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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this isn't a normal show for a 14 year old girl to be interested in?

162 replies

dancingqueef · 21/10/2023 21:03

My niece has taken interest in this show recently, its not exactly innapropriate but aibu to wonder why she's interested in it?

The show is This is Us, from what i can tell it's made for adults and isn't advertised to teenagers at all. I thought most girls that age were watching Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars (I know my slightly younger dd is.) I'm not bothered that she watches the show I'm just wondering why shes interested 😂

Asked my sister why her daughter was watching a show meant for 30-somethings and she got annoyed, am I completely out of touch and unreasonable?

OP posts:
Ohyay · 21/10/2023 22:51

I had to bring a book into year 6 that I had read over the summer. I took a book on Fred and Rose West... infairness it was my mothers. She had no idea I had read it until the school informed her 🤣

msmatcha · 21/10/2023 22:51

It's an excellent show, adult themes but I wouldn't mind my 14yo watching. I'd happily watch with her.

WhoWants2Know · 21/10/2023 22:52

My 13 year old loved it.

Luciansmum6 · 21/10/2023 22:53

you would totally freak out that my son watches Simon schama documentaries then.
and I remember loving antiques roadshow when I was about 9. 🙄

LylaLee · 21/10/2023 22:53

YABVVU

MermaidMummy06 · 21/10/2023 22:58

I'd rather that than trashy reality shows (that screw with a teen's view of reality).

Some kids are wired to like different things. My DS11 watches docos and reads adult level novels (screened for content first, of course). The ones written for his age are mostly complete trash and all the same (dragons, anyone?). Tbh I did the same as I couldn't stomach the Babysitters club.

RestingMurderousFace · 21/10/2023 23:04

I used to watch 30 Something when I was a young teen. Load of smug twats they were.

JudgeJ · 21/10/2023 23:09

repeats of North & South (the Patrick Swayze one,
Late OH was fascinated by the American Civil War and managed to record N and S while we were in the States, looking at battle fields probably, we got home in the middle of the night, shattered and ready for bed. He decided to watch N and S, and our girls, probably early teens, were teasing him telling him he was mad. The titles were coming up, it got to Patrick Swayze and then they too sat up watching it! They subsequently watched both series and became quite well versed on the Civil War, maybe there's a message there for History teachers!

JudgeJ · 21/10/2023 23:13

Ohyay · 21/10/2023 22:51

I had to bring a book into year 6 that I had read over the summer. I took a book on Fred and Rose West... infairness it was my mothers. She had no idea I had read it until the school informed her 🤣

Reminds me of winning a Scripture prize at Sunday school, we had to go into a local book shop, select a book and they were delivered to church for the prize giving evening. I couldn't have mine because I'd chosen the Rawhide annual rather than something religious. Rawhide was a cowboy series with Clint Eastwood barely out of nappies!

felisha54 · 21/10/2023 23:15

It's an amazing series and my 14 year old self would've loved it. Better than the pretty little liars type stuff.

SkaneTos · 21/10/2023 23:16

Normal.
I watched "Cold Feet" when I was 12-13 years old.

Siha345 · 21/10/2023 23:17

Riverdale is full of sex and sexualised teenagers, murder, assault, suicide etc. I think that’s the inappropriate show tbh

AngeloMysterioso · 21/10/2023 23:17

YABU because what your sister’s child watches on TV has precisely fuck all to do with you.

Notamum12345577 · 21/10/2023 23:18

dancingqueef · 21/10/2023 21:03

My niece has taken interest in this show recently, its not exactly innapropriate but aibu to wonder why she's interested in it?

The show is This is Us, from what i can tell it's made for adults and isn't advertised to teenagers at all. I thought most girls that age were watching Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars (I know my slightly younger dd is.) I'm not bothered that she watches the show I'm just wondering why shes interested 😂

Asked my sister why her daughter was watching a show meant for 30-somethings and she got annoyed, am I completely out of touch and unreasonable?

I initially thought you mean The Last of Us🤣

Siha345 · 21/10/2023 23:21

Ohyay · 21/10/2023 22:51

I had to bring a book into year 6 that I had read over the summer. I took a book on Fred and Rose West... infairness it was my mothers. She had no idea I had read it until the school informed her 🤣

That’s reminded me of the time my granny lent me an old fashioned novel well above my abilities (I was probably 7 or 8), I took it to school for quiet reading time and had to ask the teacher what a “prostitute” was 😩

TheGooseDrankWine · 21/10/2023 23:30

14 year old girls watch general adult TV, surely?

Mummyoflittledragon · 21/10/2023 23:32

I take it you don’t have a teenager op.

Dotcheck · 21/10/2023 23:34

Have you watched it OP?

I think you’re being overly critical- incredibly unnecessary

Sunseaandsand1 · 21/10/2023 23:39

You need to watch it yourself, it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I binged watched all the series in the weeks after my dad died, it was such a comfort at that time.

Teder · 21/10/2023 23:39

YABU.

I used to watch the soaps from a young age and they certainly aren’t geared towards pre teens.

Also, This is Us is totally appropriate and suitable for teenagers. The themes may not be relevant but a lot of the show is based on when the 3 were kids and teenagers!

financialcareerstuff · 21/10/2023 23:43

More than nothing wrong with that, it reflects well on her!

It's a beautiful, meaningful show with deep characterisation, that examines family, trauma, health, addiction, adoption, belonging and race..... all with a deep thread of love and compassion.

Good for her!

SemperIdem · 21/10/2023 23:43

You’re being weird.

The themes explored in This is Us are better acted, more sensitively and realistically approached than any teen drama (with their 25 year old actors playing teens).

PaxOmnibus · 21/10/2023 23:44

One of my sons was obsessed with David Attenborough wildlife programs and similar ( all through younger, teenage and now adulthood ) whilst all his mates watched the usual kids run of the mill stuff
Now he’s a Zoologist

Kids aren’t all the same
Celebrate she’s not a ‘sheep’.

MaryBeery · 22/10/2023 00:03

Welshwabbit · 21/10/2023 22:33

Gawd. I remember watching the original UK House of Cards when I was 11. That was very definitely unsuitable. I loved it.

I see your "House of Cards" and raise "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil", although I was more like the OP's niece's age than 11. Not sure what age I was when I Claudius was repeated either.

blackheartsgirl · 22/10/2023 00:29

Girasoli · 21/10/2023 21:27

WiddlinDiddlin I loved DMs Clan of the Cave Bear books. Probably read them at a similar age to you.

I watched and read all sorts when I was a young teen.

i was 14 when I read clan of the cave bear series, our school library had them, as well as Stephen King and other totally unsuitable books 😂.

my parents didn’t know about half the things I watched on my ancient black and white tv that they bought me for my 9th birthday.

i do think growing up reading and watching different things really helped shape who I am today