Growing up in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I quickly learned that parental guidelines for what constituted appropriate children’s entertainment were a bit more relaxed. In my household and among my friends, watching a movie about a slasher who invaded kids’ dreams seemed harmless enough. Flash forward to today, and as a parent to three kids under 10, I can’t imagine letting them view most of the horror flicks I saw as a child. They’d be awake all night, haunted by nightmares, and with our already limited sleep, that’s a hard pass for me. Here’s a look at a few of those films that, in retrospect, should have come with a warning label:
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IT
Everyone is buzzing about the recent adaptation of Stephen King’s classic, but let’s not forget the original version featuring Tim Curry as the terrifying clown. I was only 8 when I watched this three-hour miniseries on ABC during family movie night, thinking a clown would mean fun. Spoiler alert: it did not. Instead, I developed a serious fear of clowns that kept me from eating at places like McDonald’s for weeks. Now, as a parent, I draw the line at murderous clowns. -
Tremors
This was the first horror movie I ever saw, and it was during a family VHS night because it had a PG-13 rating, so it seemed safe enough. At 8 years old, I was introduced to giant, man-eating worms that sensed vibrations in the ground. The night after viewing it, I curled up in bed, terrified to step on the floor for fear of being devoured. I’ll spare you the details, but bedwetting ensued, and that’s not something I want to deal with again. -
A Nightmare On Elm Street
This supernatural slasher flick was released when I was just a toddler, but the edited-for-TV version played relentlessly in October. They cut out all the gore, but the image of a burnt killer with knives tormenting teens in their dreams remained. I distinctly remember watching it while wearing my Halloween costume and carving pumpkins with my siblings. These days, my kids get scared from just watching Scooby-Doo, so I think I’ll wait a few more years before introducing them to this classic. -
Poltergeist
Directed by Tobe Hooper, the mind behind The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, this 1982 film was initially rated R but somehow got a PG rating after a petition (seriously, what?). The plot involves a young girl being sucked into a closet that leads straight to hell. My kids already fear monsters lurking in their closets—what were my parents thinking letting me watch this? I spent an entire week sleeping in their bed after that viewing! -
Friday the 13th
Almost every child of the ’80s and early ’90s has seen this slasher classic about a boy who drowned at summer camp and returns for revenge. It aired on every channel in October, and while most of the graphic content was edited out, it still scared kids away from camping and even peeking into their backyards at night. I’m not a huge fan of camping, and I definitely don’t want my children worrying about a machete-wielding ghost lurking nearby.
While I cherish the memories of watching scary movies with family, the last thing any parent wants is a parade of terrified kids climbing into their bed in the middle of the night. For now, I think we’ll stick with lighter fare like Hotel Transylvania and save the nightmares for later.
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Summary:
Growing up, many of us watched horror movies that now seem wildly inappropriate for kids. From terrifying clowns to vengeful spirits, these films shaped our childhoods—sometimes for the worse. Today, parents must navigate the delicate balance of sharing fun, scary moments while protecting their children’s sleep and sanity.