Tip of the Month

If you need a kid-friendly movie or book idea, Common Sense Media comes to the rescue. 

One of our family rituals is to do a monthly family movie night. Unfortunately, there are a lot of movies and shows out there with a high level of violence, profanity, etc. As a parent, I often struggle with finding movies that I think have a good message and are preteen/teen appropriate. Common sense media is my go-to-place for tips and suggestions. It is a comprehensive media website which provides well researched and concise recommendations on a wide range of topics including movies and screen time media plans, but also books and shows. Content is rated by both adults and kids. Through Common Sense Media, we decided to watch the “Queen of Katwe”, the beautiful and true story of a poor girl in rural Uganda whose life is significantly transformed when she is introduced to chess. With the support of her family and community, she becomes an international chess champion. The movie (which is best for kids 10 years+), gave my boys insight into the realities of poverty and homelessness and the power of resilience.

On other recent searches, I found a list of movies that inspire gratitude in kids (which we can all use a big dose of) and movies with strong female characters. For bilingual or multilingual homes, one caveat is that movies, shows or books on this site are mainly in English. This may be less helpful if you are looking for viewing in another language such as Mandarin or Spanish. Regardless, next time you are struggling for a good English language movie or book choice check out.  https://www.commonsensemedia.org