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Original poster

What age would you let your child watch Harry Potter?

72 replies

lizpi · 21/11/2023 16:27

DS is only five, however I'm a big fan and he is itching to enjoy it too.

I appreciate he's too young, but what age did your DC watch it?

OP posts:
Morewineplease10 · 21/11/2023 16:29

5 is too young.

7 - 9 for the first one or two?

The problem is they very quickly become darker and more complex with lots of deaths. 4th one is heartbreaking!

JustKen · 21/11/2023 16:30

Wait until the new series comes out?

Snowpatrolling · 21/11/2023 16:34

My kids watched it from newborn! 🤣 we’ve just been to the studios this past weekend, youngest is 12 now and loved every minute!

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SnapdragonToadflax · 21/11/2023 16:35

Five is definitely too young, even the first one is quite scary in places and he'll want to watch the rest, which are much darker. I'd start at 7ish I think, and would say a mature 10+ for anything involving dementors. You could do one a year.

Could you start off reading them to him? Then you can censor a bit as you go along, and it will mean he'll know what to expect from the films.

YourNameGoesHere · 21/11/2023 16:37

I'm a mean parent but mine won't be watching anything until he's read the book and can properly comprehend it so probably not before 7/8.

JstBlzd · 21/11/2023 16:38

How is he 'itching' to enjoy the films if he hasn't read the books?

I think you want him watch them so you can share this fandom with him, which is nice, but I'd probably leave it a few years - 5 is quite little and would think parts of HP are quite scary for children that age.

LabradorMama · 21/11/2023 16:38

My son was 7 when he watched the first one all the way through, he tried it at 6 but found it too scary. By 8 he’d read all the books so it seemed pointless to stop him watching the rest of the films. I sat next to him to make sure he was ok and he was fine

eurochick · 21/11/2023 16:38

We did the first couple of books around age 7. We are now on 5 at age 9. My daughter is quite sensitive but seemed to deal fine with book 4 at just turned 9. I think we might need another break before the last two.

MargaretThursday · 21/11/2023 16:39

DD1 loved the first two aged 5yo, but I wouldn't let her watch any more.
I didn't let dd2 watch any until she was 10yo because she is much more sensitive.
So depends on your dc.

WeeSleekitCowrinTimrousBeastie · 21/11/2023 16:39

The first films are ok at that age but you need to wait until older for the subsequent films as they become darker and more complicated.

Tbh your child will enjoy them more when a bit older.

WhyMeWhyNowWhyNot · 21/11/2023 16:43

I told mine they had to read all the books first and then they could watch the films - unfortunately he was a v good reader and finished them all by 8 😄

I saw them all at the cinema and there were dickhead parents bringing their kids as young as 4 - not only are the films dark and scary but they’re also long! They got restless and bored and spoiled everyone else’s experience too 🙄.

Of course if you’re watching at home that’s not a problem but I’d wait until 8 or 9 and share the books first 😊

Weepingwillows12 · 21/11/2023 16:44

My youngest Ds watched the first one at 5 because his older brother wanted to watch it and was fine with it. I think it depends on the child though. They get a lot darker from 3 onwards so those he isn't allowed to watch until he's older. I think I let my eldest watch the third one at 8 years old, 4th at 9 then the others at 10 when I felt he could handle them. Was fine with all of them. I can think of some of his friends who wouldn't enjoy them yet though so depends on your child.

kshaw · 21/11/2023 16:45

My 6 year old has watched them all with me. No adverse reactions and enjoyed them. We watched together and she asked lots of questions. We're reading the books now

emmama2 · 21/11/2023 16:54

Depends entirely on you and your child. You know your child best and how to explain things to them. I find the website common sense media is really helpful in picking the parts the kids may struggle with.

My DD watched it at 5 almost 6. We spent a long time talking about the themes and watched during the day together. She was fine and loved it. We have only just watched the 4th one with DD at 7 almost 8. Again we talked about the themes and forwarned that someone dies- again she was fine. I wasn't, hearing his father's cries really got me.

Esgaroth · 21/11/2023 16:58

Mine weren't allowed until we had finished the books. The plots are much more detailed and better explained in the books (obviously) and I wanted them to have that enjoyment of hearing it unfold without knowing the ending already.

My 6 year old has been read the first 3 books so he's seen the first 3 films.

Might wait a bit with number 4.

TheGriffle · 21/11/2023 16:58

We started watching them on New Years Eve when dd was 7 and wanted to stay up for the first time. She’s now 10 so we’ve watched the first 3 and will watch number 4 this year.

ForestofBears · 21/11/2023 17:11

We read the books before letting them watch the films. I can’t remember how old DC1 was but she had seen them all when she was 10. I started reading to DC2 when she was 8, I am reading them very slowly with some long gaps when we read something else or don’t get round to it. She is 9, we are on the 4th book. She didn’t like the spiders, but, because we had read the books, she knew when to expect them in the film. DH died a couple of years ago, but the scenes about death seem to upset me more than her, so we continue and I will stop if it gets too dark for her. I was surprised that some of her friends seemed to have watched them all in Reception.

Sceptre86 · 21/11/2023 17:14

My son is 6 and he has watched the first 3 and enjoyed them. Dd1 is 7 and found Prisoner of Azkaban scary at the end. I'd say 5 is too young to understand but you know your kid better than I do.

StarShipControl · 21/11/2023 17:15

After they've read the books

WaitingfortheTardis · 21/11/2023 17:17

I'm usually the over cautious parent, but I think the first 2 are fine for a 5 year old.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 21/11/2023 17:22

5 is quite young to understand and actually enjoy the story. Some 5 year olds would be frightened, others not, but probably wouldn’t really get it and may just get bored.

I think dd2 watched the first 2 at about that age but mostly because dd1 ages 8 was obsessed. Most of it probably went over her head. The later ones can be quite scary so I’d say 8 or 9 for 3-6 and probably 10+ for the deathly hallows.

Coffeeandchristmascake · 21/11/2023 18:40

The deal in our house was if you can read the book, you can watch the film ( afterwards) so it was 8.

Original poster
lizpi · 21/11/2023 19:09

JstBlzd · 21/11/2023 16:38

How is he 'itching' to enjoy the films if he hasn't read the books?

I think you want him watch them so you can share this fandom with him, which is nice, but I'd probably leave it a few years - 5 is quite little and would think parts of HP are quite scary for children that age.

Seriously?

Harry Potter is as mainstream as mainstream can be. References, spin-offs, cartoons, YouTube videos, merchandise everywhere etc. etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
lizpi · 21/11/2023 19:10

He also knows I love it, so it's naturally curious.

OP posts: