Okay, so there are some people who should just not be parents. Like lots of people who should not be parents. Among these people are the parents who are like, "Hey do you think Sausage Party would be okay for my 6 year old son? Eh probably I mean it is animation." So then they take their 6 year old to see Sausage Party. Which is kind of weird considering they have some very... odd scenes in there. One time I was taken to see this horror ghost movie I forget what it was called. This couple came in with their two kids not even caring about what the movie had. Their conversation beforehand was probably like, "Hey honey do you think this movie that almost has a girl almost stabbed with a tree stump is okay for our 4 year old?" The stupidity of some people just bugs me.

   Anyways, enough of the stories. Do you have any stories about this kind of stuff? Where do you stand on people bringing their kids to see things like Sausage Party or Ted?

I admit that sometimes the rating has nothing to do with age, but it's just sometimes, so other times you must abide by it and let the unallowed audience out of it.

I did watch several 18 rated movies (that's how we do it at this side of the Atlantic, folks) when I was like half the allowed age, but they weren't horror movies or anything of the sort. They were mainly action movies which were rated like that for violence, but honestly, martial arts is not the same as violence even if it shows the death of some characters. And well, just because of a couple "spicy" scenes a movie also gets rated 18, so while a kid could watch 99% of the movie they're technically out.

I'll also go out and say that some movies are totally unnecessary. I saw trailers of Ted and I couldn't laugh at any shown scene, I actually would have slapped all the developer team every time a "joke" appeared for the very bad taste they have of "humour". I'm not into movies that much, but there are surely more like it that shouldn't even exist.

I do agree that many people takes parenthood very lightly, but then again, what can we expect of an irresponsible society like the one we live in? It all comes down to one thing: proper education. If you're instructed to accept your responsibilities you'll understand what parenthood truly means. But it's not like the previous generations helped  a lot with that, amirite?

Anytime I hear parents take their kids to see certain films, I just shake my head. Like, there were plenty of instances where parents took their kids to watch Deadpool (it's a superhero movie! Kids love superheroes!) or Sausage Party (it's animated! Kids love animation!!), and not only did they walked out of those theaters, they demanded a refund cuz certain scenes in those movies traumatized their children, or there were scenes they didn't want their kids to know about yet. 

Tbh, they shouldn't get a refund at all. Their kids getting scarred was entirely their fault, especially if the ticket clerks warned them ahead of time, and they completely dismissed them.

Honestly, though, when it comes to taking a child to watch an R-rated movie in theaters, I'd have to think of two things:

1) Exactly what makes it rated R?

How much adult content is there? Drug use? strong violence? Sexual content? There are some R-rated films that are okay, and there are some that should be put on hold til the child is older.

2) Is my child mature enough to handle what he or she will be seeing?

If a child is mature enough to handle certain themes, and he/she can sit through an entire movie without screaming or crying, I'd take him or her if he or she is interested. 

On a personal experience, I honestly can't remember having gone to theaters to watch an R-rated movie during my childhood, ever. The only movie I can think of that I've seen in theaters that's R-rated is Logan, and that was back in March. However, I have seen a few R-rated movies during my childhood. Alice Sweet Alice, Orphan, Pan's Labyrinth... I wasn't bothered by them, so I honestly would have been fine seeing an R-rated movie in theaters.... but, my grandmother...

Depends on the kid and the movie.

I've got a nephew who has been watching movies well above his age for a long time and not much is scary for him. And swearing isn't really a reason to make a movie R rated anyway.

I would expect to not have kids exposed to movies that have sexual content causing the R rating but again some people don't care about that.

In the end if the parent is okay with the kid seeing the movie then so be it. Don't be shocked if the movie is "bad" and you are upset. It's easy enough to check IMDB or something similar and know what to expect.

It's baffling to think there are irresponsible parents who don't pay attention to movies that are clearly not meant for children. Absolutely amazing that they're stupid enough to take them to see this stuff.

I really think it depends on the child's maturity. Some kids could see an R-rated movie and be very mature about it. What I mean is they could go see a movie were there is a lot of violence in it and know it is just hollywood that you don't do that. Other kids can see that and get the wrong idea that is what they do to people (example the Columbine Teens). For those that do not know in 1999 high school teenagers who were messed up did one of the largest mass school shootings. It was revealed they watched very violent shows, movies, video games, and their parents were not involved in their lives. 

I've never really cared for movies that much. But when I was a kid the most violent Video Game out there was Mortal Kombat. But me and my parents had conversations about it being fake and just a video game. They let me have the game cause of my maturity. 

Again it depends on the maturity of the child 

I really don't see R-rated as mature, as the movies are usually about very immature, crude things, or are just plain violent, so I don't see a reason for parents to take their kids to these movies (except for Deadpool, because it is a super hero movie, and it needs to have a place in the Marvel universe). Games I see as another thing, as M games can be about topics that can only be understood and enjoyed by older players.

