Where did I miss the "bus"?

Kids:  Interesting creatures.  They grow up too fast and change way too quickly.  I could picture it like it was yesterday...  Darling little daughter dressing up like a princess, tromping around in my heels, and demanding to only watch the Disney princess movies (Belle was her favorite, then Cinderella, and then Ariel - in that order).  Barbies, baby dolls and stuffed animals adorned her room.  Pink was her favorite color.  Sweet child, but stubborn beyond her age.  Yep, I had a "girly girl" of a daughter.  She may have a similar face, but she was nothing like me as a child.

Suddenly, that charming little girl started to change.  Those days of dressing up like a princess for Halloween changed in a blink of an eye.  Vampires and ghoulish creatures of the night was what she chose to dress up as.  Why did I not see this coming?  From thinking that makeup was just some lip balm to experimenting with eyeliner and eye shadow.  This kid is changing faster than I thought I was prepared for.

Her interests changed, too.  At first, she feared haunted houses and covered her eyes during a haunted hay ride (of which was so lame, I laughed through it), turned into a sudden interest in ghost hunting shows.  Her interest in pushing the envelope for something scary has gotten quite intense.  During this transition that I was not prepared for, DD has been asking to watch a movie I would never even consider watching....  Paranormal Activity.

You see, I am not one for thriller movies that offer suspense that get your pulse racing.  Believe me, I am fully aware of Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street, Psycho, Friday the 13th and Halloween.  Even The Exorcist has made an impression upon my psyche.  All classic horror films that get people jumping in their seats.  That adrenaline rush of anticipation for something to go awry.  While I have seen a few of these (unwillingly because I am not a fan of thrillers that you watch - I would rather read one than see a director's interpretation with actors doing their best portrayal of the characters), I would figure that there will be a time and place for DD to be exposed to things like this.  I just do not feel that the ripe age of 12 is a good time.

While her persistence should be applauded that she is one to never give up, I just have my doubts that she should watch movies like this just yet.  Being her mother, I know what is best, but I am not sure I can take any more nagging for permission to see it on Netflix.  While I have tired to place the burden upon DH, I know (as well as she knows), that chances of her getting her request permitted would happen after she is the proper age to watch an "R" rated film.  With the violence shown on TV, I have no doubt that this movie would fare much different.  I just wonder if I am being the overbearing mother that smothers my child well into adulthood.  I even tried to make it be mandatory that DH watch this movie with her since I have zero interest in watching it.  While DH taunts DD with poorly acted horror films that mimic the over dramatics like  "Killer Tomatoes from Mars" (or something like that), DD thinks that DH is even scared to see this movie.  I know he is not afraid, in fact, he would probably enjoy it, but his regular TV choices leave little to no room for DD to watch that movie since Netflix is tied in to only one TV and that is the one DH watches when he is home.

As I wonder about my other friends that happen to have some well-adjusted children of their own, I wondered if I am holding her back.  I never had interest in horror films as a child, nor do I have interest in them as an adult so is holding the "parent card" the right thing to do?  Kids will sneak off to watch things that they shouldn't and kids will do things behind their parents back after the answer is "no".  She is nearing that age of secrets and lies.  While I believe I am quite privy to this phase, do I really want to create an atmosphere that makes this phase even more appealing?  I am her mom first, then her friend, but where to draw the line.  I would never offer an "R" rated film to the kids that have slept over at our home, but I just cannot see where a "G" or "PG-13" film can catch the interest of kids these days.  Too much violence on TV as it is, video games becoming more graphic, music tapping into places that should not be tapped into...  Desensitization started after the interest in Sesame Street stopped.  My mind is made up.  I just can't see 12 being the age to get the snot scared out of from a movie that can possibly blur the line between fake and real.  I think it is time to take the wheel on this bus that DD is on and do some serious changes in her path because the upside of letting her watch this movie will only stop her incessant nagging and the downside would be that I would have to fix the damage from fear that I feel that she is not ready for.