We have recently started movie night in our household. Once a week or so, we pick a small-child friendly movie. We sit in the dark with a special treat (last night: Necco wafers) and watch the movie - all four of us together. The children are pretty sensitive and during any tense moments we often end up cuddling both children and reassuring them that it will be all right. We tell them that we do not, in fact, have to "quit" the movie.
Our first movie night a couple of weeks ago was the Curious George movie. I thought it was wonderful. It was relatively conflict free and the only part that devastated the children involved animal control briefly taking George away. Last night we watched Ponyo. While the plot was not perfect, it enchanted the children and was interesting for the adults. Definitely a success.
One of the best parts of movie nights has been watching how magical it is for the children. You can just see the wonder of the storytelling in their exclamations and the way they sit on the edge of their seats. I adore watching Ava hop up during the credits and dance to the final song.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for low conflict movies? Traditional Disney movies haven't worked well. My kids are still too little/sensitive for traditional Disney villains. I even unsuccessfully tried Finding Nemo the other day. I could really use some fresh ideas.
I suggest the two “Happy Feet” movies, and the three “Toy Story” movies. They’re ideal because, while there is conflict, it’s not coming from someone evil, or from a scary villain. The conflict comes from real life situations, and the lessons taught are about growing as a person and becoming more confident in oneself and in one’s own abilities. The “Toy Story” movies are about true friendship and the real meaning of love. The villains aren’t evil, they’re just contradictory to what the protagonists want or believe in. Plus, the musical numbers are sure to keep your kids enthralled.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the thoughtful suggestions!
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