I have seen several posts from people saying that the Walt abduction and then him reappearing, frightened their children. Or that Ethan being shot last season, or Charlie hanging from a tree. (Um, I would assume the bloody, mauled pilot could be another)

Personally, my children are 4 and 9 and of course, do NOT watch LOST. And please let me make it clear that I am in NO way instructing other members in the ways of raising their children.

I just wanted to point out that this show is rated TV 14. Which is defined as:

TV14
Parents Strongly Cautioned
This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).


Also, as we all know, LOST has a later time slot this year, for which I am thankful, as it gives the show more room creatively, but also allows it to air intentionally past a child's normal bedtime.

Just pointing out a few details about the show, that ABC might want the viewers to consider.

Does anyone else think that LOST is inappropriate for children under 14, as the rating suggests?

There is no way I would let our children watch Lost. Its not in your face like a lot of TV/films I guess, but enough to freak them out.

Well i have watched scary movies from a very young age, I think it just depends on the child. I dont think any two children are the same so its up to the parents to use there judgement on it.

I agree Madison, and I was in no way offended. I am one who has posted about watching the show with my nearly 12-year old. Yes, the Walt abduction upset him, but it upset ME, too! We had quite a talk about it being TV fiction, but another discussion about staying safe online, in a mall, etc. I would never allow him to watch it alone. We watch it together in order to discuss it, which is the way I feel parents should watch TV with their kids when the show's content may be a little iffy...but I may draw the line if there appears to be an escalation in the sexual content. But that may be a discussion opener also - he's going to be in middle school, and God knows there is going to be sexual content there! It's the parents who allow their children to watch things alone then complain that it causes nightmares, etc., that really tick me off. By the way, no nightmares in my house. And the later hour is not past bedtime - it's on at 8pm here, and bedtime has always been 9:00.

I have seen several posts from people saying that the Walt abduction and then him reappearing, frightened their children. Or that Ethan being shot last season, or Charlie hanging from a tree. (Um, I would assume the bloody, mauled pilot could be another)

Personally, my children are 4 and 9 and of course, do NOT watch LOST. And please let me make it clear that I am in NO way instructing other members in the ways of raising their children.

I just wanted to point out that this show is rated TV 14. Which is defined as:

TV14
Parents Strongly Cautioned
This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).


Also, as we all know, LOST has a later time slot this year, for which I am thankful, as it gives the show more room creatively, but also allows it to air intentionally past a child's normal bedtime.

Just pointing out a few details about the show, that ABC might want the viewers to consider.

Does anyone else think that LOST is inappropriate for children under 14, as the rating suggests?


this depends entirely on the child. When my daughter was a pre teen, I realized that I couldn't watch her 24 hours a day in regard to her tv watching. Considering the stuff
they air every afternoon on Oprah & the other talk shows, I told her that she could watch whatever she wanted, but warned her that there would be some very confusing things on
tv, & if she had any questions, I'd do my best to explain it to her. No subject is taboo.
I wanted her to grow up as "streetwise" as possible instead of being sheltered &
scared to talk about things. I absolutely HATED being treated like a child & said I
wasn't going to do it to her. I think she's turned out pretty good, so far.

man, Ive been watching scary movies/tv since I was born. the only thing my parents cencored to me was like Sex and stuff liek that. other than that, it was my choice. if a child is scared by it, they don't have to watch it...and if the child doesn't have enough sense to not watch it, or are too young to decide, than its the parents job, if they can tell its bothering their child, to take them away...

I can see why parents wouldn't want their chldren watching Lost. Hey, I'm 16 and Lost still freaks me out sometimes! (but in a good way)

Im 13 and my sister is 10 we both watch lost i have seen every episode and probably know more about the show than some adults I dont get scared by it and my sister doesnt get scared either. I also have seen like every scary movie there is. My mom only cares about sex and stuff on tv and movies. I know an 8 year old who watches the show and loves it as much as I do. His 13 yr old sister does too!

