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Original poster

How old were your DC when they read / watched Harry Potter?

70 replies

StuckInPollyannaMode · 08/07/2020 10:02

DDs are 7, and I'm coming under a fair amount of pressure for them to read and watch at least the first book and film. Many of their classmates have watched the first three films.

Should I cave and let them read / watch it? The first one at least.

OP posts:
Hellbentwellwent · 08/07/2020 10:08

My two are nearly 6 and I’ve been wondering the Same thing. It always amazing what they say their peers have read / watched.they came home terrified of penny wise before Christmas and said that one of the classmates had been telling them stories from IT??? A 5 year old? Christ alive, IT scared the shit out of me when I watched it as a teen... mind boggling what some kids are allowed to watch

troppibambini · 08/07/2020 10:11

Depends on the child really.... I absolutely love Harry Potter and my older two children did too, they read all the books and watched the films.
My younger two are 6 and 5 but not particularly sensitive or frightened they've watched the first 3 films and I'm about to start reading the books at bedtime.
The books are wonderful and I wouldn't say scary at all maybe start with them and see how he is.

ShakespearesSisters · 08/07/2020 10:13

Mine watched them the Christmas before last when they were on weekly. The youngest would have turned 5 the other one almost 7. We talked about it all not being real and just a story. The youngest christened the dementors blanket people. The thing they were most scared of was the basilik because "snakes are real mummy"

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Peabody25 · 08/07/2020 10:16

I've just finished reading the first book with my six, nearly seven year old, and started the second last night. The books are fine, other than the odd sentence, which I just skip.

We tried to watch the first film on Saturday, but it's 2hrs 40mins long and he just got bored so I think we'll wait a while before we try again with the films.

TeenPlusTwenties · 08/07/2020 10:16

year 6/ year 7 - so age 10/11/12

With HP my rule was you have to independently read the book first before you can watch the film.
I personally think the films are better enjoyed if you have read the book as you can get the joy of them coming to life.
I also think there is more 'joy' in coming to them at an age-appropriate age rather than bits passing them by to start with.

There are so many films aimed at 5-8 year olds, why not save HP.

FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 08/07/2020 10:17

I think 6/7 is fine for the first three books only.
I always think good books should be read and digested a couple of years before they see the films.

Kittykatmacbill · 08/07/2020 10:19

I think the first three books are fine, disappointingly my 7 year old finds them dull and prefers the worst witch. I don’t think I would want show them the movies without reading the books.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 08/07/2020 10:21

7 years old for the first three books and movies.
8 For goblet of fire as it gets a bit darker and the book is much longer.
She's not read the last ones yet I said that she could at 10 but she found it hard going despite having a high reading level.
She watched the last few, scarier films at her dad's house earlier than I'd like at 6 or 7 but was OK with them.

AfterSchoolWorry · 08/07/2020 10:22

7, she's,8 now and does occasionally worry that Voldemort is under the bed. Sad

moofolk · 08/07/2020 10:22

I think older too. The books are so good for the right age group it's a shame to waste them.

As a rule of thumb, being a year or two younger than the characters is ideal.

I often wistfully imagine having been ten when the first book came out, and getting one a year as it was published and growing up with them.

That didn't happen to me, but my eldest went from picture books to independently reading the Philosophers Stone at age 8. He raced through but stopped when there was loads of snogging (as the get teenage prob the third or fourth book). I read ahead to get what he was getting (they are great for kids, but not books for adults. Yawn.).
He's come back to Order of The Phoenix now, at nearly-12.

But my 10 year olds are not ready for it still, so you have to make the judgment for your family.

Agree that you should save the films.

IggyAce · 08/07/2020 10:23

@TeenPlusTwenties I agree with you. Harry Potter should be read when the child can read it themselves and discover the magic and love. My dd was year 6 when she started reading it and immediately loved it.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 08/07/2020 10:24

I will say I think the excitement in HP actually ruined some other books for her and wished we'd left it later it took a long time to get her in to another series of books for example she was never interested in the Worst witch series and I wish we had read those first as they are a nice prequel to the magical universe.

DinosApple · 08/07/2020 10:29

My eldest read the books at 7 and 8, I think she saw the first film aged 7 (youngest would have been 6). Youngest has shown no interest whatsoever in reading the books, but does enjoy the films.

Only recently have they seen the last two though, at 9 & 10. There's a lot of Ron moping about which they find fascinating now 😂. At a younger age that would have bored them.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 08/07/2020 10:29

My 7yo has no interest.
My 9yo has read book 1 with me. Book 2 is waiting, but she has lots of other books she wants to read aswell.

Reading HP seems to have become a race. I read them as they came out... In secondary school. Those slightly younger read them in upper end of Primary. Now it seems if you haven't read book 7 by the end of infant school your child is doomed to a life of illiteracy. There is plenty of books aimed at 5-8 year olds and years to read HP.

