, respect, and dignity.  I started the movie again. He wasn't scared at all. But he WAS upset at how badly Sloth was treated.

5. Skeletons--One of Noodle's first movies was NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS so he isn't bothered by skeletons.

6. Suspense--There are some nail-biting moments in the movie that might be scary for some children. I knew my child wouldn't be bothered by that.

These are the reasons WHY I let him watch the movie:

1. The kids go on this adventure to save their homes.  They band together to help their parents and save their community.

2. It requires teamwork for the kids to succeed. They can't do it alone.

3. The kids are loyal to each other. They don't leave anyone behind.

4. EMPATHY!  The kids accept Sloth and end up protecting him.

5. Developing right from wrong---The kids fight the Fratellis and turn them over to the police.

6. They don't give up!!! Goonies never say die!  Persistance, grit, and determination! All hallmarks of successful people.

Bottom line: He loved it.  He always asks to watch it again. And he will be going as Data for Halloween this year.

Would I recommend this movie for every 5/6 yr old child?  No.  We had to do some preparation but I knew he would be able to handle it. I was right. He loved it and so do I.