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Original poster

What age is appropriate for watching Harry Potter films?

71 replies

DontLeaveMeThisWaay · 01/01/2020 21:06

DD1 is 6 and has recently discovered Harry Potter through her friends talking about it at school.

I have sat with her and watched the first 3 films which she has been okay with. She is desperate to watch the next one. I know they get progressively more scary and dark and if I’m right, the last 4 are rated as 12.

I’m just looking for some advice on if you think I should allow her to watch any more or if I should wait now until she is a little older.

Thanks for your help ☺️

OP posts:
SellFridges · 01/01/2020 21:14

We made DD read the books before she watched the films. She started reading them (with us) in reception, and finished in Y2. By then it was a mix of her reading alone and us reading with her. This was pretty average amongst her peer group.

Thistles24 · 01/01/2020 21:22

Mine were about 8. DS1 started reading them at 5, but really didn’t understand or enjoy them. At 9, he devoured the whole set and really enjoyed them. 9/10 seems average in our circle.

LittleBearPad · 01/01/2020 21:23

I’ve stopped DD reading book 4 onwards for now. They get very scary. I wouldn’t show her the films until she’d read the books either.

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ittooshallpass · 01/01/2020 21:24

You know your child. Are they likely to be frightened/ have nightmares?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 01/01/2020 21:24

My 8yo has read book 1 with me, currently reading CoS. She refuses to watch the films- but is very sensitive to films.

Several of her friends have read all 7 books, but if you talk to them none of them have really understood the plot of the later ones- they are better off waiting a few years. There are a lot more suitable books for that age group.

WaterSheep · 01/01/2020 21:29

6 is too young. I also believe that anyone, child or adult, should read the books first, especially since the films leave so many good parts out.

parrotonmyshoulder · 01/01/2020 21:37

My DD had to (and wanted to) read the books first. This has made her very scathing about some of the films and what they have missed out.
She started reading them in year 3. I stopped her after Goblet Of Fire until year 5.

parrotonmyshoulder · 01/01/2020 21:38

She didn’t read them at first, actually - listened to the audiobooks. Dyslexic and not ready to read at the level she could understand. Has read and re-read them all many times now (aged 10)

RainbowMum11 · 01/01/2020 22:00

DD is 6 and has been watching them since she was tiny - she has watched all except the last 2, I figured that the younger she was, the less scared she was because she wasn't aware of the nuances.
I have always been a huge fan so when she is a bit older we will start reading the books together (tried last year but the chapters are quite long for a first chapter book so will wait a while - there is a lot of detail in the books that is missed in the films).

Legallybleachblonde · 01/01/2020 22:06

My DS is 5 and has watched the first three films and is completely unfazed by the scarier bits. I wont let him watch the others though and he is happy with that.

francienolan · 01/01/2020 22:07

I think if they're old enough to read each book they're old enough for the corresponding film. The 4th book has some upsetting deaths and is twice as long as the 3rd so I would probably wait a few years on anything past 3.

Spudina · 01/01/2020 22:08

You know your child. DDs 5 and 7 are obsessed with them. But in hindsight maybe we should have done the books first. (DD1 is now on The Goblet of fire) DD2 did say ‘bitch’ yesterday which she had heard in the Deathly Hallows and knows isn’t acceptable to say.

Lolly86 · 01/01/2020 22:08

DD is 6 and I have read her the first 4 and she has seen the first 4 films. She is going to have to wait for number 5. It gets darker and more complicated to understand so I think I'll have but a year or so

Horses4 · 01/01/2020 22:09

My nearly seven year old has seen the first one but doesn’t want to progress yet. Nearly 10 year old has read all books and watched all but the last film.

BrokenWing · 01/01/2020 22:19

Agree with pp, Much better to read the books first.

WaterSheep · 01/01/2020 22:25

I'm surprised so many posters are ok with young children watching them.

MonstranceClock · 01/01/2020 22:33

My 5 year old has seen the first 4. The others I think are a bit boring for really young ones.

cocomelon23 · 01/01/2020 22:33

My 10 year old has read and watched them all.

L0bstersLass · 01/01/2020 22:37

I would encourage her to read all the books before she gets to watch any more of the films. They're pretty full on for a six year old.

HearMeSnore · 01/01/2020 22:38

DD is 8 and has seen them up to The Half-Blood Prince.

She's fairly hardy and wasn't scared, but I don't think she was really able to process what was going on after the 4th one and wasn't getting a lot out of it.

So I've told her she can't watch the Deathly Hallows until she's read all the books. At least now the ending won't be spoiled for her.

Emmelina · 01/01/2020 22:44

DD2 (6) has seen the first three and loves them. I’m reluctant to show 4 yet because of the whole maze scene onwards.

DS (9) has seen up to 6 (half blood prince) in my company but has read all the books. Once they leave Hogwarts it gets really rather dark, so we’ve stopped there for now.

DD1 (12) has seen all of them and read all books.

EmmiJay · 01/01/2020 22:49

DD is 5 and has seen them all. Completely unfazed.

Muddlingalongalone · 01/01/2020 22:57

Like a pp, we read the books first and then watch the film.
Dd1 is 8 nearly 9 and has just finished the 3rd one at a second attempt. We got to ch3 about 6 months ago & she found it scary so we stopped.
Dd2 vaguely listens/watches but is not phased coz not properly engaged.
All children are different though. I also use common sense media as a guide but make my own decision.

Solasum · 01/01/2020 23:06

My then 5yo DS recently had to turn off an episode of Peter Rabbit as it was too scary. Someone suggested we watch Harry Potter. I reread the books and had very disturbed dreams myself. Am now holding off until he can read and enjoy the books himself before he can see the films (I guess 7+). Some of HP is really dark, and parents murdered and child being abandoned with cruel people isn’t easy to explain?

Caroian · 01/01/2020 23:09

Our 8 year old had read (and thus subsequently watched) the first three. I think we'll wait a couple of years for number 4 and then go from there.

To be honest though, at least part of that is that I want him to really appreciate them. He's perfectly capable of reading all of the books now, and understanding them, and not being phased or frightened by them. But that doesn't mean I think he'll get the best out of them. I know a number of 6/7/8 year olds who have allegedly read the whole series, but it is clear from talking to them that they haven't necessarily fully absorbed, understood or appreciated it. I kind of feel like the reader was always meant to grow with the series, as the main characters grow throughout it, if that makes sense.

All of that said though, every child is different, so I think you have to trust your own judgement for your own child.

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