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I mentioned in a reply to someone the other day, that I had enjoyed watching Shaun of The Dead (rated 15) with my twelve-year-old daughter, who has a macabre streak running through her beyond her years.

Ok, she’s not technically old enough and it was slightly irresponsible on my part (some may say), however, she is mature and able to realise that it’s just a comedy film. Albeit with some gratuitous violence towards Zombies, and extensive swearing. I’m ok with that because I know she could cope, and she has heard all the words before, although I’m not sure where (cough, cough).

Before someone calls child-line, there are of course many other films I wouldn’t dream of letting her watch, and from my own moral code are clearly unsuitable.

However the rating systems are subjective. I recall taking her to the cinema a year or two ago to see a ‘children’s’ film called The Hole, which to be honest although rated advisory 12 was far more psychologically disturbing. I even jumped a few times myself and woke up in a cold sweat that night.

Our Son just can’t cope with going to the cinema due to his condition.

He finds it overwhelming, stemming back to one trip from when he was younger where he got a big fright during one of the trailers. Since then, we haven’t been able to get him to a screening at all. Latterly we understand that this is also due to his sensitivities to sound, smell and fear of the unknown – which when entering a dark theatre gives heightened anxiety beyond what he can contend with. In all situations where he feels like this, he tends to take the ‘flight’ option and runs away from his perceived danger.

We have tried to reintroduce him gradually, wearing ear defenders and such. Once we actually had the tickets, popcorn, sweets, cola and were almost in our seat before he decided he had to leave and ran off.

So we just don’t force the issue anymore and accept that until he’s ready there’s little point in pushing a family outing to the cinema.

In the meantime, when its my turn to take our daughter, I just have to accept that for every exciting adventure film, I’ll probably have to suffer a sickly girly one the next time. Which reminds me of when I had to take her to see Twilight, ...but that’s another story.