Alright, so about this whole “Wheel of Time” parents guide. It wasn’t some grand plan I cooked up overnight, not at all. It just sort of… well, it happened because I found myself in a bit of a spot, really.
I’d been watching the show, same as many folks, and mostly enjoying the ride. Then a friend, who’s got a couple of kids, a bit younger than mine are now, asked me straight up, “Hey, you’ve seen that new fantasy thing, ‘Wheel of Time,’ right? Is it alright for my 12-year-old?” And honestly, I just kind of stammered. I didn’t have a clear “yes” or “no.” Some parts, I thought, yeah, probably fine. But then other scenes flashed in my head, and I was like, “Oof, maybe not those bits.”
That little exchange got me thinking. If I was a bit unsure, and I’d actually seen the thing, then other parents were probably in the same boat, trying to figure it out. So, I thought, why not try to put something together? Just my own take on it, as I went back through it with that specific “parent lens” on.
My Process: Not Exactly Scientific, But Here We Go
First thing I did, I committed to a proper re-watch. But this time, I wasn’t just kicking back with popcorn. I had a notebook – yes, an actual paper notebook – and a pen. Old school, I know, but it works for me. I decided to go episode by episode.
As I watched, I was actively looking for things that might make a parent pause. You know the drill:
- Violence: How much is there? Is it graphic? Is it fantasy skirmishes or more brutal stuff? That was a big one.
- Scary Bits: Monsters, creepy magic, intense situations. Some of those shadowspawn things are pretty full-on, let’s be honest.
- Language: Any swearing that would make you wince if your kid repeated it?
- Adult Themes: Anything veering into romance, or discussions that are a bit mature for younger ears?
- Positive Stuff Too: I also made a point to look for the good things. Courage, loyalty, characters making tough but right choices. It’s not all darkness.
It was a bit of a slog at times, I won’t lie. You’re trying to enjoy the story, but also dissecting it. For each episode, I’d jot down specific scenes or general feelings. “Episode 3: That one fight was pretty intense, maybe a bit much for under 13s.” Or, “Good example of friendship here, but the overall tone is quite dark.”
Trying to categorize stuff was the real challenge. What one person thinks is “mildly scary,” another might find terrifying. So, I tried to just describe what I saw, rather than give a hard rating, though I did try to give a general sense of intensity. I had to create my own little mental scale for things like “how much blood was visible” or “how long did the scary music last.”
Putting It All Together
Once I’d gone through the whole season available at the time, I had a pile of notes. The next step was trying to make sense of it all in a way that someone else could actually use. I decided an episode-by-episode breakdown made the most sense, with a little summary of the key things to look out for in each one.
I focused on being descriptive. So instead of just saying “violence,” I’d try to say something like, “Features several sword fights, some intense, with moments of blood shown, but not overly gory.” Or for scary stuff, “Some scenes with monstrous creatures that could frighten younger viewers, particularly in dimly lit settings.”
It took a fair few evenings to get it all typed up and organized. I’d find myself re-checking details, making sure I wasn’t misremembering a scene. It’s funny, you think you remember a show, but when you’re looking for specific things, you see it differently.
Was it perfect? Heck no. It’s just my perspective, one parent trying to help out another. Everyone’s kids are different, and every family has different comfort levels. What’s fine for one 14-year-old might not be for another.
But my main goal, really, was just to offer a bit of a roadmap. So, if another parent was wondering whether to dive into “The Wheel of Time” with their family, they’d have a little more information to go on. Not to tell them what to do, but just to give them a heads-up on what they might encounter. Hopefully, it’s been useful for some folks. It was an interesting exercise for me, that’s for sure. Made me think a lot more critically about what we watch, even the fun fantasy stuff.
