When Calls the Heart parents guide: Hallmark's hit drama is a perfect family series

Hallmark might be best known for its movies, but the network has also been home to several amazing series as well including its longest-running original series When Calls the Heart. Fittingly, the series was based on a movie of the same name from Hallmark which was released a year before When Calls the Heart debuted in 2014.

From the moment audiences first met the citizens of Hope Valley -- formerly Coal Valley -- we immediately fell in love with the entire ensemble including Elizabeth Thatcher, the young schoolteacher who left the big city behind to teach in the small mining time. As the seasons have gone by, we've gotten to see Elizabeth poot roots down in Hope Valley and watch her grow not only as the town's teacher but as a beacon within the community.

Over the course of the show's eleven seasons, there has been love and loss, we've seen characters come and go, and the town has evolved with new technological advances changing the lives of those in Hope Valley; however, nothing has broken the show's hopeful and upbeat storytelling which are, pun intended, so full of heart.

As the time comes to return to Hope Valley once again with the show's newest season, you might be wondering if the series is safe enough to watch with your kids. So allow me to help provide you with a bit of context to answer that question for you!

Explaining When Calls the Heart’s TV-G rating

When Calls the Heart is rated TV-G which means the show is acceptable for the general audience including kids, but exactly how family-friendly is the show? In a word, incredibly. The series is one of the most family-friendly shows on TV right now but there are some things you should know about the show! 

Sex and Nudity: While When Calls the Heart does include romantic storylines between characters, there is no sex or nudity within the show. Throughout the show, parents can expect to see characters embrace one another and kiss, but the gestures are always mild and never push the envelope in a way that would make younger audiences uncomfortable. The show does an amazing job of depicting healthy relationships including romantic relationships and friendships between the show’s characters. 

Violence: There is some violence within the series which is mostly centralized to the show’s Mountie characters who help enforce the law. There are some fights including some which do include gunfire, but the show does not graphically depict blood or injuries. One of the biggest events in the series involves a mine collapse that killed dozens of men working in the mine; however, their deaths are not shown and are simply implied though their loss is touched upon across the show. The same applies to the death of another main character whose death occurs off-screen. 

There are a few instances in which characters do become injured including one scene in which a character and their horse are struck by a car with the accident taking place off-screen. 

Language: When Calls the Heart does not include any cursing of any kind with no profanity used within the show. 

Drinking & Drugs: One of the central locations in the show is the Queen of Hearts saloon where the residents of the town are known to inhabit and enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink; however, no drug use is depicted in the show outside of the consumption of alcohol. Speaking of alcohol, there is a storyline early in the show in which one character’s survivor guilt leads them to a struggle with alcoholism which is addressed within the show.

Overall Verdict: What age is When Calls the Heart appropriate for?

When it comes to family-friendly shows, you’ll find it hard to find a series that is more suitable for the entire family than When Calls the Heart. While the series does include some mature themes including relationships, death, and crime, the series handles them in a sensitive and tasteful manner that helps make the show safe for parents to watch with their children. 

As someone who has watched every episode of the show, I can assure you that the series is more than acceptable for the general audiences including children with no nudity, crude language, strong violence or gore, or drug use. Instead, the series keeps a focus on more grounded and family-friendly storylines that viewers of all ages can enjoy and resonate with focusing on important life lessons.