AIBU to let my 7 year old watch Harry Potter film which are a 12 Cert?

[maybefaraway]

I think IABU, but he's read up to book 5, and I always told him if he read the book first he could see the film. Then I let him spend his xmas money on the boxset (Tesco £20 for eight films, bargain), and only then did I notice that five of them are a bloody 12 certificate. WWYD? He's seen the first three now, and seen Percy Jackson and stuff like that.

[SaucyJack]

Ha! We bought the same box set as a family present at Christmas and DD2 was 7 in December. So, it's a YANBU from me.

[Thetallesttower]

I would be guided by him, is he a sensitive type likely to be upset or not?

One of mine could watch stuff like that aged 7, the other would have nightmares. It depends on the child.

We watched a bit scary stuff with my 7/8 year old, so she can hide/have a cuddle if scary- I mean things like the Chronicles of Narnia which have battle scenes/dead lions!

[shallweshop]

YANBU - My 2 DC watched all the Harry Potter films aged 6 and 8.

[nobutreally]

I have exactly the same rule for dd & ds, & hit the same issue. Dd at 7 rising 8 is HP mad, and has just finished the last book, and immediately sat down and started reading again from the start.

We have just watched the fifth film, and I am dragging my feet by saying she can't watch the next ones until ds (who is older but less into HP) has also read them. But I imagine she'll get to see them in the next 6 mths or so. I make sure I watched them first, and any scary bits the kids have to put their heads behind cushions & I tell them what's happening! My two - who are reasonably easily scared - have coped so far....

[Cataline]

Our DS is 6 and potter mad. He's read all the books and has recently watched the last three films with us. He loves Percy Jackson, the sorcerers apprentice and similar and isn't fazed by the scary bits too much. We always watch with him and remind him that it is just fantasy and played by actors etc. having said that, he absolutely broke his heart when Dobby died. I was in bits anyway and DH was just a bit bewildered by all the emotion
Having said that, most of his friends can't watch films like this as they're too scared or sensitive which us also fine. I think you know your own child and can make a judgement call on whether or not it would be appropriate. I'd always recommend to watch them first without the DCs though!!

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

I think with 12s you really have to watch it yourself first and decide. I found the ending with the crumbling away Voldemort a bit scary when I watched it and I was about 13 when it came out.

I have let DS watch some episodes of Dr Who which are rated 12 and he's been fine. DH and I watch them first to check they're not too scary.

[Joysmum]

Depends which film? I personally think you should watch it without him first and then make a decision.

12A means parental guidance up to the age of 12, it doesn't mean not for under 12's.

I'd be concerned about The Goblet of Fire if it were my daughter at that age and Deathly Hallows part 1 would have bored her! Only you know your child.

[Ev1lEdna]

I watched this with my son when he was 8, he had been asking for a year. I was a little concerned he would be scared about it afterwards as he can be a bit sensitive and stays awake worrying. However, that wasn't really the issue what I found was that it was quite complex to follow and I had to stop it a couple of times to explain things more fully for him.

Have you seen it yourself? Once you have and with you knowing your child best you decide. He will probably enjoy it - mine did.

[Ev1lEdna]

I said 'watched this' in my post I meant the 12 cert Harry Potters. Sorry.

[SparklingMuppet]

Not a cat in hell's chance I'd let my sensitive 8yo ds watch them. He's only just read the first book and won't be watching the film for some time. He simply can't handle the emotional implications. He's super sensitive to lighting, music and general mood, and is far more 'emotionally intelligent' than his friends. It's a bind to be honest because he can react unexpectedly to situations and doesn't yet have the general maturity and life experience to make sense of what he's feeling. It also means he hasn't seen much of the entertainment his friends have, such as Star Wars, and sometimes he gets left out socially.

[FiscalCliffRocksThisTown]

Well, my 8 yr old is sensitive, so he can't yet watch the 12+ Harry P's.

Too frightening.

[FiscalCliffRocksThisTown]

Cross post! There are plenty of good fun films about for the more sensitive/younger crowd.

[morethanpotatoprints]

My dd has seen up to and including Half Blood Prince.
She has just turned 10 and I won't let her watch the last two as my older lads have seen them and said they are unsuitable for younger children.
We have them all but she has to wait I'm afraid.
There is no way I would consider it for a 7 year old.
I think the first 3 are ok for this age group but after this they really increase in darkness and death.

[Danann]

I think it'd be fine, my DC are 5 and 9 and have watched them all and we've not had nightmares or anything. I had seen them already though so could judge if they would be ok. If you haven't seen them though I would suggest you watch the Deathly Hallows without him first as it might be a bit upsetting for some 7 year olds.

[thegreylady]

My 7 year old dgs would be terrified and couldn't cope with them at all. Mind you he can't manage Babar either because of Babar's mum being shot by the hunter!

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Dd watched them all at 9. I agree with pps who've said it depends on the child.

You know your child best but I would recommend that you watch them first as others have said.

[Ev1lEdna]

Well my 8 year old is now a 9 year old and I can assure you all he is fine after watching them about 6 months ago!

In the end it is parental choice. I suggest you watch them and then decide OP, nothing anyone here says is going to be as decisive as that.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

thegreylady do you mean Bambi? Sorry if I'm wrong.

[Starballbunny]

YANBU DD2 must have been about 7 when she saw the Goblet of fire.

She isn't scared by it at all, the bit that scares her (even at 12) is Voldermort killing Harry's parents in the first one. She's very soppy about toddlers.

The only proviso must be that he doesn't think it lets him watch all 12s.

It's a really badly thought out classification. We really need 12A - under 12's should watch this with an adult first time they see it and 12 - really not suitable for primary DCs full stop.

Things like Snow White and the Huntsman, Twilight, The Hunger and Women in Black, which my senior school DDs enjoy are in a very different league to HP and PJ.

[Quenelle]

DS is 4.6 and has watched the first two many, many times since last December. He has been completely unmoved by any of the scarier bits so far and is often to be seen wincing and rubbing his 'scar' and doing spells on us. Not sure Wingardium Biscuits is in the films though

I understand the films get progressively scarier so I will be cautiously vetting the rest before he gets to see them.

[notso]

DS1 now 9 is really sensitive in many ways but has watched all the Harry Potters and another couple of 12 films over the past couple of years.
I had seen them all first and thought they would be ok. They are very different to the books and the first few films though, a lot of the warmth that is in the books isn't present in the films.

The only problem for me is now DD 13 wants to watch 15's as 'it's only fair'

[Starballbunny]

Also it's worth remembering 7y don't see death in the same way as older DCs and adults do, it's a pretty remote and abstract thing.

Likewise the Dementors, as written in the books, are terrifying to an adult who's ever touched the edges of suffering from depression. I think to a child they are nasty black ghosts. (I've always suspected JK did this deliberately)

[MrsOakenshield]

If it wasn't HP, would you allow children this young to watch a film about 17/18 year olds hunting down a psychopathic serial killer?

[notso]

If you put films into that kind of context I probably wouldn't let them watch Snow White MrsOakenshield

[Dancergirl]

YANBU

I'm usually fairly strict on film certificates but with 3 Potterheads in this house, there would be an outcry if we had not allowed dd3 (6) to watch the films with her sisters.

£20 for the box set??? Now that would free up a bit of space on the Sky planner!