My brother (who's only two years older) introduced me to my first horror movie when I was probably in kindergarten or maybe even in first grade. I've loved them ever since. I understand that they're rated R for a reason but i believe watching them early really helped me in the long run. There's actually a lot you can take away from when watching horror movies.
1. NEVER go anywhere alone.
There's always that one person in every group that thinks it's a good idea to "split up". NO! If you watch enough scary movies, you will eventually see the pattern that splitting up actually is the worst thing you can do. Not only do you lose your group, but if you're alone then you have no one to help you in case something goes wrong. If you split up, you're on your own and there goes your life.
2. DON'T check out that strange noise.
You're home alone and hear leaves crunching outside, maybe you just heard an object move downstairs, or your WiFi just spontaneously went out when it normally works at great speeds. What do most characters in movies do? They go downstairs or outside and investigate and that's exactly what the killer wants you to do. When things seem out of the norm and strange, they most likely are and that's when you have to take the most precaution. If there is an intruder then just prepare yourself, call 911, and hide but don't wander off and say "who's there"? DON'T go outside in the middle of the night. Whatever that noise was can definitely wait until the morning when there are witnesses.
3. LEAVE THAT CREEPY DOLL ALONE!
In every horror movie about a doll, the doll is always deformed in some way, has a mischievous smile, or has cracks all over its face. Does that not immediately scream "nope" to you? Characters usually jump at them and keep them only for the doll to eventually turn on the human and kill them. Even if the doll doesn't kill them, the doll usually does something scary like walk or talk on its own and the human still keeps it around. It's usually always the innocent things that cause the most harm. It's probably a good idea to get rid of it.
4. Say NO to babysitting in the middle of nowhere.
You lost me at, "middle of nowhere". You know it's a problem when the closest house is even a mile up the road. If an emergency were to occur, I need to be able to run to the closest house for help and if I have to run a mile to do that then I won't do it. Also, most houses in the middle of nowhere ally have no street lights and have bad service. If I can't call for help or see outside my window with ease then I'm not doing it. You can bring your kids to my nicely lit house on my crowded street.
If something doesn't seem like a good idea, it's probably not. The less risks you take when you're in a creepy situation and alone, the better. Some characters in movies do the opposite of what's on this list and just head straight for danger. Don't be like them. Follow that gut instinct when something is out of the usual, it might just save your life.
