I bet your feelings regarding screen time were the same as mine before you had kids. You were probably disgusted by those parents at the restaurant who would readily hand over tablets and mobile phones. When you went to your friend’s house who already had kids you would secretly cringe at the child seated in front of the telly.
Things have changed, right? There’s always a certain time during the day when screen time can be a life-saver. It can literally keep you sane. In our home, we don’t randomly watch TV. There has to be a reason to switch it on like a movie or TV show we want to watch. So Georgie’s screen time, which amounts to about a hour and a half to two hours a day, mainly consists of favourite DVDs and here they are:
Matilda (1996): I had been waiting to read the book to Georgie before we sat down to watch the movie. A couple of weeks ago we finally finished it and I surprised him with the movie, which naturally, I hadn’t told him about beforehand otherwise I wouldn’t hear the end of it. While watching he laughed out loud on more than one occasion and in the end, he loudly cheered along with the kids when they chased away the Trunchball. A success.
Toy Story 1,2 and 3 (1995): MY all-time favourite animated film. I could watch Toy Story everyday and thankfully so can my son. It’s a wonderful story about a child’s relationship with his toys and a fantastic inspiration for curious little minds. Georgie’s not too keen on the third installment because he says “the purple teddybear is very scary”.
The Incredibles (2004): I hadn’t seen this animated movie prior to having Georgie despite reading rave reviews. It blew me away the first time I saw it with him. A movie about a family of superheroes! Not just one man but a whole family which means that Mama Incredible gets to kick some ass too! Oozing originality and evidently, equality, we both thoroughly enjoy watching The Incredibles.
Finding Nemo (2003): The people who created the family of superheroes are also responsible for this epic tale. Ellen DeGeneres’ character Dory is my favourite part of the film. I could be in another room while Georgie’s watching Finding Nemo and hear one of her lines and then proceed to laugh my head off. Did you hear about the sequel? It comes out next year and it’s called Finding Dory!
Night at the Museum (2006): This was one that Georgie watched over and over again on my laptop during the summer holidays. Before my sister added it to my movie playlist by mistake I didn’t think it would be of interest to a four-year old. But then again I completely forgot about T-Rex coming alive in the Natural History Museum not to mention all the other awesome characters. A great movie that older kids can enjoy and learn from too.
Up (2009): Truly a great movie both grown-ups and kids will enjoy. Even though Georgie loved it and asked to watch it the next day I have a feeling the talking dogs had more to do with his request rather than the brilliant animation and great story. Everything you could ever want in a movie is excellently intertwined making Up a future classic for sure.
The Iron Giant (1999): I hadn’t seen or even heard of this movie before I recently discovered it among a list of great movies for boys. It actually IS a great movie for boys as the story follows young Hogarth who makes friends with a robot from outer space. The army isn’t too happy and set about getting rid of the Iron Giant. The film takes place in the 1950s, which makes it all the more enchanting and unmissable. Look out for ET references.
Cars (2006): Last but by no means least (you’ll understand if you have a little boy). Probably Georgie’s absolute favourite of the bunch because his papa is a car-fanatic and a part-time race car driver. I love the originality of the film, the characters (namely Paul Newman’s) and the beautiful storyline.
What are your kids’ favourite movies?
