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Original poster

Would you let a 3yo watch Harry Potter?

26 replies

99redballoons · 29/11/2006 16:04

Hi, just wanted to know your thoughts, mil let ds watch the first Harry Potter film when she was minding him one recent afternoon (at her house) and I was in shock when she told me! At 3?? Am I over-reacting?

OP posts:
HappyDaddy · 29/11/2006 16:05

Personally I wouldn't but then I may be over protective, myself.

geekgrrl · 29/11/2006 16:07

nooooo. It's not a film for 3 year olds. Dd was only allowed to watch it once she'd read the book (age 7).

serenity · 29/11/2006 16:07

I wouldn't have thought he would have been that interested, but my DD has 'seen' it (and at a younger age) with no ill effects, solely because she has older brothers. I wouldn't think about putting it on when it's just her, but she wouldn't ask for it anyway. Did he find it scarey?

Callisto · 29/11/2006 16:07

I wouldn't either but then I am anti-tv for young children anyway.

Original poster
99redballoons · 29/11/2006 16:08

Isn't more for 5+ ?

It's not the first time she's shown him something not suitable. I think I'll have to get DH to say something as I've already mentioned it to her (can't remember the film that time).

OP posts:
tortoiseshell · 29/11/2006 16:08

I wouldn't let MY children at 3, because certainly ds1 would have had horrible nightmares (he couldn't leave the house for 2 days on account of Tikkabilla).

cece · 29/11/2006 16:09

Dh showed my two one afternoon when they were 2 and 4! I was out. Having said that he did relaise the error of his ways and they have not watched it since. I also think he fast forwarded the scary bits so don't think they saw those parts.

Saturn74 · 29/11/2006 16:10

3 is too young, IMO.

Original poster
99redballoons · 29/11/2006 16:12

He got really upset with Monsters Inc at 2 (mine and dh's fault, we hadn't seen it ourselves). The first time it happened I mentioned ds had been up several times in the night and she casually said maybe it was the film she let him watch that day (can't remember). And I thought too right it must have been, but kept it calm and said we like to watch films before we let ds watch them especially after the Monster Inc episode.

He was a little disturbed, but not as much as before. He likes wizards and magic and stuff, but I would have thought this was too much for his imagination just yet.

She could have atleast checked with us first I feel...

OP posts:
HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas · 29/11/2006 16:12

oh jaysus no

we have to censor ds's angelina cos he is scared of people getting on trains

no no no

AllieBongo · 29/11/2006 16:12

no, my 6 year old hasn't seen it either

serenity · 29/11/2006 16:13

I've checked and it's a PG, so not as bad as the later ones. Does your MIL have other young gcs? Do you think she just viewed it as a childrens film and didn't really think it through? I wouldn't create WWIII over it, but you could take some more suitable ones over if she watches him again, and just say the HP was a bit OTT for him.

Original poster
99redballoons · 29/11/2006 16:20

Only one other dgc who's younger than ds so he gets lots of spoiling! When I watch something the first time with ds I sit with him and talk it through, a full on naration. But I'm not sure she does this. I will ask dh to talk to her and say she needs to check with us as to whether he's seen a film before and when he does watch a new film she needs to sit with him and talk it through.

I'm so glad you're all of the same mind!

OP posts:
busybusymum · 29/11/2006 16:26

I think it depends on the child my 2 yo adored monsters inc and kept asking for a monster in his cupboard too!
He has always watched harry potter films (he is now just 6yo)and cant wait for the next one to be on the big screen. He isnt frightened of it at all.

My older ds (9yo) is a sensitive type and we have anything Teletubbies and can never watch it (not that we would want to!) because he is scared of the lion and bear but he too has always loved HP!

Depends on the child IMHO.

Blu · 29/11/2006 16:30

Nope.

And I think it's a bit sad that kids get all the 'novelty' out of things before the age where they are actually old enough to appreciate the complexity of the story etc.

Cappuccino · 29/11/2006 17:13

nah

dd asked at about 5 years old to see Harry Potter; we read her the book first to make sure she was old enough to understand the story

only then did she watch it; it's not a little kids' film

Californifrau · 29/11/2006 17:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Glassofwine · 29/11/2006 17:25

My 3 year old ds watched it the other day - he'll be 4 in a couple of weeks. His 4 nearly 5 year old sister and 7 year old sister watched too. DH and I were with them. They all loved it and weren't scared at all. I did not narrate the whole way through the film - I didn't feel it was necessary and would have spoilt the film for all.

I don't think you can generalise about this sort of thing. I was sure my ds would enjoy it and not be frightened and I was right. If it had been dd1 at that age I wouldn't have let her see it as she would have been scared witless.

asleep · 29/11/2006 17:26

DD watched it when she was 4 and she thought it was really boring.

DumbledoresGirl · 29/11/2006 17:27

One of ds3's first words was "Harry Potter". When you have older children who go through phases of watching a film repeatedly, I think it is quite hard to keep the younger children away. So my youngest watched it from babyhood, and dd watched it from about 2 upwards.

I think scary bits wash over them when they are little tbh.

DumbledoresGirl · 29/11/2006 17:30

Oh I see I am in the minority here. I have to say, I don't think the first film contains anything particularly scary but maybe that says more about me than the film. The second film scares my older children. They weren't bothered by the third at all, but the fourth I have only allowed them to watch the first half as the scenes with Voldemort are definitely not nice (the older ones are 10 and 8 btw).

2shoes · 29/11/2006 17:35

no.no.no

NotAnOtter · 29/11/2006 17:40

I am anti - tv but allow some
Ds4 watched HP for the first time when 2!
He LOVES it. Its fine! People allow infants to watch all sorts of trash on TV - hp is quality!

Dropinthe · 29/11/2006 17:41

YES YES YES!

Cappuccino · 29/11/2006 18:52

I don't think it's particularly scary to look at; but I think it's a shame to show films to kids before they can appreciate them

I mean if their older siblings are watching stuff you can't keep them away; but if they're setting the agenda then why not wait?

dd is terrified by the end of the first one but that's because she knows the characters and the journey they've been on and how scary Voldemort is

they've plenty of time to grow up. there's plenty of kids tv and films in the meantime that they will enjoy more

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