Harry Potter

[tiredmumma]

I'm 30 and grew up reading Harry Potter as each book came out. DD1 is 6 in a few weeks and DD2 is coming up to 4. We have watched the first two films with them and they are very keen! I love that these are films we can sit and enjoy together and have promised them their own set of books for us to read together too.

How far in the series of films have others let their children get? I tend to lean towards over-protective with things and I actually felt terrible at Halloween when I realised kids in Reception knew the stories and my Yr1 child was completely oblivious!

So far they haven't been phased at all. At 7 my nieces had seen them all. My initial thought was that was too young but perhaps I'm wrong

 

[CaptainMummy]

My 6yr old just watched the first Harry Potter film tonight and she loved it (well she did half last night and finished tonight) I don't see why she cant watch them all.
Saying that, I am definitely not leaning towards overprotective. Her favourite films are all ones that she really 'shouldn't' have watched...
Jurassic World, Maze runner, Maze runner: scorch trials, Both Rise & Dawn of the Planet of the apes films, all of which are 12s (not 12A) so yeah, Harry Potter wouldn't bother me at all.

 

[.Mrs.B.]

Not further than number 2 for my four year old. Number 3 and people start dying.
No further than number 1 for my almost 3 year old, she did watch number 2 and had a nightmare about the snake and she usually loves snakes.

 

[Tanikins]

My son is 5.5 and he's seen them all. He loves the last last one (7b)

 

[_Meep_]

Harry Potter is the most brilliant, wonderful series in the world! I will be 30 this year and also grew up with Harry. I actually met J K Rowling at a local literary festival before the hype really exploded, and she wrote lovely personal messages in my two hardbacks, which are still like my most treasured possessions.

It's been a huge part of my life and I CANNOT WAIT until my children are old enough to enjoy it too. Yes, it gets progressively darker and more challenging, but I will be reading them the books until they're competent enough to do it themselves and certainly letting them see the films for sure, maybe with a little explanation beforehand of the bits that might be scary or upsetting. You can always turn it off. But I would probably worry about the 4 year old and things like the Dementors, which are pretty chilling.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I was never into HP as a kid (I'm 28 but managed to miss the hype entirely). So Lucas and I started reading them together last year. He's read and watched number one and we're halfway through book two. We'll probably watch the film when we're done.
He loves it though, he dressed as Harry Potter for world book day this year and has been begging us to take him to the studio tour.

 

[Rhio92]

My 6 year old watches the first 4. 5 and 6 aren't as fun for him yet. And 7 and 8 are a no no at the moment, they're too dark and 'adult'. We're a major Harry Pottet family

 

[tiredmumma]

Thanks all. They both want to watch more. I will try the advanced warning for number 3 and go from there. They both slept ok last night so no damage there from number 2!

 

[SophiasMummy]

My LO is a harry potter addict and actually has all the films (she can't concentrate long enough for the books yet).

She was 3 when she got into the films and by 4 she'd watched them all. But she watches a lot of things she probably shouldn't. I did hold off on the last 3 for a while but she begged me to let her watch them so I warned her they were quite dark and she might find them scary but she still wanted to watch and still loves them now. My harry potter obsessed friends loved it when she was walking around everywhere trying to speak in parsel tongue.

She's desperate for a costume but I'm trying to persuade her that she doesn't want the slytherin outfit

 

[lindseymw]

Joshua has read & watched up to the Order of the Pheonix (Number 5?) He hasn't seen the last three films nor has he read them yet. He does keep pestering me to get the books so I think I'll be getting them for him sometime.

I haven't read all of the books but have watched the films & I think the last three are quite dark. Having said that, I took him to see Miss Peregrines Home for Percular Children (didn't realise it was a 12A) & that was a very dark film! He has asked for the books for that as well!

 

[Rhio92]

She's desperate for a costume but I'm trying to persuade her that she doesn't want the slitherin outfit

Nooooo slytherin is the best! OH and I are slytherins, we're pretty sure DD will be a slytherin too. DS is adamant he's he's Gryffindor though

 

[sequeena]

I grew up with Harry Potter too (28 in April). I often have the films playing in the background, all 7. Thomas has never taken any notice of them. I hope he enjoys the series as much as I do one day.

 

[mummy_ellie09]

Josh has seen bits and bobs of all of them. He never ever sits and watches a film in its entirety - even if its his favourite! - as he doesn't have the attention span

 

[sabby52]

We live and breath Harry Potter in our house, my 9 year old watched the first one when he was 3 and he has been addicted ever since, he had watched them all by the time he was 5 and had read all the books by the time he was 8. Declan is very mature for his age and he has watched a lot of things that he shouldnt (caught him watching predator the other night :O ) but if there is anything he doesnt understand he will always ask us so I am happy for him to watch what he wants.

 

[SophiasMummy]

She's desperate for a costume but I'm trying to persuade her that she doesn't want the slytherin outfit

Nooooo slytherin is the best! OH and I are slytherins, we're pretty sure DD will be a slytherin too. DS is adamant he's he's Gryffindor though

Me and my 2 potter obsessed sisters are all Ravenclaws. My sister even has an amazing Ravenclaw quiditch outfit she had made for a comicon type thing she went to.

Maybe I need to have LO do the test on pottermore to find out her house.

 

[Vickie]

I think it depends on your child. My DD is 8.5 and in no way is she ready for the films or the books. She is a highly sensitive child (and always has been) and she does not do scary stuff. At all haha. And that's okay.

My son is 4.5 and not ready for HP either though I do think he will be ready before her as he's not nearly as sensitive.

We love HP so I am looking forward to the eventual day when the kids can read/watch them but we just aren't there yet.

 

[tiredmumma]

Well, we carried on and gave them the choice to watch or not. We've now watched all the films and they were fine with them all! The biggest reaction was when Hermione and Ron kissed!

We plan to buy them their own set of the books for Christmas

 

[RaspberryK]

I don't think any of them are suitable for my almost 6 year old. X

 

[CaptainMummy]

Well, we carried on and gave them the choice to watch or not. We've now watched all the films and they were fine with them all! The biggest reaction was when Hermione and Ron kissed!

We plan to buy them their own set of the books for Christmas

We have also watched them all since you posted. My dd loves them too, and actually understood most of it too (I found it quite confusing as I haven't read the books, so it's quite alot for a little mind to process!)
I may have to steal your idea and buy them for my daughters Christmas too

 

[Kate&Lucas]

We've watched the first two films now and currently reading book four. Lucas has told us he won't watch any more of the films until he's older because he thinks they'll be too scary for him but he's happy to carry on with the books... I'm hooked now so I'll have to watch without him