Since my child was born I have been ecstatic to
share all of Disney with her. Even when she was so tiny, sleeping in her Moses basket, I would put on whatever Disney movie I could find on Netflix, just to have it on. My over-excitement to become a mother was truly busting at the seams.
Then when my daughter started showing interest in movies/shows I would again get giddy to share some of my beloved movies and cartoons from my childhood. But, watching them from a mother’s perspective is entirely different. I remember putting Dumbo on and blubbering away in horror as I watched them take his mother away. OH HECK NO. I would be a mad mama elephant too if anyone treated my baby that way.
What about Bambi? What in the world? C’mon Disney, why are mothers so absent? Good grief. Don’t you think our daughters are going to get a clue one of these days, turn to us and say, “Mommy, where is Ariel’s (Cinderella’s, Tiana’s, Snow White’s, etc.) mommy? I mean really.
Have you watched Pinocchio recently? The boy gets intoxicated at age… 8? 10? That whole donkey part is disturbing.
When you put that mom lens on, all cinema is different. We are now emotionally charged, fearful, protective and can only picture our child in whatever position is being projected on that screen.
I think someone must have passed a sticky note or two across the board room at Disney and Pixar because the “missing mother” story lines seem to be getting better. #thankgoodness
Even this winter watching all our favorite Christmas movies…what is with the word “stupid” and “shut up” … we do not use that langauge in my home. And yet, my daughter is watching that from Charlie Brown and Home Alone… we find that movies we loved are suddenly serious eye openers when our daughter is sitting in front of the screen. Yikes!
One of the reasons we got rid of cable is all the terrible commercials. Not only is it horrible propaganda for our children, but some of these commercials have zero correlation with the children’s movie or show that is playing…some are straight up scary. It is my job to protect my sweet girls' innocence and that is why cable had to go.
Every angle of life changes when you become a mama. How you view the world and trying to keep our sweet chicks safe by the nest. One day they’ll fly away…but for the next 16 1/2 years it is my job to keep them safe, cozy, healthy and guided by Jesus.