Are movies at all useful in a child's development?

[RandySF]

Like any parent, I want my kid to be exposed to the arts, but discussions tend to emphasize music, dance and paintings. Are movies at all useful for a kid's development? If so, which movies would you recommend for a five-year as he grows into an adult?

[Brickbat]

1. What movies did you see growing up?

[RandySF]

3. Not many

My parents were VERY strict fundies. I was only allowed to see old Disney films like Bambi, so film has almost no influence on my childhood.

[Brickbat]

4. Do you watch films now? We don't watch a lot of movies, but the kids manage to see a lot of

cultural touchstones at sleepovers and such. Watch what you enjoy with your kid, and that's educational enough, I'd say. Most good movies can illustrate human truths well, but there's no reason to point it out. Just watch and enjoy, if you enjoy movies.

[RandySF]

7. I do plan to make him watch "Saving Private Ryan" when he's about 17.

[Brickbat]

11. What movies do you enjoy?

What are you hoping to teach with "Saving Private Ryan"?

[Jkid]

25. Make it 15

Most R17+ are suitable for 15 year olds. The MPAA rating system is seriously outmoded compared to the BBFC and OFLC (Australia)

[hedgehog]

37. Again, five is a difficult age since not all kids can follow a long plot -

but how about the Marx bothers? Some of the MGM musicals? Show Boat is a serious one that kids might watch .

AS he gets a little older, the classics like Casablanca.

[lame54]

41. he won't sleep till he's 18

[BNJMN]

2. I think they're virtually inescapable, but can be useful, I would recommend...

Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
Kiki's Delivery Service
Etc. 'Studio Ghibli' did a lot of good stuff.

Don Bluth has many great works.
Secret of NIMH, was the first DVD we ever bought.
Thumbelina
Titan AD

Almost nothing by Disney.
Although 'Dragonslayer' is one of our family's all time favorites.
So...

Basically, quality movies with good morals, with plenty of discussion about what happened.
Why. How they made the movie, why. Etc, Etc. Anything can be fodder for the thought mill.
If you learn from it and instill values from it.

Always try and aim *just* above their heads.
This will stretch them out and they will be familiar with the concepts when they get a few years older (6-7-8) and are more able to understand the tropes and patterns of storytelling.

Hope that helps.

[lunasun]

5. My girl loved Matilda around that age

[hedgehog]

9. Oh yes, Matilda is great!

[mopinko]

60. aaaalllllll the roald dahl movies.

james and the giant peach, charlie and the chocolate factory. any that i missed.

[Zanzoobar]

6. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

It will teach your kid everything he ever needs to know about mankind.

[BOG PERSON]

43. also Dirty Harry

i'll show my kids Dirty Harry movies any day over some Kostumed Krimefighter Krap.

[hedgehog]

8. I'm having a hard time thinking of movies for a 5 year old - there are a lot of historical

movies good for older kids - Amistad, Glory, Gallipoli, Molly Maguires.

Out of the West and Secret of Roan Inish are two Irish films we all liked.

[RandySF]

10. Not just at five.

But all through his formative years.

[hedgehog]

12. Is Planes, trains and automobiles too harsh for a kid?

Youngsters won't get all the plot details, but they will like the slapstick. Beware the scene where Steve Martin drops the F-bomb.

[gkhouston]

21. My kid loved The Princess Bride when she was five.

She glimpsed a few minutes of it one evening on her way from the backyard to bed and was intrigued. When we told her the movie was based on a book, she wanted us to read it to her. At the time, I thought she'd get bored after a night or two, but we read the entire book to her, and after she'd heard the book, we let her watch the movie.

This had an unintended side effect. Years later, when she was a second grader, she asked us about WWII while we were on a car trip. We starting giving her a Cliff's Notes version. When we got to the part about Germany invading Russia, an indignant, "Hitler started a land war in Asia?" came from the back seat. My husband laughed so hard he nearly had to pull over.

You never know what they're going to remember...