Many probably don't look at the film's ratings before they see it. But, if a movie is rated-R, there's usually different reasons why it's rated that.
The film can be rated-R for strong language and violence. Then it could have adult situations. Basically each movie is different. If you're going to take you kid to a theater, check the rating first.

If your child can't handle (or understand) what he/she's about to see, don't take him until he/she's mature enough to understand.

Personally, I think there is a certain age kids shouldn't be seeing certain movies, but then again, when I was a kid, I was watching R-Rated horror movies, I mean I watched Maximum Overdrive with my parents at age 5. Seen it before, and it scared the s*** out of me, but a few years later, I was addicted to that movie. By far one of my favorite films to watch. It's funny one time I went to see Reno 911: The Movie or whatever it's called, and I was the only one in the theater at the time, it was like 10 minutes before the movie started, a few people came in, and they were teens to adults, and then this family comes in, with 8 kids, and they were ages 3 to 12, and that movie is not something you would want to show your kids, because of the crude humor and nudity, and I was like...whoa LOL. When I seen Borat in theaters, there was some kids in there, it makes me laugh when stuff like that happens, and I am definitely not going to tell someone that there kid can't watch it, hell maybe the kids turned out decent lol.

Just going to point out that the R in rated R stands for "restricted". It means that more or less the viewing is up to the parents, guardians, or. able minded adult. Now NC17... that's where a kid just shouldn't see it. I noticed a few seem to be mixing "M" for mature, and "R" for restricted ratings up. While many games ARRRRE movie-like, the ESRB is MMMMuuch different. #nowyouknow #andknowingisnoneofthebattle

First, I though sausage party was a kids show... boy was I wrong! Second, depending on the movie I may or may not let my kids watch R movies. If it's history or religious like JFK or Passion of Christ, I'd take them. If it was something like Hangover, probably not.

I think it's fine as long as the parents already know most of what the movie is about so that they can watch out for scenes that they might not want their kids to see.

I was at Atomic Blonde yesterday, which is like realllly R and sitting next to me was a couple that had a kid that was like 6 or 7.

I am not sure what year it was implemented but I was one of the lucky ones that got to see R-rated movies in the theaters. Of course I was with an adult but somewhere along the line, children under 6 were forbidden from entering R-rated movies even with a parent. Sure some kids were tempted to act out scenes in less violent ways simply saying curse words but that is the type of thing we hear from our parents everyday.

I see your point. 

Children shouldn't be allowed to see R-rated films to be completely honest. They often contain inappropriate scenes in them which are able to halt or scar mental and physical development. Trust me, I know from personal experience, a.k.a, watching clips of Saw when I was 13.

But the point is: if the child seems comfortable enough with the movie, (as we know, certain children have certain attributes.), what is the fuss about? (And no, I'm not talking about 4-year-olds here. I doubt they'd be able to make a straight decision themselves, let alone what their subpar parents would have in store.) For example, I'm perfectly fine with gore, (as long as someone doesn't tell me I'm going to die in seven days.) but other people may not have this. 

There is a point though where ignorance becomes extreme. Taking any sort of child forcefully into a movie theater without their consent is inhumane and uncalled for. Parents should consider the synopsis and whether their child is comfortable with something like the trailer.

My true opinion on this is if I am in an R rated movie I do not want to listen to your kid screaming or crying because you would not find a babysitter or make a different plan. It shows poor judgement on your part and I feel sorry for the kid not you because quite frankly, you are the one responsible for putting both the child and myself through this ordeal.

If the parents want the kids to be subjected to that stuff, it's their prerogative, but who's to say what's right and wrong in today's society? Right?

I know a bunch of kids who have been subjected to this kind of thing, and they are usually really not nice kids. I don't think they should be able to.

I think if the kid is old enough / mature enough to handle the stuff, and they aren't stupid with what they've seen (i.e. acting out murder scenes in public), then it's fine, as long as the parents are ok with it. 

It depends on the child and what they can handle. It also depends on the movie because let's be honest sometimes the rating system is stupid.

So, if the kid is able to handle the content of the R rated movie they should be allowed to go. But, and this is important, you should think about that with every R rated movie, because the content does differ from movie to movie.

I think more parents need to pay attention to that stuff and plan better if they are going to a theater. I don't know about the babysitter issue, I don't remember ever having one. Maybe it's hard to get one. Why not pay for a kid ticket to another theater room instead of making them sit in an adult's movie? Or if no other option bring headphones and something to do for 2 hours, sit in the back row.  People pay to go to the theater and probably don't want to be disturbed by young kids who shouldn't be there due to the rating. We can get bored or scared of the movie or tired of sitting still and may distract others from the movie. It's up to the parent to decide. But they should be respectful of others too.

It's different if you are at home and won't bother anyone else.  I'm not allowed to go see R-rated movies. I may be able to watch at home, depending on what it is and why it's rated that way. My mom has to watch it first and make a decision. My dad, sometimes he will let me watch almost any rating when mom is not here. Then there are some that neither will let me watch until I'm older, like Deadpool. Same with tv shows. For example I can watch Ash vs Evil Dead, after they watch the episode first to see where to skip if needed.