Parents' Guide to Sweet 15: Quinceañera

TV TLC Reality TV 2016
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Over-the-top birthdays are lavish, culturally relevant.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

SWEET 15: QUINCEAÑERA is a reality series about a family that dedicates its life to organizing the single biggest day in a Latin girl's life. Alexis and Daniela Fernandez, the co-owners of Miami's Bella Quinces & Photography, provide dresses, take photographs, and of course, plan the perfect Sweet 15 party, or quinceañero, for the birthday girl. Helping them is Alexis' cousin, Jarling Perez, the store manager and Alexis' mother, Irmina, who, along with his late father, started the business and built it into what it is today. From pre-party photoshoots in Paris, France, to parties with multiple costume changes and choreographed music videos, no request is too big, and no party too outlandish for them to handle.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This reality series offers an entertaining look into what goes into to some of the more lavish celebrations marking a quinceañera's (15 year old girl's) transition into womanhood. It showcases the flamboyant ways families choose to recognize the right of passage, as well as some of the more traditional rituals they adhere to, including a high-heeled shoe ceremony and a father-daughter dance.

The festivities are larger-than-life, and it's hard not to be taken back by some of the extravagance featured here. But Sweet 15: Quinceañera also highlights how culturally significant quinceañeros are to Latino communities, and the efforts the community makes to help families with lesser budgets make them happen. It also underscores the importance of family. There's a lot of extravagance, but it also has some heart.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the history of quinceañeros and how they are portrayed in Sweet 15: Quinceañera. The roots of these celebrations are from Latin America, but the traditions surrounding them often differ among different ethnic groups in the Latino community. Do shows like this one accurately portray these differences? Are the majority of these parties as expensive and grandiose as the ones featured here?

  • What are some of the stereotypes about Latino communities and quinceañeros? Do you think these generalizations are reinforced in this show?

TV Details

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