[demwing]

30. That story was priceless

thank you :)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

13. The Red Balloon, old Disney, Brian's Song, Born Free, The Miracle Worker, Charlotte's Web...

those I remember from when I was a kid, YEARS ago.

As mentioned elsewhere on this thread, Into the West and The Secret of Roan Inish (stunningly beautiful film).

Ah, hell, here's a list:

The Top Children's Movies: The BFI (British Film Institute) and others
http://www.filmsite.org/100kidsfilms2.html

(I forgot about To Kill a Mockingbird...oops.)

[DrunkenBoat]

14. I used to think so, but I no longer do. If I had a child, which I don't, I wouldn't let him/her

watch film/video until school age. Music, dance, art, drama, all can be done in real time.

[blogslut]

15. I know a fellow

He had three soft-sculpture alphabet letters placed on his land so they could be viewed from his living room.

A giant red "A"
A giant blue "R"
A giant yellow "T"

He would encourage people to ask him: "Stanley, what is art?" In reply, all he had to do was point.

[seabeyond]

16. land before time, little bear, magic school bus, veggie tales.

5 is a little long for some of the movies i am seeing suggested. i really kept what they watched, age appropriate. we worked on movies that left a positive message and were able to discuss and reiterate the positive.

[seabeyond]

19. just talked to 3 teenage boys. ah, that was fun. the classic disneys stayed with them

hunchback, beauty and beast, lion king.

but really, they were talking about movies they watch that was not really appropriate and how they didnt get it, or how it scared them.

was fun talking to them though.

thanks

[MessiahRp]

31. No Veggie Tales unless you are for religious indoctrination.

nt

[seabeyond]

36. i disagree

they are good stories and conversation does not have to be a part of religion. we are talking about 5 yr olds. lots of material for good discussions and good stories told that hold a little kids attention.

i would be as concerned with such a great fear of religion that must keep all away from kid for fear of indoctrination as i would be with those that indoctrine their children.

[MessiahRp]

38. Telling kids that fairy tales are real life and that faith in such is somehow going to help them is

LYING to them and teaching them to be illogical.

Why start them off on a path to lies and ignorance if you can avoid it?

Besides THIS says religious indoctrination to me:

http://www.amazon.com/Veggie-Tales-Minnesota-Search-Umbrella/dp/B00284G2BM



Video Description
From KIDS FIRST!: Self-affirming and moral lessons are fun to learn when smoothly integrated into an Indiana Jones-like plot with songs, humor, and talking vegetables. VeggieTales skillfully uses stories from the Bible to provide useful lessons for children. In this episode, Minnesota Cuke feels constantly ashamed when others laugh at him for doing the right thing, but in his quest to find his friend he learns that his role model—Noah—had similar issues.

[seabeyond]

39. leave the religion out and have a discussion on confidence. the video

illustrates it well and leaves an open channel to huge discussion with a little one.

it isnt a tough one. i was one that also had indepth, insiteful conversation with my children about religion. all religions. we do to this day. and those that dont believe in a god. and allowed my children to play with it in their mind, where ever it lead and had discussion about that. i am not afraid to allow my children to think... outside the box, in all kinds of manner. it has served them well.

i will tell you something else we did with the bible. my kids learned what was being said in the bible and see the hypocrisy of the practice. allowed them to be able to challenge, with knowledge adn confidence

[msanthrope]

17. Yes. Nemo, Fantasia, Wizard of Oz, Babe, Babe, Pig in the City,

Charlotte's Web, Cars are all good for a 5 year old. You may think some are very commercial, but all I've listed are very mild. You may not think these movies are 'great' for his development, but at the same time, if you raise a kid that knows nothing about the common culture around them, you don't do them any favors. My kid isn't allowed to watch 99.9% of tv--but is allowed to watch classic movies. She loved the Wizard, and Nemo, and Babe. Alice in Wonderland, too.

In a year or two? Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, perhaps Toy Story, Wall-e. There's lots out there, you just have to watch it first.