I live in Sweden.. and I'm a bit confused. In Sweden, we don't have any "clear" ratings for television (only for movies, and those are usually much lower than US/UK ratings.. like "Notting Hill" which was rated 15 in UK and 11 in Sweden (11 means over-7-under-11 can see it with a parent as well)...

But I sort of think 11+ would be okay for Lost. I think it's very individual, like kid-to-kid if they should watch it or not. Some kids know more than others, and handle fiction differently. I wouldn't say it should be strictly 14+ watching it.

I think you have a point though. I guard my nieces and nephews when it comes to video games (we have clear ratings there).. I follow the guidelines. But tv, without ratings.. hard to decide.

i find it interesting that some people are more offended by sex than by violence. At least here in the US.

Lost has elements of drama, humor, mystery and yes, a good deal of danger. It lacks the things we usually strive to keep from children, obscenity, gratitutious sex and violence, nudity.. the list goes on. If your child isn't capable of handling Lost, I'm not sure your child is capable of handling society. But then again, I have no desire to tell others how to raise their children. There are ages appropriate to any show, but deciding what that age is will depend on the child, the parent, and how you interact with them. Besides if you're est, by 9pm, most small kids should be headed to bed. Seems a non-issue to me.

My 11 year old niece loves the show (and Hurley) and is upset that it's on at 9 now because that's her bedtime so she's making her mother tape it for her. They just watched my tape of the first episode and it came to the Walt scene and afterwards she just said "boy, that was creepy looking" but she wasn't scared of it. This is her favorite show so I don't think she's bothered by any content.

My son is 10 and also loves Lost. I won't let him watch movies like Halloween and Nightmare On Elm Street because I don't want him to have nightmares- he wants to watch them and doesn't understand why he can't until he's older. I also won't let him watch Supernatural.( It scared me!) But he understands most of Lost and we talk about things he's unsure of. He closes his eyes during the "sex stuff" - which he hates! He'll keep asking "Is it over yet?" It's pretty funny. He does seem to be a bit more mature when it comes to handling violence and war scenes than other kids his age. And he is a mama's boy!
I have noticed that a lot of parents (at least where I live) can be very protective of their children. I see it as over protective in a lot of ways. I am sure not many of them would be allowed to watch Lost.

I think it totally depends on the person watching it. I am 17 now, and I think that I could handle the show when I was 12, though I would probably have been a lot more frightened by it than I am now (now I'm creeped out, but in a good way).

My 12 year old cousin LOVES the show (especially Charlie...what can I say, we have a lot in common!), and doesn't seem at all disturbed or bothered by it...Although the Boone/Shannon stuff sailed right over her head somehow-maybe she missed that episode. My 14 year old brother is made a good deal more nervous by the show, and sometimes sits in the doorway rather than come in and sit on the couch to watch, a sign that perhaps he is a little frightened. I think personality is a better indicator than age for if someone is ready to enter the world of Lost.

The only individual episode I wouldn't show to a younger child without some hesitation is Do No Harm from last season. I couldn't get all the way through that one. I'm really sensitive to blood/pain so between Claire having her baby and Jack trying futilely to save Boone, that show pushed the limit well past my tolerance level. It's the only episode I stopped in the middle. At twelve years old, I would have been having nightmares for weeks...and I was disturbed enough as it was, just being 17.

I think that Lost can work as a great teaching tool for older children in the 10-up range...A way to enter discussion about drugs, sex, kidnapping, death, or any of the other issues the show brings up. The writing is mature, and subject matter (no matter what it is) is treated seriously, which is part of what I love about this show. Comedy has its time and place, but they don't joke about things that are serious. A big part of why I love Lost is because it isn't a sitcom.

My daughter is 10 & loves LOST. She loves the mystery of it & trying to figure things out. She often figures stuff out before my 15 year old or me. She isn't afraid of it at all. Maybe it's because we are constantly dissecting it while we are watching. She's also upset at the time change for this year, because she's supposed to be in bed at 9. We watched the premiere in my bed & she went to her room directly after. But, I'll have to tape it from here on out.

Azaelia, Very - Very well said. Your summary is excellent.

