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Original poster

Don't want to watch 'Friends' with DD. Any ideas?

131 replies

Ihatesandwiches · 18/10/2020 22:24

DD (9) wants to watch this with me. A couple of her school friends watch it with their mums. I loved Friends and watched it and ER with mum every week. But I was mid teens! We watched a couple of episodes but I felt it was very dated and I didn't enjoy it. Any ideas for a more modern, slightly grown up series for us to watch? We have Netflix and free view. TIA

OP posts:
Washinglinewench29 · 19/10/2020 07:25

How I met your mother. All seasons on Netflix very similar to friends but modern and funnier!

standupsitdownturnaround · 19/10/2020 07:25

Another vote for just watching it with her! It is quite brilliant TV and very funny.

My main reason wouldn't be the quality time between the two of you, it would be that she chats about it with her friends. Sharing cultural references is so important and I really think encouraging friendships based on pop culture can help move groups away from bitchiness. With this in mind I would always embrace whatever my children want to watch as long as it isn't completely inappropriate. I feel strongly about it because I was nkt alllowed to watch some things as a child and I felt so left out.

BikeRunSki · 19/10/2020 07:25

The Middle

No porn, sex, casual sexism/racism. Earlier this year DH and I watched all 8 seasons in the evenings, the I watched them with the DC (8/9 and 11/12). They are on Prime, you have to pay for them now, but they definitive the fit the requirement for “family friendly, modern sitcom”.

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9 year olds TV
Reclinehard · 19/10/2020 07:31

Yes absl gilmore girls!

WatchTooMuchBelowDeck · 19/10/2020 07:37

I honestly hate Friends. I watched it when I wasn't emotionally mature enough and didn't have anyone in could ask about some of the themes and language. I think it informed my view of male/female relationships for a really long time, and not in a good way. Genuinely I talked about it during counseling in my late 20s... I recognise that had I had some different influences in my real life I might not have been so affected, but still, the general thrust of it is misogynistic in the extreme. Maybe I'm an extreme example but it's a no from me!

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 19/10/2020 07:40

I'd suggest cobra kai but it sounds like your 9 year old wants to invite you into her world!
Watch it with her and hopefully she will bore of it as there are a trillion episodes Grin

CountessFrog · 19/10/2020 07:43

My dad watched it when she was 13. I watched it with her and was shocked at the constant references to sex, casual sex, more sex. I think the first series was the worst for this.

It’s actually not easy to skip unsuitable episodes. How do you know they are unsuitable unless you watch them first? That’s some time commitment.

My younger daughters classmates were watching them in y5. I was horrified. One of the kids effectively had an after school club running at her house to watch them, my daughter felt quite left out when I said she couldn’t go.

I wish the kids had been getting together after school in their bikes or playing games rather for the purpose of being glued to an unsuitable TV show.

monkeyonthetable · 19/10/2020 07:43

Just watch it with her! She's trying to belong and have something in common with her gang.
At about that age (maybe a bit older) my DC loved Glee.

Twinkletwinklelittletwat · 19/10/2020 07:50

I saw someone recommend one tree hill....please don't let your 9 year old watch that!

JaJaDingDong · 19/10/2020 07:51

Life in Pieces in Amazon Prime

stillfeelingmad · 19/10/2020 07:52

Modern family it Big Bang theory j feel have better role models for girls

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/10/2020 07:54

I hated Friends when I was in my 20s. I’m so glad my dd was more interested in paw patrol thanFriends when she was 9 - one or two of her friends were watching it at this age.

If your dd is interested in keeping up with her school mates, someone suggested they Comedy Central version. Perhaps she won’t even like it. My dd was about 10 when she wanted to watch stranger things because her friends were. I raised an eyebrow as it’s a 15. But watched a bit first and it seemed relatively tame. She lasted about 10 mins and thought it was boring.

Now my dd is 12, she’s into horror and I have let her watch a couple of cert 15 horror movies. Tbh the ones I said she could watch are not even scary and certain aspects of the film - more inappropriate stuff - goes over her head.

goisey · 19/10/2020 07:55

@Lifeisabeach09

I watched the Friends with my DD (10 at the time)-the porn references went over her head, tbh. We enjoyed Joey and Phoebe the most and the general daftness.
I think that's horrible you sat and watched a programme with porn references with your dd.

Would you be ok if her teacher at school dropped in porn references during a English or PE class etc?

No, it would be considered a safeguarding fail, yet you are happy to do it yourself?
I find that a massive parenting fail and abusive.

pandafunfactory · 19/10/2020 07:58

Hmm watching Friends is abusive?
Do take a breath!

slipperyeel · 19/10/2020 08:01

Watch it with her.
My mum would never do stuff with me. I don’t suppose she thought it was a big deal but it affected our relationship and made me feel very rejected.
My friends spent time with their mums and mine never would.

NC4Now · 19/10/2020 08:01

What about the Goldbergs?

Poppyolive90 · 19/10/2020 08:02

I think the whole point is her friends will be talking about Friends so finding an alternative won’t be what she’s after. If I were you I’d just watch it with her. A lot of the rude stuff will go over her head and if not then it’s a good opportunity to talk to her about things rather than what she hears in the playground from her friends who have watched it.

Poppyolive90 · 19/10/2020 08:04

goisey oh come on..

Emmapeeler2 · 19/10/2020 08:05

My DD (10) wasn't interested in the few clips of Friends I showed her. It's for teenagers plus IMO. As is Buffy.

We watched Ghosts and Miranda and she loved them. She also likes ICarly and Victorious on Amazon.

Thinkingg · 19/10/2020 08:07

Not How I met your mother! Also full of sex references, and Barney's behaviour towards women is really dubious.

Notnownotneverever · 19/10/2020 08:08

Modern Family.

I loved Friends at the time but it not at all appropriate for a 9 yr old. Stay strong with your resolve.

Fantabulous1 · 19/10/2020 08:09

Unbreakable kimmy schmidt
Last man on earth
Living with yourself
Upload (quite raunchy scenes in the first few episodes so tread with caution!)

The oldies but goodies..
Parks & Recs
30 Rock
The office (USA version, UK one is a bit crap!)

Fantabulous1 · 19/10/2020 08:10

Oh shoot I just realised your child is 9!! Yeh none of my recommendations then 🤣

RedskyAtnight · 19/10/2020 08:12

I agree that 9 is too young for Friends. As well as all the sexual references it's also very outdated now - I've enjoyed watching it with my DD at 13/14 as she spots the sexism/classism etc and calls it out and we can discuss. At 9, it is far too likely that she won't notice it and will just regard it as "normal".
I don't think you should watch it just because her friend are - at that age there's a lot of things that "cool" parents will let their DC watch that aren't really age appropriate and the children get used to "some parents do this, some parents to that". Thinking things like the later Harry Potters, Hunger Games, anything with a 12 certificate really!

Thirtyrock39 · 19/10/2020 08:14

We ran into problems watching friends at this age. There are a lot of references to porn and sex- it's fine for secondary school age onwards but a bit grown up for younger kids - even daft things like 'Santa's not real'

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