Movies to Uplift Children in Current Times

The current crisis is unprecedented. Never has something of this magnitude affected the global population. The world as we know it, is at a standstill. The schools are closed, parents are working from home, the news out there sounds scary, and the future seems bleak.

But as parents and caregivers, we need to safeguard our kids from the incessant onslaught of this crisis. Some children might be feeling anxious looking at the news or social media, others might be losing hope. We need to work on reaching a stage where we can turn them into resilient and optimistic little people, who are ever so hopeful and cooperative in helping us fight this situation.  Why don’t we try and do it through a method that is usually quite popular with the younger ones - movies!

We, at Whizpa, have tried to list down for you a couple of movies that can help spark hope, compassion, courage, perseverance, and grit in our kids.

Let’s take a peek:

Frozen

Yes, it may seem like a traditional princess, prince, and castle movie but if you look closely and watch this together with your kids, you can help them appreciate the finer nuances of this film.  This movie underlines the importance of sticking together with family, also laying low when things are not going as per your plans and expectations. It is not based on the typical man saves the day kind of theme as well. Instead, it beautifully highlights the love connection between siblings and how they save one another from unfavourable circumstances. If you got two or more kids huddled under a roof, this might be a good time to show them what true sibling love is really like.

Soul Surfer

Yes, there will be challenging times in our lives. Things will bring us down and we will feel hopeless. But we don’t have to let the challenging times break us.  This is what Soul Surfer can teach your kids. It’s a story of a girl Bethany Wilson who loved surfing and lost an arm to shark attack. Not only she didn’t let this accident beat her, she continued surfing in order to overcome the fear of water.

Monster’s University

This can be a fun family watch. Not just for the young ones, but for middle schoolers and teens as well.  The movie shows how all monsters / characters need to work together in order to win a competition, they can’t do it solo. The sentiment we need to bring out is that all of us, across the world, need to work together to defeat the current pandemic. So if teamwork and cooperation is what you think your kids need right now, this might be a wise pick.

Kung Fu Panda

This classic movie is full of wise lessons and significant teachings for the younger audience.  The film revolves around themes of focus, inner peace, and determination. The movie depicts how it can be more difficult for us to accomplish tasks if we get stress and fear get the better of us.  This is a good reminder for adults too to not let our worry/anxiety impact our actions and the way parent our kids.  Our kids draw their conclusions about the world from how we act and behave.  The movie further reinforces the old adage of “Live in the Present”. In the movie, Oogway (the wise old tortoise) says: “You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

Angels in the Outfield

This is a a fun sports movie by Disney where a young boy’s prayers are answered and his favourite baseball team is led to a win. In today’s adverse times, this can be heart warming for our kids to watch and believe in the power of prayers, optimism, and positive thoughts.

Avatar

This 2009 movie is a must watch for the tweens and teens in your families. The movie beautifully captures how each individual on our planet has an interconnectedness with all other beings as well as the environment.  The film is a stark reminder of the dangers of our current society, i.e. greed, insensitivity, violence, and arrogance and how all of this can lead to a downfall for the humanity.

The Good Dinosaur

This movie has loads of heart melting moments and life lessons to take away from. It talks about how even the most ferocious of beasts and people who seem all sorted and calm, can be scared sometimes and how it’s ok to be scared. It also shows the importance of family. The young audience is implored to spend as much time as possible with the people they care about. Our loved ones are here for a limited time and won’t be here forever. We’ll look back on their memories when they’re gone.

Pay it Forward

This heart warming movie showcases the power of the goodness of the human spirit.  It is a movie about a 7th grader who gets inspired by his teacher and comes up with a way for people around him to practice random acts of kindness. The movie shows how much power one individual / one child carries to change the world around him/her. Hail to the power of positive actions!

The Boy Who Learned to Fly

This is a short animated film that deftly captures the story of Usain Bolt.  It showcases how Usain makes it big despite the struggles of growing up in rural background and how he overcomes social anxiety, pressure, and lack of self-belief to succeed.

So, that’s quite a list to get started, yeah?  Please remember, academics can wait.  Online lessons are not the most critical things for your kids at this stage.  Our kids are anxious and scared, just like us. They can see us worried and feel the constant tension in their environment. They might not display the best behaviour in the coming days/ weeks. There will be more tantrums and bigger meltdowns.  What they need in these times is comfort and understanding. Use this time wisely by being present in their world. Watch movies together, read books, play make believe with them. Their mental health is far more important today. We need to tell this to ourselves every day.