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 was always OK with my kids watching sexual
stuff. It was violence I banned.

I’ve come back multiple times.

I pray to God your post is rage bait though.

I'm 47 and if something sexy comes on telly when I am watching with my parents then I literally want to die. I think that's a very normal reaction tbh.

It''s not so much a question of whether it's suitable for 13 yr old (and i think it is ok) , it's more how a caze of how easily your kid could turn your 'no' into a 'yes'. Yet another parent too weak and lacking on confidence to instill firm boundaries.

Men’s bums aren’t my sexual attraction. I’d of course not discuss things like that.

There was a bum on the screen. She cringe laughed and said “Oh God! Why!” 🤣 I joined her laughing and said something to the effect of “at least he’s got a nice bum”

Moment was over. No one was traumatised. I’m just doing my best to try and help her if she feels awkward and to have a nice time with her.

You know they aren't meant to be historically accurate, right? You do realise it's fiction and not real?

Or perhaps this week she’s had many ‘No’s that are absolutely past hope of ever being a ‘yes’ (nose piercing and hair bleach are two I can think of)

So when there was one that I stepped back and gave more thought to before she got in from school last night (she asked Wednesday when Netflix had an advert) I said “how about we have a tea and watch the first episode of Bridgerton - if it’s too sexy though it’s going off” - she said if it was too sexy she’d leave the room 🤣 but actually so far this series hasn’t been too bad (been a while since I saw the others but I remember raunchier)

Im very aware that at this age I need to pick my battles and I decided this was one I’d said no to based on me forgetting how much she’s grown up in the last year.

Nope

My DD13 is only allowed to watch 12s

Yes, that’s how kids learn. Movies, books tv etc

Same. Maybe it depends on the child but my 13 year old is definitely still happy with all the 12 and PG options. She’s definitely still a child, no make up or social media and no battle for either of these things yet. I’m quite content not exposing her to sex scenes.

@BridgertonBadMum "Again - she asked. Repeatedly."
Im wondering what other things you would allow because "she asked. Repeatedly"
Where do you draw the line?

You do you I guess but what next?

This ^ of course any teen will want to say they’ve watched it! 😆It’s spicy!

rage bait??? Just not read all your responses

I have now watched two episodes and even more perplexed as to why a 13 year old should be shielded from this fluffy Cinderella pantomime?

seriously what have you watched which is not appropriate got a 5 year old ??? I am baffled

I really hope it gets more steamy , so far it’s sexually as bland as my sex life !

enjoying it enormous though well worth a watch , still convinced op is a shondaland publistist

You think the sex in Bridgerton is too ‘vanilla’… for a 13 year old?

Can you explain why such a black / white boundary ?
surely it depends on the individual quirks of your child ? My daughter asked me to watch one horror film which I ended up enjoying and I risk assessed it as ok
but we started another and it got switched off pronto due to themes and content

the board of certification chaps have a ridged list of tick boxes to certify films some 15 ‘s are very different to others , I’ve asked Alexa what certification brigerton is and can’t get an answer

I can’t believe after only two episodes it’s is a 15 ?

there’s a big wide world of horrors out their id much much rather we had an open and respectful relationship where when I say no to a film she understands my feelings and doesn’t go behind my back to watch it

in a world where kids have access to screens have everything at their fingertips , we need an open dialogue more than ridged rules .

I’ve only watched the first two episodes of the new series and there is practically no sex , blink and you miss it

So far it’s, hetro , married , loving , consenting sex so yes , completely and utterly vanilla nothing kinky or anything that I’d need to explain to a 13 year old

I do hope it gets saucier but even the sex scene in the carriage last season was hot but. …. Yes … vanilla

I am genuinely agog that anyone would think this too much for a 13 year old

boring for them absolutely but not too sexual in a million years …. So far 🤣

I think the rules are there for a reason. If a certifying body whose job it is to do this says it’s inappropriate for someone aged 13 to watch, I go with that. Seems logical to me.
i think Bridgerton should be watched after the classics it is based on/mimicking/making fun of. My daughter will enjoy it more when she is 15 after watching Emma/Pride and prejudice etc. which to be honest are better language and plot and actually educational.
I think the sex scenes and overall emphasis in Bridgerton are often about women obsessed with matchmaking and this idea that sex is wrong. Yes this is within the obvious confines of that fictional society, but I don’t think my 13 year old would get that at all. There’s so much more to watch together that doesn’t make it all about romance, I prefer action adventure or comedy with women in powerful roles or the classics as a foundation for now.

also whilst the sex scenes are relatively vanilla, the bodies in it are so beautiful and it is so stylised I don’t think it is an accurate or helpful representation of what sex is for an impressionable child at a body conscious age.

Eh?

I personally think it's fine. It's raunchy but it's raunchy in quite a female focused way. It's not porn. A lot of it is about desire and people in love exploring each other. There is a lot of focus on fun and pleasure. It's nothing crazy though, just normal sex and a lot of moaning.

13 year olds absolutely know about sex. If she wants to watch it, she would probably find a way regardless. I was reading some crazy fanfic at that age. My parents never spoke about sex. My first exposure was a boy showing porn to me aged 11. Bridgerton is a far better intro imo.

People get mega pressed about sex scenes, but a lot of people have no issue with teens being exposed to violence on TV. Sex scenes at least open up conversations about important topics.

I think BL usually means boy love. Unless it means something else here in which case I have no idea 😂

Wtf is boy love ???? Do you mean gay?

It's an anime/manga term. It's literally a genre in its own right in Japan.

And yes gay male pairings. Boy love is usually romance orientated. Yaoi is a similar thing, but usually more sexual.

(Source: I don't read boy love, but was a huge anime/manga nerd when I was younger!).

I don't know if that's what the PP meant, but I can't imagine what else BL means. If I'm wrong, well, at least you've learned something today 😂

Some really strange replies to a really strange thread. 🤔

Thanks , yes brand new information for me !

I agree, thought “the f am I reading here!?”.