Upthread some one mentioned The red Balloon. Excellent. Also the classic Willy Wonka--my kid watched that HUNDREDS of times. Then she got on this Tim Burton kick and watched Nightmare Before Christmas to the point where she could sing the entire cast album.

[Itchinjim]

18. I just watched my two year old nephew see StarWars. It was an utter delight..

Sean Patrick was absolutely enthralled. Welcome to dorkdom kiddo!

[Codeine]

33. Our three-year-old lives and breathes Star Wars.

His universe pretty much consists of Spiderman and Star Wars, or more accurately "Piedman! and "Darwar!"

[InvisibleTouch]

20. I think so, absolutely.

It stimulates their creativity, especially if they don't just passively sit and absorb it, but may later act out part of the story with their toys or playing with friends - or feel like drawing pictures or writing stories inspired by a favorite movie or characters. A great movie can have a lifelong impact. I don't think movies and TV necessarily have to be passive entertainment at all, when the viewer gets intellectually and emotionally involved.

An important caveat may be that you don't want the kid to get *all* their entertainment or play ideas from TV and movies, but also have other outlets for creativity and the stimulus of learning.


On edit: I can also see how experiencing the lives of a wide variety of characters can teach a kid to identify with others who at first seem very different from themselves, living a whole different kind of life, for instance, but whom they can still learn to relate to and feel for.

[aikoaiko]

22. maybe classic Disney stuff.

[BOG PERSON]

45. yes

classic disney makes a big imppression on kids. i'll always remember the sword in the stone, sleeping beauty, robin hood, the jungle book, etc. just amazing stuff that we all can take for granted sometimes. mayb e partly owing to disney's obnoxious marketing style.

[uppityperson]

47. Dumbo is about bigotry and bullying. How to be happy being yourself instead.

First time I re-saw Dumbo as an adult I was amazed at how much I'd missed as a kid.

Too much Disney and other stuff is about females waiting for Prince Charming, so beware. The other big kid movie theme is
a parent dying and a kid getting through some troubles while learning how to overcome obstacles with other kids.

[proud patriot]

58. WallE is an amazing movie

so even current disney stuff. Perhaps the old cartoon Hobbit movies

[wickerwoman]

23. Yes. Definitely.

If nothing else, movies are one of the great small talk tools and he should have a passing familiarity with the classics and enough contemporary movies to keep up with his peers' conversations.

One movie I definitely want my kids to watch is Rabbit Proof Fence but its more appropriate for older kids (maybe 11 or 12). Watership Down is good for older grade school kids too. Billy Elliot too.

I learned more about US History from 1776 the Musical than from any history classes until college. And I loved the Flying Karamazov Brothers' version of The Comedy of Errors when I was 8. Gave me a huge head start on reading Shakespeare.

The Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow is a good introduction to Jane Austen. Wag the Dog is great for teens if you want to kick start their cynicism about politics.

Movies were a gateway to reading classics for me. Knowing where the story was going and that I would like the chracters got me to stick with reading books that were way over my grade level otherwise. They're a cheap and easy way to get kids interested in history and life in different time periods. Watch them with your kids, see what they pick up on and then steer them towards books they can use to follow up the interest.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

24. Rabbit Proof Fence and Billy Elliot -- excellent choices.

And good point about the introduction to Shakespeare; for me, it was Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet during a junior high field trip.

[uppityperson]

48. Billy Elliot is wonderful. You'll end up having to explain some, most likely, but it is just

magical. No magic involved, but the movie is great.

[MilesColtrane]

26. The Incredible Journey (1963)

Finding Neverland when the kiddo is older and knows the story of Peter Pan.

[MissB]

27. Star wars.

Look, unless you live in the middle of nowhere and/or plan on exclusively homeschooling, your kid will see movies.

At five, you are their life. At ten, not so much. They get invited on play dates, birthday parties and sleep overs. Any and all of those could involve the latest popular culture kid-oriented movie crap.

I'm not saying you need to expose your kid to every disney movie known to mankind. But you won't always be able to restrict their arts education.

