Which CBBC Programmes do you consider unsuitabale for an 8 yr old girl?

[FuntoLearn]

My DD tries an every opportunity to watch CBBC. Obviously she does this after homework and dinner :)

Some of the programmes do seem a little bit old for her though.
I am very happy for her to watch things like:
Horrible Histories,
Arthur
Deadly 60
Blast Lab
Scooby Doo
(and we do this as a family as often as possible)

But other programmes just seem a bit too grown-up. For example:
Tracey Beaker
Merlin
Leonardo
Mi High
Raven
Sarah Jane Adventures
Young Dracula

Has anyone else thought this? I would be interested to see which ones you think are so it can help me to monitor her when she is left to watch on her own?

Many thanks

Reading this thread makes me think I am WAY too liberal - DS watches both lists in the OP's thread and he is 3.5. Both he and I feel he is a bit too old for Cbeebies now - apart from Justin, Mr. Bloom and Mr. Maker he has no interest.

I grew up in the 70s / 80s when there were about 3 kids programmes. At eight I was watching things like Boys From the Black Stuff, Brookside, Dallas, Hammer House of Horror, That's Life, Tales of the Unexpected, Sapphire and Steel, Doctor Who, The A Team etc. My mum was terrible at enforcing bed times...but I turned out fine - honest!

I would let her be your guide - if it's on CBBC it is fine. Each child has different boundaries. DH is forty and still cannot watch anything medical without hiding behind the sofa.

my kids watch all you listed plus a few other pragrammes I will not list as I will be expelled from the planet as a bad bad mother. I encourage cbbc rather than the ultra irritating disney channel

Hi FuntoLearn:

The target audience for CBBC is ages 6 to 12 (so really you should be thinking Y2 and older). Obviously some children will start earlier but that's the guide.

Info on CBBC in general here: www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/what-we-want/service-strategies/cbbc.shtml

So unlike CBeebies where content is suitable and geared for under 5s - but age range is 0-6 (www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/briefs/tv/browse-by-genre/cbeebies/) - but even they count up to 7 in their birthday songs when viewers send in cards.

Some children feel pressure to watch what their friends are watching - so start to make the switch from CBeebies to CBBC (and other channels, which we don't know about because we don't have satellite tv).

Some of the shows on CBBC will only be suitable for older KS2 children. Basically this is the point where as a parent you have to really tune in to what your children are watching and whether you're comfortable with the content (or they are).

Also different children have different preferences. DD1 adores Sarah Jane and Dr. Who (started watching at late 8 years of age - always with us present) but DD2 finds both terrifying and goes away to play or read when we're watching. However both girls (now ages 9 and 7 - absolutely adore Merlin).

DD1 likes Tracy Beaker - although I'm not completely certain about it for the under 10s - I just keep forgetting to record it or suggest it's time to do homework when it's on (on accident of course). The Jacqueline Wilson (author of Tracy Beaker) website says the books are in the 8 - 12 year age group here: literature.britishcouncil.org/jacqueline-wilson

Our solution has been to either watch with the children or to be generally around when the tv is on.

I think part of the problem CBBC faces is there are some 10 year olds who are still effectively young children and there are some 10 year olds who are very streetwise. It's hard to cater for that.

Forgot to say shows kids adore on CBBC include:

Fort Boyard
Scorpian Island
Total Wipeout (now on BBC 1 as well I think).

Our problem is DD1 wants to be on these shows when she's 10.

I have two dd's aged 8 and 11. Dd1 loves all the CBBC output, but dd2 really dislikes Tracy Beaker, Merlin etc. Dd2 does enjoy game show programmes like Raven and Scorpion Island. However, her favourite thing on TV is Pokemon. I'm not sure what channel that is on.

In other words dd2 self selects what is suitable for her, and never watches TV after 7 pm.

my 9 year old has just got into Sarah Jane, she thought too scary before. All of them avoid Dr Who like the plague even my oldest who is 12.

I think it is good that they realise things might be too scary for them. I love horror films etc but am more than happy for my children to avoid anything they find scary on tv

in fact the only thing they watch on cbbc is Sarah jane and Horrible Histories and blue peter.

otherwise its wall to wall saddle club [roll]

I wouldn't stop my 8yo watching any of those programmes.

She chooses not to watch Merlin and Sarah Jane, she finds them scary. Her big sisters watch them though.

I like Tracey Beaker too, it is a good conversation starter.

Out of interest I looked up the BBFC guidance on some of these shows.
Most episodes of Merlin are PG - ie at parents' discretion but generally suitable for an average 8 year old, but a sprinkling are 12 (ditto but 12).
Sarah Jane Adventures are all PG with one rogue U (ditto but 4).

Surprisingly, almost all the modern Doctor Who episodes are PG, including The Empty Child ("contains mild horror" according to the BBFC, my rating would be "pants-wettingly scary, on no account watch after dark") with a very few 12s scattered in. And the old Doctor Whos are about 50/50 split between PG and U, with some very scary episodes from my youth, including The Green Death, aka The One With The Giant Maggots, getting a U. I guess what this shows is that PG is a very broad category indeed.

That's really interesting Dilys

My DD is 5 and watches whatever she likes on CBBC, not for hours on end obviously. Sarah-Jane, MI High and Friday Download are her favourites. We watch them together.

Very interesting stats Dilys

There are definitely Merlins with unkillable skeletons and the deaths of named characters like Lancolot that I think might upset young DCs.
There are some pretty nasty flying monsters too. Easily as scatty as a lot of HP.

I'm also not sure a young DC would follow a lot of them.

Goodenss! I have this battle every day! My 9 year old girls loves it all, although I think Danis House is a bit too old for her.

However my 5 year old boy has definete favourites on cbeebies; alphablocks,numtums,tree foo tom. Yet he watches some of the Cbbc as well!

Would love to be able to say no not that one, and yes to this one, but when they watch tv, I cook, as only allowed two hours a day (not all at once!0. My sky planner is filled up with this to record for the Kids!!!

My 7yr old has recently been banned from Tracy Beaker and Dani's House as I was noticing a lot more cheeky answering back, shouting "no", stomping off and generally stroppy behaviour which I think she was copying from the TV. On the other hand, I haven't banned Jacqueline Wilson books, as she loves them and often they provoke interesting discussion. From the books it is harder for her to imitate tone of voice etc as well.

She loves Horrible Histories, the Worst Witch and Deadly 60. She's recently got into watching "Who do you think you are?" (adult tv obviously) as she's fascinated by family trees and life in days gone by, but I make sure I vet the content first.