Grown-ish parents guide: Is the Black-ish spinoff too grown-ish up for younger viewers?

Grown-ish returns to Freeform for the second half of its final season tonight, which is a big TV event! Great news! Time to grab the whole family, right?

Your kids may have watched Black-ish with you. This was a great, family-friendly show! There were a couple of storylines that went deep, but overall, it was a series that worked for those 12 and up. So in case you've missed every season of Grown-ish that's aired before this, is it a series to watch with the kids around?

The spin-off Grown-ish immediately hinted that it wouldn’t work for the younger audiences. Oldest kid Zoey was off to college, and that meant a few slightly older storylines. Like how Zoey aged up, this is one for the older teenagers in the house -- not the family show you might expect from watching Black-ish.

Why Grown-ish is best for the older teens

Based on having watched the first season (there are six total so far, including the current season), I’d say this works for those 16 and above, despite the TV-14 age rating. Even in the first episode, Zoey immediately walks into a world where there is more than drinking and a bit of pot-infused potato chips. There is even some heavier drug use throughout the series.

Sex & nudity: There isn’t any full-frontal nudity in this series, but there are some mentions of sex. Characters talk about masturbation and hooking up with each other. It’s college. One of the things this series offers is the realities of what young adults go through when they enter the world of higher learning.

Violence & gore: There’s nothing heavy when it comes to this. There is a fight that takes place during a protest early on in the series, but it’s not overly violent or worrisome for children. The show is a comedy at its heart, so the fight is more comedic in nature.

Language: There is a lot more language than on Black-ish. Characters will use the B-word a lot, which wouldn’t have been allowed on an ABC series. Freeform has some slightly looser rules when it comes to the level of language used. The F-bomb is not used throughout the series.

Drinking & drugs: This is where the show earns more of a 16+ age rating. Remember that this is the world of college. Zoey is immediately thrown into a world where college students pop pills and do molly at parties. Now keep in mind that the college students aren’t yet 21 and they are drinking at parties. In fact, there is a character who sells drugs and another who constantly smokes weed.

Overall verdict: Who is Grown-ish appropriate for?

Grown-ish is realistic for the period in a college student’s life, which was something Yara Shahidi was upfront about when the series first came out. Everything that is shown isn’t done in a gratuitous way. Instead, it’s about focusing on what Zoey would likely experience going to college now. Students tend to be more open about drugs and drinking than they would have been say in the ‘80s or ‘90s.

Because it’s done for storytelling and not shock value, I’d say 16+ would find this series suitable. It’s a good look at what your children are likely to experience as they go to school.

Grown-ish Season 6 premieres on Wednesday, March 27 on Freeform.