Oh awesome, I enjoy reading articles. He sent the article to me because our oldest, who is turning 5 soon, wants to take one of his best girl friends to the movies and out to eat. A date.
Yes, I am encouraging my son to take his friend on a date. Because if I don't teach him how to be a gentleman at a young age (while he's impressionable) than what am I teaching him?
Not to mention, his mom, Emily (one of my best friends) and I want to see the movie too, so we can conveniently chaperon the event.
Once I looked at the article on my phone I quickly went to my dear friend, Google. There were several news article with similar head lines.
The first thing that caught my attention was the word "moment." What's a moment? Seriously. Can a moment be 10 seconds. So are we not talking about a full fledged gay-sex-scene? Is this 'moment' something that only adults would understand as more than a moment? You know, Disney with their sneaky subtle innuendos. Was this announcement of a gay moment just another way to spark public's interest or concern?
I started texting Jeremiah and Emily about it. Should we still take our kids to this?
My husband and I's conversation went something along the lines of: this is our world, we don't want to shelter Gideon but educate him with a Christian foundation - meaning, if he does catch this 'moment' that we can have an open dialogue about gay people and how we are still meant to love them. Gideon would say, "because we love people" and "we do good to all people." Jeremiah actually believes that Gideon will be more scared of the Beast and not catch anything else.
We decided that our son could still go.
A little later Emily started talking about the article and her first response was "this is the world we live in." as I was typing something similar about helping our younger ones understand the world without being drowned in the world. She talked about how their family has watched the classic cartoon version numerous times.
She decided that her daughter can still go.
In Emily and I's conversation I mentioned how every movie has something "wrong" with it. People were upset about Zootopia at one point; complaining that it was racist. She then brought up all the other negative attitudes and characters within the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.
I started to look more into Disney movies and at what age is it appropriate for young children to be exposed to the variety of issues that Disney challenges. Below are some crude and maybe slightly exaggerated examples:
and
When we think of movies though, they can be a teaching tool. Any form of media can be a teaching tool. I am almost positive we were more successful potty training Gideon because of Daniel Tiger's episode with the catchy potty tune. Mother Goose was a political satire - just leave that right here.
Growing up I didn't not watch many Disney movies or really any movies. I have never asked my parents why. This year my Dad took their 4 and 3 year old grandson's to go see Star Wars - full of violence and all sorts of other scenes. So either they changed, or we just didn't watch movies.
I was not a princess girl. Although I did adore Belle and remember seeing the Lion King for the first time. I don't remember ever trying to live their life. I was never in a fantasy world. Could I be a different person if I watched more Disney (or any movies) as a child? We only know.
Here's my bottom thought: as a parent you have to know your boundaries and your child's mental and emotional ability. We have always carried out open and honest conversations with Gideon (at an appropriate age level). I can't protect him from everything, we live in a broken world. But I can help guide him through rough obstacles and thoughts.
I remember being in junior high and asked my dad about a Stephen King R-rated movie. His response was something along the lines, "You have read the book, your imagination is much more dangerous than that of a movie you will see."
If Gideon gets scared in the New Beauty and the Beast, it will be an opportunity to talk about attitude, contentment, loving people regardless of their outward appearance. It might also bring questions about the gay couple or other deeper issues. I will pray that I will have the right words to help guide his curiosity where he can have a better understanding, without being hurt.
I wore a red-X on my hand the other day. February 23, 2017. Gideon asked what it was for. He understands that there are people living on the streets, that there are people hurting. He now knows what a slave is. But he does not need to know what sex is, he's five. Just like that red-X, this movie will be an opportunity for Gideon to learn about others so he can love them better.
This is the world we live in. Disney is being culturally relevant.
Do you have a certain age that kids can watch certain movies?
This is the world we live in. Disney is being culturally relevant.
Do you have a certain age that kids can watch certain movies?
We can't shield our children from everything in the world! They are going to see, hear, and even imagine things we would never want them to. As long as we're supportive, open, and honest, they will trust us and come to us with questions! Great points in this post!
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