8, almost 9-year-old watching Call the Midwife

[Jourdain11]

Just went into the living room wondering what DD2 (8) was watching and found her glued to a birth scene in Call the Midwife! My immediate reaction was that it's too adult for her to watch and I said, watch something else or do something else. She has taken the huff ("You turned it off right in the middle of the breexh baby being born, mum!") because apparently daddy said it was fine and it's just nuns and people having babies, it's not like it's about SEX or anything.

It's easier with films - at least they have guidance! It's too long since I watched any of it but I remember the themes being quite hard-hitting. But I'm also not sure that it's actually on after the watershed? I'm quite certain that daddy hasn't watched any of it at all!

IABU - let her watch it, it's fine for a kid of her age (she's 9 in 2 weeks and going into Y5).

YANBU - it's not appropriate for her to watch it.

Fuck me, I thought call the midwife was like Heartbeat. Its Sunday evening family viewing.

I watched dirty dancing with its back alley abortion when I was 9YO. There are kids in my 7YO class who watched Squid games and drink mountain dew for breakfast (on the school run!). I can't say I'd get mad over Call the Midwife.

If she enjoys medical and historical stuff, it’ll be right up her street.

I remember the incest story. The woman was played by the actress who played Fred Elliot the butcher’s ex in Corrie! A very moving episode which will give rise to a conversation about workhouses/welfare etc.

It is a great drama centred on women.

She may also like Bramwell, set around 1900. She’ll be disgusted that women were not allowed to practise surgery then!

It got more heartbeat like. The first series based on book is more gritty. The kitchen table abortion is more obvious than Dirty dancing.

It does have a rating - anything that has been released on DVD does. Have only looked at the first few series but they all seem to be rated 12

store.hmv.com/store/film-tv/dvd/call-the-midwife-series-1-5-(1)

Common sense media is usually pretty good for age advisory.

It's one I wouldn't actively allow my 8 YO to watch but i don't rush to switch off the moment she enters the room.

YABU. It's the most saccharine show on television.

I watched the whole series (twice!) with my then 8 and 9 year old dd. There were some things in it that she didn't understand which was fine but she loved it.

I wouldn't have a problem with my children watching this. i think it deals with the subject matters well.

As long as she doesn’t think that it’s an accurate representation of what nuns thought either then or now.