These days, there are movies wherever kids go. And as a mother, it seems important to try and guide our children into watching the kind of movies that will help give them great values in life – but which are grounded and realistic about life’s downsides.
This isn’t about particularly encouraging children to watch more movies than they already do of course. Most kids these days watch too much “TV” of one sort or another whether it’s actual TV, DVDs, downloads, movies in the car, and the time-gobbling internet. Add into that mix smart phones and we, as parents, are very much swimming against the tide in trying to limit this stuff. I guess you already know that right!?
So what’s a mother to do? Well instead of trying to fight it – perhaps it’s better to go with the flow but guide their choices, particularly during the very early, most formative years.
A lot of recent movies for young children are a little sickly-sweet and patronizing – where no bad things really happen beyond the obvious setbacks that are all too obviously going to come right in the end.
Older movies are better in this regard. They have genuinely heart-breaking moments which are upsetting but which are part of real-life; scenes like Bambi’s mother being shot, or the young George Baily getting a clip round the ear in “It's a Wonderful Life”. These things happen but not in any modern movie – and that’s a mistake.
Or how about a young Elizabeth Taylor crying her eyes out in “National Velvet” when the Pie falls ill? Of course, she goes onto win the Grand National against all the odds. These days, people in the UK love a bet on the Grand National with Betfair.com because the odds are generally better as Betfair is an exchange with no bookmaker involved. But no-one wants to encourage children to gamble – but we do want them to develop real values that aren’t just sin-deep. So movies like “National Velvet”, “Bambi”, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and others help do that in a way that a lot of modern “pap” simply doesn’t.
*This is a sponsored post.*
My toddler is fond of movies just like his father. We let him watch Nursery Rhymes on Youtube and there was a song there that was quite off.. It said "I met an old man who wouldn't say his prayers, I caught him by the left hand and threw him down the stairs.." I agree that kids nowadays are so into tech and gadgets. The best we can do is to check whether they're using them in ways that are helpful to them. :)
ReplyDeleteNoah is becoming so much into the electronics...out of no where. Handing me the remote. I am really trying to get him cut down on his need. I know what song Rea is talking about. I saw it in a book some gave Noah about songs and rhymes for boys and I was so confused.
ReplyDelete