I am a therapist, and your observations about a young persons hesitations to enter a room are a good indicator of their level of anxiety. Young minds are unprepared to handle some of the adult themes that are presented in this show.

It is not until young adulthood that our minds are mature enough to learn to think abstractly. Younger minds think on a concrete level.

The writing is mature, and subject matter (no matter what it is) is treated seriously, which is part of what I love about this show. Comedy has its time and place, but they don't joke about things that are serious.

I think you hit the nail on the head for me. My twelve year-old-son watches the show. He's not a really mature twelve though. If the writers showed drug use as funny or cool, it would not be appropriate for him IMHO. Bullying was not shown as funny or cool either. A lot of the sexual inuendo/commentary is over his head. He just doesn't get it. :biggrin: I really appreciate that. He thinks the show is creepy, but not necessarily scary. I wouldn't want him watching slasher movies either. That would give him nightmares. In fact, I still dream Freddy Kreuger is chasing me in the halls of my high school from time to time. :frown:

Don't we all (or most) of us remember watching Bugs Bunny as a kid and laughing till we cried? And then, watching it again as adults and thinking - "Oh, hey, I didn't realize they made THAT joke before..."?

I think that kids understand what they are capable of, that dependent on the age of the child, quite a bit goes over their heads and they just dismiss it (e.g. Bugs Bunny). I also think that kids today are more mature at a younger age than kids of even 10 years ago. There are kids who can handle this type of content at 9 and others who can't handle it at 18.

Don't we all (or most) of us remember watching Bugs Bunny as a kid and laughing till we cried? And then, watching it again as adults and thinking - "Oh, hey, I didn't realize they made THAT joke before..."?

YES!

Someday, I expect my son will watch a rerun of Lost and finally get what made me laugh. Right now, it means nothing to him. He just looks at me and says "huh?" I just tell him it's an adult joke, and that's good enough for him.

LOST is way better than MTV .. My 8 yr old is very mature and LOVES LOST, at least season 1. Now is is asleep before it airs at 9 pm, so I get to screen it before I allow him to watch. Plus with TIVO I can fast forward anything not suitable. I know when the "relations" begin, I will have to cut the show out completely, but he will live, he is 8. Other than that I do not think , In the case of MY SON, that anything else is unsuitable. The violence is subtle compared to the news and the language is not bad. I love watching it the 2nd time with him, he catches things that I do not. for instance, in season one when Danielle said they want the boy, my son immediately picked up that they were talking about Walt,, I did not. It is a great point of view. As far as him getting freaked out, he does not, he goes on auditions, so he understands that is all NOT REAL.

my 20-month old son sometime watches lost, if you can call it actually watching. he doesn't really understand it yet. if he was five or six, i think it would be definitely frightening... but then, i always thought the wizard of oz was kinda of scary...

i think it really depends on the child and the setting in which they are watching the show.

also.... i think the show has a lot of great symbolism, the themes of good and evil. and other literary devices at work which could actually spark intelligent conversation with the family. you could compare and contrast it to a book, such as treasure island or swiss family robinson.

Because I love Lost so much & last year the "Lost" hour was completely off limits for my kids interuppting me, my 10 year old was pretty interested in what it was all about. When we got the video, I sat down and watched with her. I let her decide if it was too intense. She decided that it was and stopped watching. I think we have to give our kids a little more credit and let them decide if/when they show an interest. Parenting is very individual & I think this (what material is ok for watching on TV) is a grey area. If this decision is guided by love and respect, than it will be the right one - my two cents.

This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).

When has LOST ever had any of that?

^Erm...V? I can think of several examples, Confidence Man and Solitary, with their torture scenes, being foremost. S? Intense? I don't think so. We have gotten some sexual scenes (mostly Sawyer flashbacks) but I wouldn't classify them as "intense sexual situations". Maybe the Hearts & Minds flashback. Maybe. I squicked out and couldn't watch it. Still can't. *shudders* L? There's some but I wouldn't classify it as "strong coarse". D...most of Kate and Sawyer's dialogue could be considered suggestive...whether it's "intensely suggestive" is up to the viewer, though.

