Lessons That Disney Films Can Teach Parents |
Posted: August 31, 2018 |
Disney is one of the largest family-focused corporations in the world. Generations of children have grown up with Disney providing the sound track to their childhoods. Most of us have fond memories of growing up watching Disney movies, and incorporate that passion into our adulthoods in some way. Whether you collect Disney figurines by Britto, watch your favourite Disney film when you’re feeling down, or belt out the sound track to Frozen when you’re driving in the car. But what about using the lessons learnt from our favourite Disney films to help us to better parent our own children? It’s not as crazy as it might seem! Here are some important life lessons from Disney films that all parents can teach their kids: Appearance isn’t EverythingMany characters from Disney films simply aren’t what they seem, and the valuable lesson this should teach us is that appearance isn’t everything. The kindly old hag in Snow White turns out to be the very beautiful (but very evil) Queen, her step mother. Mulan has to pretend to be a son in order to show her family, and the rest of the kingdom, just how kind daughters can be. Disney figurines by Britto have even designed wonderful Steamboat Willey figurines that show how the appearance of Mickey Mouse himself has changed and evolved over the years. When you’ve just had a baby and dealt with the physical changes that accompany this, it’s easy to be negative about your appearance. But it’s important to remember that appearance isn’t everything. Who you are and what you can do is so much more important than what you look like. This is an important lesson to teach yourself and to teach your children too, and it is a lesson that sits at the very heart of many of our favourite Disney films. Kindness is ImportantHave you ever noticed that, of all the characteristics that the Disney princesses share, their kindness is the most universally important? Whether you’re royalty or just an everyday mum doing your best, kindness is an essential quality to cultivate. One of the kindest of all the Disney princesses is Cinderella. Let’s face it, Cinders had a pretty rough life: she lost both of her parents, was abused by her step mother and step sisters who used her as an unpaid servant, and then locked into an attic against her will. Yet despite all of this, Cinderella’s kindness and quiet inner strength shone through at every stage. When you’re having a bad day, feeling angry, and want to give someone a piece of your mind remember that kindness is always a better option. All parents will have times when they feel exhausted and that they can’t go on anymore. And this exhaustion will cause tempers to fray, and tempers to flare. Take a deep breath, remember to be kind (both to yourself and to your children) and let the anger go. Your kids will learn how to respond to stressful situations from you: modelling kindness at all times is the best way to raise kind children. Dance to Your Own TuneFrozen’s ‘Let it go’ is one of the most iconic modern Disney songs. If you haven’t seen the film you will have almost certainly heard it’s soundtrack on the radio, on your television, or being sung be pre-teen girls in every park and playground in the land! But ‘let it go’ is more than just a song: it’s also a wonderful parenting mantra. So often we worry about making our children fit in and conform to societal norms. We want our children to be perceived to be well-behaved, to not stand out from the crowd, even when this interferes with their ability to express themselves or have fun. “Don’t let them in, don’t let them see Never Give UpLife isn’t easy for many of our favourite Disney characters. After all, if they didn’t regularly face adversity then there wouldn’t be a story arc and their movies wouldn’t be half as good. Britto collection favourite Stitch has to adapt to life on a whole new planet. Nemo’s dad must travel across all of the planet’s oceans to find his son. But neither give up. And this is the basis of another valuable lesson for parents and children alike. Drive and determination are the two characteristics that every person needs if they want to succeed in life. Never take no for an answer, don’t give up on your dreams, and if at first you don’t succeed then try again. If you can teach your children this valuable life lesson (and commit to following it yourself so your modelling success and positive behaviour for them to see) then you are more likely to raise confident and successful children. Growing Up Is a TrapOK, so we’re not endorsing living at home with your parents in your thirties or relying on someone else to change the oil in your car. But childhood is a wonderful, magical thing and there’s no need to rush through it. Modern children grow up so quickly: children as young as 2 spend their days watching TV and playing on computer games instead of playing outside and using their imaginations. Why not encourage your children to remain children for as long as possible? Get outside and enjoy having adventures together. Follow the lead of Peter Pan by playing ‘follow the leader’, hunting for pirates and thinking of all the happy thoughts that might make you fly. Peter Pan is a wonderful Disney icon for children because of his passion for the wonder of childhood and his belief that everyday should be a great adventure. Life this mantra at home and let your children be children for as long as you can. Their childhoods are so fleeting (though it may feel like they go on forever when you’re in the middle of another sleepless night) and you really will miss them when they’re gone. So let your kids enjoy being kids, and enjoy the ride alongside them. Always Support Each OtherYou’ll never have a better support network than your family: whether that’s the family you’re born into or the family you choose. My favourite example of this comes from Winnie the Pooh. Pooh never gives up on Eeyore when he’s feeling down and always searches for new ways to cheer him up and bring a smile to his face. He takes him on adventures, he shares his honey, and he’s always ready to offer a hug to make his friends feel better. The hundred-acre woods gang know that they are a family, so they embrace their differences and are always there to offer each other help and support. This is a great lesson to incorporate into our real family lives. Sometimes we might be cross at our children or not understand why they make the decisions they make. That’s OK: we don’t always have to agree with each other or understand each other. We just have to be there for each other and offer unconditional support. Encourage your children to be true to who they are, and they will grow up to become confident and independent, knowing they will always have a parental support system to pick them up if they ever fall down. Because that’s what families do.
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