Too late because I’ve done it. You’ll all tell me I’m a terrible mum! Bridgerton.

[BridgertonBadMum]

Anyone else let their young teens watch Bridgerton with them?

Mine is 13, I’d be kidding myself to pretend she doesn’t know about sex.

She begged me to let her watch the new series as she saw the trailer and it looked so Cinderella-like and she adores history and the costumes. I originally said no as it’s too sexual.

However she works so hard, and we found out this week that she’d won an amazing award through school, and I just thought she’s old enough to work as hard as she does (highly pressured academic school in which she’s thriving - as well as highly achieving in her sport at a national level), more mature than many adults I know, so surely watching it with me there to ensure she knows what’s normal life and what isn’t. How is it any worse than her watching Stranger Things. After all it’s very likely one day she’ll fall in love and have sex - and yet I worry more about her seeing that than seeing violence.

So we’ve both been totally entranced together watching the new episodes. I laugh when she cringes and covers her face during the steamy parts or when I say “he’s got a nice bum”. To have had a couple of hours together last night smiling and keeping everything crossed for a happy ending. It’s been lovely. (Not watched all 4 yet so no spoilers)

I’m awaiting a ton of “you’re a terrible mum” replies. But hoping to be surprised by a couple of people who are in agreement.

I thought Bridgerton was aimed at teens? Or very young adults anyway, I only watched a couple of episodes and thought it was very fluffy and silly but maybe I missed the sexy bits.

This is what I was thinking 😂.
OP I think you may have an overinflated idea of how much people will care what you let your kid watch. Most people don’t care much what other people decide for their kids.
FWIW my 13 year old isn’t allowed to watch Stranger Things!

Bring back the laugh emoji. That one took me out 😹

Such an odd thread OP.

Really really odd.

Well I would rather have poked my own eyes out than watched Bridgerton with my mother, but for that reason I think it's nice that you two watch it together. I think it's healthy to be able to talk about sex with your mum, and it will serve her well in the future to know that she can talk to you about such things without it being the most mortifying experience of her entire life.

Plus as others have said, the scenes in Bridgerton aren't violent and whilst they are incredibly suggestive you don't actually 'see' anything. It's a better first exposure to sex than a lot of teens get online these days.

Nothing wrong with Bridgerton.

I am 76 and had read Lady Chatterley's Lover before I was your daughter's age. It was passed around my form at school, one girl had two older sisters who left it lying around.

I also read James Baldwin's books, The Well of Loneliness, The Hell Fire Club and something called, 'Confessions of a Spent Youth', by Vance Bourjally which was extremely enlightening.

My parents were not readers and never noticed. I cannot imagine reading those books with them or watching a television programme with explicit sex, with them. I was quite certain they had no idea what sex was!

Good for you.

No I wouldn't let my 13 year old watch Bridgerton, and yes I would judge you, but sense you don't really care anyway.
Linking it to good academic performance is just weird.

If she asked repeatedly to smoke would you buy her cigarettes?
If she asked repeatedly to get drunk would you buy her alcohol?
Etc etc etc

All I can think of is Regina’s Mum from Mean Girls.
"I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom,"

DD watched Deadpool, an 18 cert, when she was 13. I didn’t even know. I am a shit mum.

Like some others have said I'd have died of embarrassment watching that with a parent at 13 but if your DD is fine with that, I see no problem!

Mind you I was watching I Claudius on my own aged 12, under the pretext it helped me with Latin at school 😂. It had orgies, brutal murder etc etc in every episode. I was transfixed!

Its weird to tell everyone shes a high achieving athlete and student to justify this post! Either let her watch it or don't depending on whether you think its appropriate.

as well as highly achieving in her sport at a national level

National level you say? Then it’s obviously ok that she has watched Bridgerton. If she was only completing at regional/county level, then obviously Bridgerton would be inappropriate. Doesn’t everyone know that? 🙃

I don't treat my child like my gal pal. Of course we make jokes to break up awkwardness, but not jokes that shout out about my sexual attractions, because that's something your teen never wants put in their brain. There are people it's fine to make sexual jokes to, not your uncomfortable children, not even mild ones.

I used to watch Shameless with my mum and dad when I was 14. I cringed SO hard during the sex scenes and what not. They didn't bat an eyelid. I'd prefer my son not to watch stuff like that at the same age, but I'm sure Bridgerton is much tamer.

ETA - my mum also let me read her Virginia Andrews books from about age 13. Totally inappropriate; sex, incest, all sorts! But I loved them and used to take out more from the library. Yikes.

Oh you mean like gay romance dramas? Sounds like you and your son have a lovely relationship. 🙂 There's so much worse out there, especially online that teenagers could be watching, it seems silly for people make a fuss over Bridgerton or other romance shows.

I have not RTFT and have not watched Bridgerton.
But we decided not to watch GoT with our mid teens, so we didn't watch it.
They did of course, online in their rooms.
She's going to watch it and if she's happy to do so with you then that's maybe better than without.

I watched Mermaids when I was 13. I was not scarred for life, though it was a bit embarrassing watching sex scenes with my parents. Not sure this is the massive issue you are making it out to be.

Lucky lady. I would be thrilled to have a 13 year daughter who wanted to watch that show with me. Lucky girl to have you. Hugs

Well it’s rated 15 so there’s your answer.

I don’t have teens but think it’s fine. Sex is part of life, I wouldn’t expose a young kid to it but at 13 it should be fine. I can’t imagine it’s worse than what I watched at that age.

I think it’s fine and there’s lots more to it than nice bums and sex 😁 you can enjoy the costumes / sets / silliness etc. It’s also quite a sociological masterpiece in women’s cultural history in so many ways both historical and also the fact we all still love an underdog Cinderella story featuring men in billowing shirts. So if she’s doing sociology at school I’d probably chat about women’s roles etc aswell as the other bits! X

Yes hes big on romantic stuff Mills and boon book over comics, face creams over Nike trainers.
Yes he's gay a very feminine one.
We have a lovely time when we can.
I dont care what others watch either hes a grown man now so no restrictions

I did have a few restrictions back when he was younger, just mild series or films nothing to hot.

The years fly by so why not enjoy the time we get no matter what we watch.

I find it odd you need a thread on here about it, it’s very cringe, it’s very I’m not a normal mum I’m a cool mum.

Screams insecurities and frequently missing the mark in social interactions to me