I agree Madison, and I was in no way offended. I am one who has posted about watching the show with my nearly 12-year old. Yes, the Walt abduction upset him, but it upset ME, too! We had quite a talk about it being TV fiction, but another discussion about staying safe online, in a mall, etc. I would never allow him to watch it alone. We watch it together in order to discuss it, which is the way I feel parents should watch TV with their kids when the show's content may be a little iffy...but I may draw the line if there appears to be an escalation in the sexual content. But that may be a discussion opener also - he's going to be in middle school, and God knows there is going to be sexual content there! It's the parents who allow their children to watch things alone then complain that it causes nightmares, etc., that really tick me off. By the way, no nightmares in my house. And the later hour is not past bedtime - it's on at 8pm here, and bedtime has always been 9:00.
You must home school you child. If you don't then I see your kid receiving lots of school yard beatings. My dad took me to see "The Exorcist" when it was first in the theaters-I was 7. No nightmares were had.

You must home school you child. If you don't then I see your kid receiving lots of school yard beatings. My dad took me to see "The Exorcist" when it was first in the theaters-I was 7. No nightmares were had.

I don't see how having an involved and caring parent will get a child school yard beatings. That's just silly. I'm glad you didn't have nightmares from watching "The Exorcist." Maybe it didn't do you any harm, but that doesn't mean that every 7 year-old should see it either. I'm an adult who has never seen it. I don't want to see it. Maybe I'm a pansy, but being careful about what a child sees and the things that become a part of that child's psyche is SMART parenting. There is enough ugliness in real life that, IMHO, it is unnecessary to scare the bejeezers out of them with fiction that they are not ready to see.

Dude... I absolutely let my kids watch LOST.

I have a 19 month old son and a 3 year old daughter. The boy doesn't understand, but I use the show to teach my daughter things all the time.

Some lessons we have learned:

Go to bed when I tell you to---or you'll have nightmares about Locke trying to get you with his creepy black and white eyes!

Don't go in the road---or the monster will be activated and suck you into the ground with it's black whispy tendrils of doom!

Don't play with kids you don't know---they could be the "Others" and just want to drag you to their secret lair where they will torture you and force you to watch re-runs of Bosom Buddies all day long!

Don't do crack--- Charlie was so successful in the LOTR movies, and now look, he's stuck on an island with that guy from Party of Five and some girl from a TV sex phone line!

Finally,

Don't EVER question your father--- or else I'll let JJ Abrams plan the rest of your childhood, and you'll never have any dang clue what's going!

=)

Ok, seriously... I'm 27 and the Exorcist still scares me...but not as much as Disney's Doodlebops!

Peace

It depends on the kids and the family. Some of my sibings are more broadminded than I am, others are more conservative. when Lost started, it had a somewhat different tone and even won a Family Award for quality programming before the first half of season one LOL. A lot's changed. Putting it on at a slightly later hour and giving the parental warning allows individual families to decide whether or not it's somethign they want their kids to watch and whether they, the parents, should discuss it with them as it plays out. But, gee, I was watching old horror movies, the original Twilight Zone, One Step beyond, and Outer Limits before I was eight and before their were parental guidelines. My parents were having fits that I was obsessed with creepy things. A few nightmares, but I think I turned out okay. Depends on the child.

My 2 cents ...

IMO ... what a child should or should not watch on TV or a movie or whatever, should be determined individually, according to their ability to distinguish reality from fiction.

Sight is a very compelling sense, so many kids take a while before they really fully grasp the concept of being able to "see" things which are not real.

Once they understand the difference and realize things which are not real cannot hurt them, then they should be able to watch just about anything they are interested in watching without being harmed by it.

