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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ex Letting DS6 Watch Harry Potter

103 replies

Lestranged · 25/11/2025 10:14

Name changed as if the ex (or anyone IRL) sees this it will be outing and I don't want it connected to previous threads.

Ex and I divorced around 2.5 years ago and DS6 is now with her EOW during term time, 50/50 over school holidays.

Ex has read Harry Potter to DS from a young age, but only the first three books. We agreed around a year ago that DS was okay to watch the first three films. I was less keen because I thought it would lead to him wanting to watch the later films which in my opinion are not suitable for young children.

DS was with Ex over the weekend and casually mentioned that he has now watched all of the Harry Potter films. I assumed he was either mistaken or lying so I asked Ex (we have a generally amicable and good co-parenting relationship). It turns out that Ex has let DS watch ALL of the films including the two Deathly Hallows.

For context, DS currently seems fine but has recently been prone to nightmares and I have only managed to get him back to sleeping in his own bed in the last couple of months. I watched Home Alone with him last weekend and he was scared by some elements of that.

I know there is nothing I can do about it, but I am really angry with Ex for doing this. I guess I just want to see what other MNetters think about it and what (if anything) I should do or say.

YABU - it is fine for DS to have watched this and I am overreacting
YANBU - no parent in their right mind would have allowed a 6YO to watch these films

OP posts:
HarryVanderspeigle · 25/11/2025 15:56

I was vexed that dp showed our 7 year old jurassic park, as the kitchen scene is still terrifying to me and a lot of people get eaten. Of course, child wasn't scared at all as "it's not real mum" and just found it hilarious that someone got eaten by a t-rex while sitting on a toilet. Also, there is a torture scene in the princess bride, which I loved as a kid.

Which is a long way of saying that it depends on the child and if your son was fine with it, let him crack on.

UsernameMcUsername · 25/11/2025 16:37

It seems a bit young to me, but I agree with everyone that it depends on the child. And what children find scary is so unpredictable. My youngest was completely unbothered by all the later 'darker' Harry Potters, but absolutely hated the guy having Voldemort in the back of his head in the first one.

GetOverTheEgo · 25/11/2025 16:39

HarryVanderspeigle · 25/11/2025 15:56

I was vexed that dp showed our 7 year old jurassic park, as the kitchen scene is still terrifying to me and a lot of people get eaten. Of course, child wasn't scared at all as "it's not real mum" and just found it hilarious that someone got eaten by a t-rex while sitting on a toilet. Also, there is a torture scene in the princess bride, which I loved as a kid.

Which is a long way of saying that it depends on the child and if your son was fine with it, let him crack on.

There's a torture scene in Shrek too. (Poor Gingerbread man).

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