It can be a lot of fun sitting down for a movie with your children or grandchildren, but sometimes heading to the movie theater can be a little difficult with smaller children. Many parents and grandparents instead opt to buy DVD movies and watch them at their own houses where the kids can roam free.

When buying movies to watch at home, many parents rely on the family film ratings listed on both the DVD and online. These ratings differ from the rating classification system of the Motion picture Association of America since the MPAA only refers to potentially offensive elements of a movie. Ratings from movie reviewers go into more depth and give a personal recommendation as to whether you should see the movie or not.

If you are considering a movie for kids to watch then finding a reviewer who does family movie ratings is a great idea. You can find reviewers who watch movies distinctly for families and deliver an accurate review, which will reveal any questionable material in the movie. Most major search engines – MSN and Yahoo, for instance – have reviews for DVD movies in addition to recent theater releases. It's a great idea to check out reviews before you allow kids to sit down and watch the movie, otherwise you may wind up in a situation where you have to explain some things from the movie that you weren't ready for the kids to see.

Film ratings are designed to help people decide which movies to see with regard to content that may be potentially offensive. The ratings aren't designed to tell you if a movie is good or not, because the film ratings bestowed by the Motion Picture Association of America have nothing to do with the quality of a movie, the wittiness of the plot line, or the ability of the actors. Instead, you can reference film ratings from the MPAA when you are trying to decide if a movie is appropriate for your children or grandchildren, or to see if a movie contains elements which you may find distasteful.

For example, PG-13 movies may give pause to parents who need to consider whether or not to allow their children to watch a movie, while an NC-17 rating reveals to the parents in no uncertain terms that this particular film is not suitable for kids of any age. When deciding on movies for your home collection you should check out the various DVD ratings before making your purchase, but don't allow the rating system set by the MPAA to dictate in stone what movies you purchase or don't purchase. The ratings are supposed to be a guide, and you may find that your personal taste in movies does not necessarily correspond with the ratings you see on the DVD cover.

G-rated movies are deemed appropriate for just about any aged viewer, and many of these movies provide wholesome entertainment to young children. Look for a G-rating when you want to purchase a movie for a child and you don't want the film to contain crude humor, violence, and sexual innuendos. Although G-rated movies are suitable for all audiences, you should still take the time to read movie reviews before buying a film just to make sure that there isn't anything contained within the movie that may frighten the child you are buying the movie for. Since you probably know what unusual fears the child may have – bears, trucks, clowns, monsters, etc. – you will know better than a reviewer what may be potentially upsetting for the child. If you are buying a movie for a typically fearless youth, however, then a G-rating is a relatively safe bet. You can find movie reviews on various websites, and some websites that sell DVDs allow customers to post their own reviews after buying the movie. Read these reviews before buying any movie for a kid, no matter what the rating is.

Not every movie is assigned a rating from the Motion Picture Association of America before it is released to the public. Ratings from the MPAA are strictly voluntary, and although it is not a legal requirement for producers to seek out an appropriate rating most film industry, executives recognize the need to receive a rating before a movie is released.

Moviegoers generally look to ratings on movies before deciding on whether or not to go see the movie or purchase a DVD, and this is especially true regarding movie ratings for kids. An unrated film can be awfully ambiguous for consumers, especially when kids are involved. Sometimes films will be advertised before a rating has been assigned by the MPAA, and oftentimes the advertisements will carry the disclosure of "This film has not yet been rated." This means that although the film has been submitted to the MPAA there has not yet been a rating assigned, but usually the rating is set before the movie is actually released into the theater. You may find that some documentaries and independent films are released without a rating, but mainstream films are virtually always released in the theater with a rating from the MPAA in place.

A PG-rating on a film suggests there may be some adult content in the film that is not quite suitable for a younger audiece. PG films may contain violence, brief nudity, obscenities, or other questionable material. This certainly doesn’t mean that all PG movies are violent or deal with inappropriate topics.

Movie ratings are only supposed to be considered a guide for parents and other caregivers when deciding on what films to purchase or go view in the theater. Since ratings can't be specific to each child, however, it's up to the adults to decide what's okay and what isn't. A PG-13 rating is a small step above the regular PG rating, and parents should be aware that this rating indicates that the MPAA feels as though there are elements to the film which may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13.

Adults must make the final decisions as to what they would like children to watch. It's a good idea to consider ratings when making decisions about purchasing movies, but it's an even better idea to take the time to watch the movie yourself before presenting it to a child. This way there won't be any surprises as to what the child will be watching.

R-rated movies are not designed for children because they contain adult sexual content, drug use, violence, and a host of other elements which are usually considered inappropriate for younger people.

Depending on what you personally find acceptable in a movie, the movie ratings from the Motion Picture Association of America can be useful in helping you to decide if a movie contains parts that you simply don't want to view. If you have a squeamish stomach then you probably don't want to purchase a movie that was given an R-rating due to extreme violence. If you are not comfortable witnessing sexual situations in a movie then R-ratings due to sexual content are not for you. Don't assume that an R-rating on a movie means that there is one particular feature or another; be sure to take the time to read why the movie received the rating so you can decide if you want to purchase the movie or not.