I personally think it's fine for kids under 14 to watch Lost. I'm 14 and Lost is my favorite show. My younger brother is 11, and he has started watching Lost with me and it doesn't scare him at all. And as for the language, violence, and sexual content...Well, my brother, let's just say I've heard him say much worse than I've ever heard on Lost. The violence, if a kid watches the news they've already seen as much violence. As for the sexual content, it really wasn't all that extreme. Sure, a few implications and such, but if a kid is too young to see things like that, chances are they won't understand what is happening...so overall, I think it's fine for younger children to watch Lost.

What pleasure is a four year old getting from a show like LOST?

My little girl is four. She doesn't sit and actually watch it with me, but most of the time is in the same room. It doesn't phase her at all. I remember she asked what Charlie was doing when he was hanging from the tree, and I told her he fell when he was trying to climb it. You have to be creative, and at the same time, I think it has taught her not to do certain things. We later saw a show where someone was climbing a tree and she said, Mommy, he is gonna fall, huh.

I can see why parents wouldn't want their chldren watching Lost. Hey, I'm 16 and Lost still freaks me out sometimes! (but in a good way)

me too. 16, growing up in New York, and i still freaked when i saw walt dragged away onto the boat.
i definitely understand why parents may not want their children to watch, i mean, when i ran screaming to my parents that they kidnapped walt, they seriously looked at me, and then each other, and said "if we are freaked as much as you...we're worried."
but we still love the show immensely.i think the decision on whether or not your kid should be watching lost is less a matter of age and more one of his/her comprehension and willingness to question and learn. i believe one of the earlier posted replies said that it is a good discussion starter if you watch the show with your children, and i totally agree.

*Lauren

I have to agree with those who have said each child is different. Don't think it is for very young children. Last season my daughter didn't watch it at all - main reason was it was new and I didn't know what to expect. Over the summer we watched together and talked about what was happening. She'll be a pre-teen soon (12) and has gotten more 'mature' (not all the cartoons) in her tv watching. I'm letting her watch Lost this season as it airs, so now we are seeing it for the first time together.
I think an important thing is that at this age she fully understands they are just actors and it isn't real - that would be my concern with younger children - do they understand, really understand it's not happening!?

I watch with my kids - both in elementary school. We began watching last year, and it has been a discussion starter for many things. My kids know it is fiction, and we have a good time discussing things that happen on the show and what they may mean. Of course we don't have huge dissertations like we do here on this board, but it has made my kids use and develop some of their critical thinking skills and such.

And for the past year, it has been one of the greatest tools in getting the kids to make good choices and not misbehave. All I have to say is, "if you don't study and get your homework done, there will be no Lost for you this week." My kids are angels for the 48 hours before Lost comes on - they don't want to miss it!

^Maybe the Hearts & Minds flashback. Maybe. I squicked out and couldn't watch it. Still can't.

Oh, it's not intense. They make out. That's about it.

Little kids in fifth grade and their brothers and sisters watch it! There's a whole ton of violence on tv today... in the world today, in the news! So what's a show like this going to do? Oh... Monster thing... Yeah... gotcha. Maybe if i were 4 I'd be afraid of that... maybe 5 but still, you can't see the monster.

Hi I am new here, but want to add that my 8 yr old daughter loves Lost and watches it with me every week. She is addicted to as I am. We watch it together and we do discuss the things that happen. In now way did Walt being taken frighten her at all. She doen't watch scarey movies however. My 12 yr old daughter doesn't watch it at all with us. But she does like scarey movies. I believe it depends on the child/ren and the parents.
Jami

Little kids in fifth grade and their brothers and sisters watch it! There's a whole ton of violence on tv today... in the world today, in the news! So what's a show like this going to do? Oh... Monster thing... Yeah... gotcha. Maybe if i were 4 I'd be afraid of that... maybe 5 but still, you can't see the monster.

I'm willing to bet that the parents who won't let their children watch LOST (me included) also do not allow them to watch the "whole ton of violence on tv today", or the news. It's not always about whether or not the child is going to be afraid or have nightmares, sometimes it's that parents feel certain things are just not appropriate.
I don't want my children to use foul language- so I don't let them watch programs (or be in the room with me, if I'm watching a show that contains it) where that type of language is used.
That being said, I will say this. As a child, my parents allowed me to watch certain things with them, that I will not allow my children to watch today. Different people have different standards. It would be crossing a personal line for me to let my children watch or overhear LOST.

