Eye Openers Vs. Fairy Tales

What sort of movies do you watch with your kids? As parents, I'm sure most of us are cautious as to what stuff our children see on television or on big screen. For me personally, I try to prevent my daughter from watching violent or obscene cartoons and movies. There are some action films, however, that may seem a bit violent, but may come as real and effective eye openers.

A few years back, I couldn't sleep one Sunday night after watching "Blood Diamond" with my family. My heart grieved for those Africans suffering from famine and violence in the midst of civil war. The conflict can be traced from who gets what and in the process, the disadvantaged are all the more taken advantage of. Sierra Leone is already peaceful, but to date, more than 100,000 child soldiers still exist in Africa.

Like every little girl her age, my daughter likes fairy tales and Barbie movies, which makes her dream of becoming a princess and desire to collect more Barbie dolls and classy accessories. Now after watching Leonardo DiCaprio's "Blood Diamond," her eyes were opened to the reality of war, poverty and pain. That while she's enjoying and wanting all those nice personal effects, there are children in poor countries on another part of the world who do not have enough food to eat, who run from one place to another for safety.

As a mom, I took the opportunity of explaining to her the status quo. Not that I was giving her a guilt trip -- I just wanted my child to have a broader perspective of life. I am glad to help take my daughter's focus off herself and shield her from a culture of materialism, lest I raise up another narcissist.

So I have learned that when choosing a movie to watch with kids during family time, it doesn't always have to be light and entertaining. Go for those that educate or inculcate this message: Life is not simply all about self-indulgence nor beauty, fun, selfies, cute and cool stuff....

It's good there are no-nonsense movies that effectively depict the other side of the coin. Please write on the comment section below if you want to recommend the top movie on your list.