TiggeryBear · 08/07/2020 10:31

My kids are 4 & 2 (so don't have the longest attention spans yet) I've put the 1st film on for them to watch a few times but I've sat & watched it with them. Tbh, they lose interest in pretty much everything very, very quickly so they don't watch much. I won't put the other films on for them as they are far too young yet. But they know about Harry Potter because I'm a huge fan.

Original poster
StuckInPollyannaMode · 08/07/2020 10:33

I definitely want them to read the books first! I was hoping to get them to 10 or 11, but don't think I will.

OP posts:
BiBabbles · 08/07/2020 11:02

My DD first read them when she was 12, because they were in the school library and some of her friends liked them. She wasn't impressed and hasn't asked to see the films or mentioned the series since she finished reading them. She didn't even give them to her sister to read which is pretty rare. My 15 year old knows they exist, but has no interest. He's now into Pratchett and similar so it's not because he dislikes fantasy.

I'd be pretty sharp with someone trying to dictate what media I show my kids. For me, it wouldn't be about caving in, especially as you haven't mentioned your child having any interest. It's that there are so many options, why are they getting on you about that specific series right away? They've years of reading ahead of them if they want that. While there is something lovely about passing on books to our kids and possibly sharing that enjoyment, there are also great things for kids finding their own books written in their own time as well as from around the world. Some balance is needed and the hyperfocus on HP frustrates me. There are plenty of series I love that my kids could read at that age, but I think would be better to offer later.

I agree in some areas it seems a race for kids to read and become HP fans. I know like with many other 'instant classics' this will eventually calm. If you want to be polite (not sure I would be), I'd try to dissuade those pushing you with 'We'll get to it, now we're reading...' whatever. Or maybe discuss trying to diversify you bookshelf with all that's going on.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 08/07/2020 13:32

I was 11 when the first book came out and grew up with the series, getting each one at Christmas and it was something I anticipated opening more than anything else.

If you wanted to make it a 'special' occasion type thing I highly recommend the illustrated versions, the art work is truly beautiful, the books are large so are better to share at a family storytime instead of independent reading, they have only completed 4 atm and I buy one for Dd each christmas. DD had already read my old ones independently, passing them on was a lovely moment too, although as I said above I think we did it a little too early.

SarahAndQuack · 08/07/2020 13:34

DD's seen the first two films and is having chapters of the first book at bedtime, and she's three. I do get the desire to leave it until later for a very special book, though. For me Harry Potter isn't that, but I am not letting her loose on my favourites until she's older! I am dying to be able to read her the Green Knowe books, but the suspense of them all lies in not knowing the plot, and I won't spoil them.

Harry Potter is a bit different because these days it's so unavoidable - you know what happens in a very general way, because obviously he survives for seven books.

Equimum · 08/07/2020 13:43

DH is currently reading the third HP book to our 7 year old at bedtime. He has recently read the first two, and they have watched the films. Our nearly five year hated the first film so I have taken him for walks when the others have been on. So 7 has been a great age here.

HeeeeyDuggee · 08/07/2020 13:47

7/8 ... DS started reading the books when he was 7 and is now starting half blood prince at 8. He’s seen all the films now

He’s quite mature for his age and unfortunately has seen been aware of subjects like death due to my dad and DH dads dying so wasn’t upset by any of the later books

reluctantbrit · 08/07/2020 14:30

DD was in Y4 because I knew she wanted to read them all in fairly quick succession and we made the rule of reading first, then watching.

I think she read them all by the time she finished Y5, we talked a lot about the later books, Goblet of Fire obviously is difficult with the character death and how the resurrection of Voldemort is described.

We made the decision based on what books DD read at that age and she was very much more in a happy pony and fairy world and preferred Disney Princess movies to anything else.

I do know that others in her class read the books and watched the movies a lot earlier but it never caused trouble.

RustyBear · 08/07/2020 14:46

I often wistfully imagine having been ten when the first book came out, and getting one a year as it was published and growing up with them

DS was 9.5 and DD 7.5 when the first one came out - DS read it a few months later, which I think was about the right age. DS then read them as they came out, so he did grow up with them - DD, I think didn't actually start reading them until the third one came out, which was only a few months after the second, she was around 9.5 by then. I'm glad they did grow up with them, as I think the later ones were better appreciated when they were older.

I was a school librarian when the later books were published and there was always a lot of competition to borrow them, but I always used to talk to the kids about the books when they brought them back, and you could tell that a lot of them, especially the younger ones, hadn't actually read it, or properly understood it.

SionnachRua · 08/07/2020 14:51

There is often a lot of pressure from parents for the kids to 'read' them when they're not really ready fo understand them. At age 9 a lot of my class have read them (up to about book 5 as the older books are a bit darker) and I think they are generally able to comprehend it. It actually causes a few disagreements as I have had a couple of Potterheads throw a fit when other kids say they didn't like the book Grin I'm not a fan of the books either, don't think the kids have forgiven me for it!

AllieCat22 · 08/07/2020 15:21

I watched the films when I was 7 - it’s a really lovely childhood memory. I got a bit scared of Voldemort but it’s all part of the fun! I’d say let them, anything that encourages reading and imagination sounds great to me. 😊

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