I think that kids are really under-estimated. I know because I am one. I'm 12. I don't get "scared" when I watch Lost. I do not mind the violence and mild sexual situations. I know about sex. I'm not 4. Of course, I don't like watching it, but I look around it for the great show Lost is. Violence doesn't bug me at all. I've practically grown up with it, in my household. I notice things about Lost before my parents do, and I discuss it here. Kids my age are not afraid, it's almost as if people want them to be.

I dont want to be rude with anybody but I have got to say, 'Every kid is different, like me for instance, some of the scenes are a little scary to me, they might scar eother kids a lot more, I just dont think you should have brought this subject sup because its the kid and the parents choice. I should know, Im only 11 and I love the show, but I dont think like kids under 8 should watch. Mainly becuase little kids have nightmares a lot more than other older kids and Adults. Im just saying ,:unsure: .

My little guys are 2 and 5, so they don't really watch it. I'm happy with the move to 9, because at 8 they'd still be up (waiting for Daddy at 8:30). After watching the first few minutes of the first episode with my 5 year old in the room, his eyes were riveted on the TV and then the guy got sucked into the engine. After that, I kept a tape running and switched off the set the moment anything but sunny dialog started.

My kids have vivid imaginations. Some of their friends enjoy G movies, but my 5 year old was afraid of Madagascar when the lion looked hungrily at the zebra. Forget Disney villians...

Every kids is different. We've had talks about scary reality, like the tsunami and Katrina. Even with very limited news watching, those stories were on 24/7. I think those scared my 5 year old more than Lost because they were real. It is easier when I can explain that Lost is a "What if?" show, based on something that didn't happen.

No matter how we try to shield them, kids pick up on our interests. We saw baseball on TV, and my 2 year old said, "Daddy loves Yankees." I asked him what he loves. He replied very seriously, "Blue's Clues. And Mama. loves. Lost." :smile:

My ten year old has watched the DVD set, and I sat and watched most of it with her (I had already watched it, so I knew which episodes she'd need some help/support with), and she's still a little freaked out by the series. But she's hooked and theorizing and she notices the numbers everywhere. She adds them, subtracts them, multiplies them. She is the one in our family who noticed the 108 on the mural in the hatch.

That said, she still is a bit freaked out. She doesn't watch much TV....we let her watch Survivor and The Amazing Race (in fact, we never miss those shows and we make a big deal out it all week long), no sit-coms or anything other than PBS. We don't even have cable anymore....haven't for two years. We just didn't want TV influencing her, unless it was something approved by us. So she's not used to anything racy or scary.....except perhaps in things she's read. She likes mysteries and ghost stories.

We went back and forth over whether to let her watch.....I knew half-way through the season that she'd loooove it. And she does. But once again....she gets a little freaked out. Walt dripping wet? Ack. She was terrified. I felt awful that it was so scary to her. It was the first time we'd watched it live together and not a videotape or DVD, so I was as surprised and freaked as she was.

My Darth Vader-loving seven year old would love to watch the show. She's allowed to watch Survivor and that's it other than PBS, so she's not going to be joining us in watching Lost for a few years. No need for her to grow up any faster than she already is. I'm sure she'd like it, but she wouldn't understand any of it. Besides, my ten year old loooves being the one to stay up with mom and dad.

If she was more sensitive, less intrigued by mysteries....I probably wouldn't let her watch.

My kids are 8, 6 and 2 and they do not watch Lost. Even when I watch the DVDs during the daytime, like on a weekend ("Mama Time"), I tell them they have to go in the other room, that this is not a kid's show. But that's just knowing my kids. I think that in a few years, maybe my oldest (my son) could handle it. But right now he's just too sensitive still. My girls (6 and 2), no way, no how, are they watching Lost at this point in time. I do agree that it depends on the kids and on the parents. I just know my kids and know they couldn't handle it at this point in their young lives.


