Yes, we just talked about television this morning with watching Saturday morning cartoons, but there’s another family fun tradition that we employ in this household. It started a little over a year and a half ago and it’s grown into a stimulating evening of relaxation and mirth together.
Movie night initially began as my way of sitting down with Cassidy to watch movies that might spawn questions. She is a huge fan of the Harry Potter films, but they can be difficult for young ones to watch. We’d make up a bowl of popcorn, get some M&Ms and the drinks of our choice.
We curl up on the floor so we can sit side by side and our food will be on the table. I hang onto the remote control so whenever there is a question, I can pause the movie and we can discuss it. The discussions range from troubling questions about the difference between reality and fantasy as well as why are characters doing what they are doing?
Story Telling
Discussing movies together helps me teach my daughter about story telling and comprehension. It also helps her sort out the differences. Creative and imaginative play is important to our kids, but so is understanding the difference between fantasy and reality. I have no objections to films like Harry Potter, Shrek or the fantastic CGI productions put out to support Barbie – but what I do object to is letting her watch any film by herself for the first time.
When we sit down together, we can have honest and open discussions. She can ask any question, no matter how silly it may sound and know that I will answer it. If she doesn’t understand why characters are doing what they are doing, she can ask me about it.
Thanks to this, we’ve discussed everything from time travel to adoption to birth to mythology and faith. We’ve opened a lot of cans of worms and we’ve sorted through them carefully. She has a great grasp of the intuitive, but she also has a good grounding in what is real and what isn’t.
While our family movie nights are great and terrific fun, time spent where it’s just she and I or she and her father or all three of us together – we take advantage of the fun to make it into a real learning experience. Some of our best movies for teaching good behavior include:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban – Professor Lupin didn’t take his medicine and that’s why he became a werewolf – that’s why it’s important to take medicine when Mommy and Daddy give it to you.
Nanny McPhee – The children have to take a horrible medicine and spend the length of one day stuck in their beds because they thought practical jokes and nasty behavior were the way to go – that’s why it’s important to behave.
Barbie and The Nutcracker – No matter how large or small you are, we all need help and it’s important to work together for a common goal – that’s why it’s good to care about others.
High School Musical – You can be who you want to be and just because everyone says you have to be one thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dare to try something new – that’s why it’s important to try new experiences – so you can know what it’s like and not live your life dictated to by others.
What are some good behaviors your kids have learned from films?