And star wars is a great good versus evil series. Much of the newer trilogy (maybe all) is rated R, so wait until the scary stuff no longer scares him. Since different kids have different levels of freaked out scary, that could be ten or 13 or later.

Balance.

[bengalherder]

28. My child's favorite movie from age 3 on

was Terry Gilliam's 'Baron Munchausen', an unusual choice, but it sparked an interest in movies and movie production that has given him a lot of joy over the years as a hobby.

[demwing]

29. some movies kick start the imagination

and ask questions in such a way that a child can understand them.

Like any other form of media, its what you do with the tools that matters.

[no_hypocrisy]

32. I watched "Dementia 13", the first movie of Francis Ford Coppola at age 6.

It was a Halloween feature. Mom dropped me off to watch it alone. It was a movie about an axe killer.

Nothing bad happened to me.

[Codeine]

34. I loved those goofy Supermarionette movies as a kid

like Fireball XL and Thunderbirds.

[surrealAmerican]

35. I have two important points to add:

Discuss the movie with your child after watching. The child should "lead" as much of the discussion as he can, since there is always the possibility that what he saw in this movie was very different from what you saw.

If you plan on showing your child a movie that's based on a book, especially if it's a really good book, read the book first. This is especially true for Disney movies.

[LWolf]

40. Reading and conversations are a lot more useful.

They are necessary to language development.

Movies are entertaining, and there are some great movies out there for young kids, but they aren't especially helpful for developing healthy minds and bodies or for healthy socialization, in this teacher's opinion.

Music and dance...yes. Storytelling, reading, singing, conversation...yes.

Board games; they involve talking, interacting with people and with physical things.

Also running, skipping, climbing, building, and all kinds of exploration.

[pipi_k]

50. I agree...books have been around

a lot longer than movies have.

I have loved to read ever since I first learned how. Whatever else my parents failed at, the one thing they did do was make sure that I had all the reading material I could handle. It's hard for me to imagine anyone NOT loving...or at least liking...to read.

Anyway, books have been my life for so many years.

Got a Kindle last September, and have managed to hoard over 200 books on it so far. One can never have too many books...

:)


PS...and music. Gotta have music.

[LWolf]

54. Books are interactive.

They build more neural connections, and more vocabulary, than tv.

Whether a child is reading yet, or is being read to, or being told a story, the brain has to visualize what is going on and make sense of it.

Watching tv is passive.

[bemildred]

42. Not much. nt

[BOG PERSON]

44. show your kid david lynch's The Straight Story

it is not exactly what you would expect from a david lynch movie. in that it is basically a family friendly (disney) movie tackling big themes like loneliness and learning to live with yourself as you grow old. there are deep moments of tenderness and humor, as well as some of the weird lynchian flourishes that it make the viewing worthwhile for adults.

[BOG PERSON]

46. this is just friendly advice, as i am no authority on parenting

but whatever you do, don't show kids superhero movies. they are invariably fascist propaganda + toy commercials. ironically, superman might be the one exception, despite being the mother of all superheroes, because superman doesn't wear a mask and he barely even tries to hide his identity. superman is not out for revenge, he doesn't want to "clean up the streets". he just wants to rescue people trapped in burning buildings or help cats get down from trees. superman teaches children about the contributions immigrants make to society. he also supports nuclear disarmament.

[AverageJoe90]

49. Can't agree at all with most of your first sentence. (Superman rules, though)

What about the X.Men, for example? They were as far from fascist as you can possibly get! And Spiderman, wasn't he all about responsibility or whatnot? Superman rocks, but he certainly isn't the only decent hero out there in the comics.

[BOG PERSON]

52. i guess x-men are okay

but spider-man is a straight white human male wearing a disguise and taking the law into his own hands to preserve the status quo. he "fights" crime but he has zero interest in understanding or doing anything about the social inequality that fosters crime. so there is no qualitative difference b/w him and, say, batman - only quantitative (i.e. batman is rich).