No matter how we try to shield them, kids pick up on our interests. We saw baseball on TV, and my 2 year old said, "Daddy loves Yankees." I asked him what he loves. He replied very seriously, "Blue's Clues. And Mama. loves. Lost." :smile:

I found your 2 yr old's comment very cute! My kids were all HUGE Blue's Clues fans (2 yr old still is!). That's where my name came from. When my older 2 were babies, Blue always entertained them when I needed her to. So I refered to her as the "Little Goddess Blue" LMAO!!

I don't see how having an involved and caring parent will get a child school yard beatings. That's just silly. I'm glad you didn't have nightmares from watching "The Exorcist." Maybe it didn't do you any harm, but that doesn't mean that every 7 year-old should see it either. I'm an adult who has never seen it. I don't want to see it. Maybe I'm a pansy, but being careful about what a child sees and the things that become a part of that child's psyche is SMART parenting. There is enough ugliness in real life that, IMHO, it is unnecessary to scare the bejeezers out of them with fiction that they are not ready to see.There is SMART parenting, and there is SMOTHERING parenting. If you over shelter your kid you set them up to not adjust to adversity as well as their peers.

My 11 year old is my "Lost Buddy".
He's a pretty savvy 11 year old though(his fave comedies are 'Monty Python' and 'Black Adder') and neither of us found the abduction scary just exciting plot/story wise.
He hates kissing on 'Lost' and thats the time he covers his eyes!!!!!!!!

We watch alot of scary movies in our house though and I really am only concerned with sex and extreme violence/very crude language so my kids never see anything I havent seen first(My 6 year old's room is decorated with a "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme so that should tell you something)


Im concerned about children ,who if they were scared by Walt's abduction,cannot seperate fact from fiction and therefore have no business watching "Lost" but I too wouldnt dream of telling someone else how to raise their kids(unless theres abuse/neglect then I will NOT keep my mouth shut!)

I took one of my nieces to see Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, when she had just turned 6.

A week later she was fully engaged in an argument with one of my brothers about whether or not Boromir was bad. She was vehemently defending him. "Boromir didn't try to steal the Ring! It was the Ring! The Ring was making him do it!"

If a child, regardless of age, is able to distinguish reality from fiction and comprehend the story on any kind of meaningful level, then IMO nothing fictional can hurt them.

Much as we might be tempted to do it, we cannot create a nerf world for our children. Nor should we.

There is SMART parenting, and there is SMOTHERING parenting. If you over shelter your kid you set them up to not adjust to adversity as well as their peers.\

Sorry, I just don't see how monitoring the kind of television your children watch, and their reactions to it, is smothering. Keeping the lines of communication open does not stunt the emotional growth of children. Neither of my children has ever had trouble making friends or getting along with others. Nor, do they have trouble with nightmares. They've had their share of adversity and cope quite nicely, thank you. The thing is, they don't have to cope with contrived fictional trauma. They can focus their energy on the real thing! Granted, it was not my child to whom you referred in your original post, but it seems that you think any parent involvement beyond taking them to frightening movies is detrimental to their well-being.

Personally, I don't think I'm in the minority here when I say that I would not allow my 7year-old to watch the Exorcist. Just because our parents let us do certain things when we were young doesn't mean they were right. My parents never made me wear a seat-belt when I was a small child. However, they would never allow one of my children to get into a car without one today. I used to wander about our rural community for the entire day without adult supervision, but they wouldn't allow my children to do the same today. It's not that they were bad parents. It's just that we're less naive about some things today than our parents were, and they're usually the first to admit it.

I have seen several posts from people saying that the Walt abduction and then him reappearing, frightened their children. Or that Ethan being shot last season, or Charlie hanging from a tree. (Um, I would assume the bloody, mauled pilot could be another)

Personally, my children are 4 and 9 and of course, do NOT watch LOST. And please let me make it clear that I am in NO way instructing other members in the ways of raising their children.

I just wanted to point out that this show is rated TV 14. Which is defined as:

TV14
Parents Strongly Cautioned
This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).


