To not let DD watch these programmes for school work.

[Whatswiththesmalltalk]

Dd is 13 and is studying dystopian literature in English so I understand the connection but her teacher has asked the class to watch the handmaids tale, children of men and V for vendetta. I have only watched the handmaids tale myself but having looked online I really don't think they're all that appropriate for a 13 year old at all. AIBU would you let your 13 year old watch these?

I came on here to say the same thing. Unless these are 'if you get time after all the reading then check out...' then it sounds like really, really lazy teaching.

The school shouldn’t be asking 13 yr olds to watch content certified appropriate for age 15 and over. I appreciate parents let children watch all sorts but it’s not appropriate for it to be instructed by the school as if they went to the cinema they wouldn’t let them in to watch it nor (in the old days) would a store sell them it on a dvd. Just because you can stream it doesn’t mean you should. I’d be speaking with the teacher.

The first season of the Handmaids Tale is an 18 on Prime. It’s my absolute favourite programme and book but I wouldn’t want a 13 year old to watch the tv series. Subsequent seasons are 15 but the first season is the one the original book is based on.

I can't comment as I've not seen any of them. However, www.commonsensemedia.org/ is great for this sort of thing

I've watched the handmaids Tale and some scenes are really difficult to watch as an adult so I can't think why a teacher has recommended it to a 13 year old.
Just had a quick look at the Parents guide on IMDB for all three of those and there are warnings in multiple areas for all of them - so I wouldn't let my 13 yr old watch any of them - certainly not without me watching them myself first.

Also - the teacher can't possible expect students to watch the whole of The Handmaids tale - its 5 series long!! I'd be asking the teacher to see if she had specific scenes in mind when she set his suggestion and asking if she'd considered the 15 rating of the material.

We did Lord of the Flies in year 9 at school which was age 13/14. Read the book and watched the 1990 film version which I see now is a 15 rated film. Both the book and film certainly stuck with me - children attacking and murdering each other, the pig's head...

I voted YABU as I think it would be good to find a way to watch some of them - maybe check which episode and watch it first! There are definitely some bits that would be questionable and I would raise it with the school also.

Are you sure the teacher doesn't mean the old film of The Handmaid's Tale rather than the series?

www.commonsensemedia.org/ says, 16+ for Handmaid's Tale, 17+ for Children of Men and 18+ for V for Vendetta.

Obviously, all kids are different, but I have a super-sensitive kid (she does have ASD) and I've found this site helpful

Hmm I teach the Handmaid's Tale at A level and one of the parents mentioned at parents' evening that they thought the content was tough for that age which surprised me as I think it's very suitable for 16 year olds but I totally understand your concern about year 9. I would go for either The Hunger Games or Ready Player 1 at that age.

Even so, just checked - 15.

Doubled checked- definitely an 18 for season 1!

I wouldn't let my 13yo watch Handmaids Tale, no. It's violent and there's graphic scenes of rape. I'm pretty sure it's a 15 certificate on Prime.
The others I don't think I'd mind, but would probably watch with her.

There are other dystopian fiction that are less graphic/sexual. George Orwell, aldous huxley etc.

Yes to the others but no to Handmaids. It is traumatic. I love it but had to have a break from it as an adult

Find out the ratings and then contact the safeguarding lead with your concerns. If about 12 they definitely shouldn’t be watching in full (supervised clips are allowed) and the school could be in a lot of trouble.

Have they actually been asked to watch them or have they been given as examples of this genre ?

*above 12

www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-handmaids-tale

Common sense media is a good one, it generally summarises the sex, violence and bad language in a TV show and has reviews from children and adults.

Personally I think the rape in Handmaid's Tale would be a reason not to watch it with a 13 year old.

Also on a practical note the first series alone is 10 hour long episodes, that's quite a commitment to watch it for homework.

Oh dear, I don’t think a handmaid’s tale is appropriate at all for that age. It’s also either a 15 or an 18 rating. Something like the hunger games might be more appropriate.

Whatever happened to reading books! For a start, the tv version of AHT veers away from the plot of the book - continues it - so she won’t get the true plot anyway. And a lot of the menace in the book comes from the writing

This is the 90s version. I remember watching this when I studied The Handmaid's Tale for A Level.

m.imdb.com/title/tt0099731/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Agreed. No 13 year old needs to see a rape scene.

The awful ceremony/rape scenes are uncomfortable to watch as an adult - let alone a 13 year old! Are you sure she doesnt mean the older film version?

I always find comments like "she's 13, she'll be fine" etc. a bit odd. There is a whole range of issues at play and someone's age is a really small part of it. I find that following my DC's lead with stuff is generally what works well.

My 14 year old would really NOT enjoy Handmaid's Tale - she'd find it harrowing. It's pretty obvious that some 13 year olds will be fine, and others won't.

YANBU OP.