[AverageJoe90]

59. That may be true to a point, in the case of the latter..........

...and if so, that was one of the tragic flaws of the writing of the stories.

[a la izquierda]

51. I saw Star Wars...

and Empire Strikes Back when I was very, very young- Star Wars came out when I was born, and Empire when I was three. My dad showed showed them to me when I was about 4 or so. I developed a life-long love for those movies (I sat and watched Star Wars for about the thousandth time last night). I dressed up like Princess Leia for years (buns and all). I think Star Wars helps kids imagine worlds other than their own.
I loved the Wizard of Oz, the Peanuts movies (Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown), Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. I hated (and still hate) horror.

[aikoaiko]

53. My 5 yr old son really got into the Jurassic Park trilogy. It kicked off a love affair w/dinosaurs

There was only one part that scared him. And now that's he's six, we laugh about it.

The hissing and spitting Dilophosaurus that got Wayne Knight's character was too much for him

[proud patriot]

57. They do love Dino's at that age

My son loved Batman , and the bioncle movies

[haele]

55. The childhood movies I remember are - Yellow Submarine, Bambi, Jungle Book

The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Song of the South, and Snow White. Fantasia.

What stuck with me, what really attracted me until I was about 7 or 8 (and had a bit more understanding of plot and interest in dialog) were bright colors, silly, quirky or happy characters that danced or moved "athletically" (bouncing, swinging, trotting gaits), and catchy songs. Scary didn't bother me so much except at the moment. It was scary, then it wasn't. What was more important was that Mom and Dad (or at least one of them) were with me and enjoying it too.

I've also had a bit of experiance with rentmates who had young (2 - 6 year old) children. Mind you, I'm not a child development expert, but from what I remember is that a five year old is not a little adult and tends to learn "culture" by mimicry; experiancing an artistic situation with someone they trust, like a parent, older sibling, or other caretaker. When you watch children in the toddler age group learning to "appreciate" something, be it food, art, music - you notice they watch what other, older people's reactions (not their peer reactions) are when faced with a new experiance.

On edit - I watched The Man of La Mancha, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, South Pacific, and a whole host of silent movie classics (including Nosferatu, Charlie Chaplin's "The Little Dictator", Metropolis, etc... when I was eight to ten. And yes, I asked questions.
But then, my parents had read me the Hobbit when I was 6, and I was reading regularly on my own by the time I was 8 - and fairly adult books, too.
Your kid will be able to let you know the level he or she is comfortable at. The trick is, let them watch it with you.

Haele

[proud patriot]

56. If timed correctly yes

[mopinko]

61. kids need stories. from wherever. faves-

the one that i would most like to see again is 'lilo and stitch'. it is a very funny movie, very beautifully done (disney's farewell to hand painted backgrounds) and a nice message.
also love the adventures of 'milo and otis', because it is hysterical.

[Javaman]

62. I was a movie geek when I was a kid and led me to a career in film...

Really depends. Some kids love them, others not so much.

I ate up films as a kid. For as long as I can remember, I had been going to the movies. My parents were big movie lovers, so it might have started via their influence.

The positive? I learned many things. My memory for old movies and details is scary. I know the technology behind lighting, film and lens theory, writing a script from beginning to end and all facets of productions.

The negative? I sentenced myself to 20 years of film making (old joke in the industry).

I saw the wild bunch and bonnie & clyde when I was a little kid. (probably the most violent movies of that time) and loved them both. I also understood that the violence was fake (I was around 5 or 6).

In all, it really depends on your kid and how you either love or hate movies.

Frankly, I think movies can be used as a teaching moment, but that's just me being a film geek.

my two cents.

[Wait Wut]

63. Musicals.

My brother (8 years older) took me to see Jesus Christ Superstar and Fantasia. My sister (10 years older) took me to see Hello Dolly and The Sound of Music. I still remember them to this day and can even remember the theater and what we talked about.

Old musicals are usually pretty safe for a 5 year old. You'll just have to tolerate their singing and dancing for the next few weeks. :P