Also, as we all know, LOST has a later time slot this year, for which I am thankful, as it gives the show more room creatively, but also allows it to air intentionally past a child's normal bedtime.

Just pointing out a few details about the show, that ABC might want the viewers to consider.

Does anyone else think that LOST is inappropriate for children under 14, as the rating suggests?
well, kids these days are smarter than they used to be. I myself believe that it depends on the kid. Take me for instance, im only 13 years old, but yet i watch south park with my family every wednesday (we all get together to watch lost and southpark when there are new seasons).
Why do they let me do this? because i am a child with advanced learning capabilities, advanced enough that I have chosen the libertarian party before i could even register, and i have political opinions on almost everything going on in this country.
When it comes to things like this, it depends on what child were looking at. Because children are a stereotype that most people look down upon, when some of us are more advanced and sophisticated than the people looking down on us. Now, this is why i am so against jack thompson and that b*tch hilary clinton trying to ban the sale of M rated games to people under 17! all it does is give criminals excuses to blame their problem on video games.

The only way to sum it up is:
IT DEPENDS ON THE CHILD!

I am 14 and I am in love with Lost.... I know I'm not scared at all but the Walt scenes are blood scenes may not be good for 8 year olds. Also kids under that age probably won't have an interest in Lost because they won't understand it. All I know it I am up till 3 in the morning every wed. night on the message boards... ^.^ This show makes you think and that is what i love about it. Not to mention the hottness of Jack, Sawyer, Jin, Locke, Hurley, and Desmond! :-D
--Katie--

well, kids these days are smarter than they used to be. I myself believe that it depends on the kid. Take me for instance, im only 13 years old, but yet i watch south park with my family every wednesday (we all get together to watch lost and southpark when there are new seasons).
Why do they let me do this? because i am a child with advanced learning capabilities, advanced enough that I have chosen the libertarian party before i could even register, and i have political opinions on almost everything going on in this country.
When it comes to things like this, it depends on what child were looking at. Because children are a stereotype that most people look down upon, when some of us are more advanced and sophisticated than the people looking down on us. Now, this is why i am so against jack thompson and that b*tch hilary clinton trying to ban the sale of M rated games to people under 17! all it does is give criminals excuses to blame their problem on video games.

The only way to sum it up is:
IT DEPENDS ON THE CHILD!

I partially agree with you but it also depends on the parent. I have strong political views as well and it does depend on how mature the child is. But the parents do decide so I would think most parents would not let kids under 8 watch Lost. I agree a bit about video games.. Although some Mature games are pretty bad, but some aren’t I think parents should preview games before they let them buy it. Movies for instance can be P-13 but have horrible content in it... So you gotta watch out ratings can be wrong... But Don’t take protecting your kids to the extreme or else the kid will be in a pickle when they get older. My conclusion is it depends on the parent and child. If the child is not ready or the parent does not want to see it don’t force it. Just save it for when they are older. Cause Lost is too good to miss out on completely.

My son is 11, and is not allowed to watch overtly violent or scary stuff.

LOST is neither, imo. He watches every ep with me, and agrees that it's
not scary or creepy. I guess we're not seeing what others here are seeing?

I partially agree with you but it also depends on the parent. I have strong political views as well and it does depend on how mature the child is. But the parents do decide so I would think most parents would not let kids under 8 watch Lost. I agree a bit about video games.. Although some Mature games are pretty bad, but some aren’t I think parents should preview games before they let them buy it. Movies for instance can be P-13 but have horrible content in it... So you gotta watch out ratings can be wrong... But Don’t take protecting your kids to the extreme or else the kid will be in a pickle when they get older. My conclusion is it depends on the parent and child. If the child is not ready or the parent does not want to see it don’t force it. Just save it for when they are older. Cause Lost is too good to miss out on completely.
that also, but that post wasnt focused on parents.
...Not to mention the hottness of Jack, Sawyer, Jin, Locke, Hurley, and Desmond! :-D
PROOF THAT YOU ARE IN FACT A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL!