7 inspiring movies to watch with your children

Inasmuch as the perfect solution is to keep your child away from the screen as much as possible, screen time in moderation is more realistic.

Make the best out of the shows you let your child watch by discussing with them key themes that are presented in the following inspiring kids movies. These movies can also be perfect for family bonding sessions!

Dead Poets Society

The movie that made Carpe Diem the warcry of every 90s teenager has lessons that are still relevant in our results-driven society.

Dead Poets Society is about a group of adolescent boys who are inspired by their teacher John Keating, as played by the late Robin Williams, to pursue their dreams and live life to the fullest on their terms, against the odds.

The importance of literature and the arts is heavily featured in this film.

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Ferngully

Ferngully is an old Disney classic about the spirits and creatures who live in the rainforest and the perils they face as men pollute and destroy their home.

It fosters a love for nature from a young age and introduces to children the importance of conserving our earth as the pressing issues of global warming, pollution and the depletion of our natural resources become increasingly urgent.

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Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Based on real life events, this is a Hollywood remake of a 1987 Japanese flick. Hachi, an akita that a man rescues displays the epitome of loyalty when he returns everyday for 10 years, after his master had passed on, to the same spot where he would greet his master at the train station upon his return from work.

This movie will show your children how amazingly deep a dog’s bond with his master can go. It will also be a good introduction to the responsibilities of owning a pet.

Great for families who already have a pet, or who are intending to get one.

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Home run

A locally produced movie about sibling love, this is a great movie to watch with your kids if they are forever squabbling.

Chew Kiat Kun and Seow Fung are siblings who are born to an impoverished family. One day, the rag-and-bone man mistakenly claims Seow Fung’s only pair of shoes whom Kiat Kun had taken to repair. The siblings solve this by exchanging their remaining pair of shoes between classes. However, this situation gives rise to its own set of problems.

This is a touching story that shows how siblings can watch each other’s backs and see each other through life’s tribulations.

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A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story

This is a truly inspiring documentary about a teenager who has been bullied on a massive scale because of her looks. She suffers from a rare congenital affliction causing her to look dramatically different from most people.

Instead of playing the victim, she has used her experiences to speak out beautifully and eloquently for teens all over the world who face bullying to varying extents.

This is a great movie for parents to watch with their adolescent kids, especially since it addresses a particularly pertinent issue that has been on the rise with the rapid proliferation of the internet in our society.

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Mulan

Most Disney movies have a meaningful message behind them, but we think Mulan is in a league of its own with the unconventional way it takes on the theme of gender. We also love the fact that Disney was mostly loyal to the original plotline of the classic Chinese legend.

Not only does it encourage your child to be true to himself or herself, no matter what other people think or say, it introduces your child to an ancient Chinese legend in a digestible way.

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Spirited Away

Although this is an animation, the plot is intelligently scripted, and even some older kids might find this movie appealing.

Spirited Away is a movie about a little girl called Sen whose parents get kidnapped by otherworldly spirits, and the only way to get them back is to work in a Bath House that intersects the 2 dimensions.

Through her journey to save her parents, she discovers herself and learns many important life lessons, not least amongst them, that perseverance and hard work are key to success.

We especially love the protagonist’s (Sen’s) spunk and can-do attitude that makes her a great role model for your girl.

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