Family Forum

Watch together. Learn together.

Looking for a couple quick tips on how to make home theatre time a learning opportunity? Here are a few to get you started:

• Make every one comfortable. Kids do not want to sit down to watch a movie when they know they will be drilled with questions at the end.
• Preveiw the movie. Growing up I was not allowed to watch movies my parents had not previewed first. I now realize that they were doing that to protect me, not to make my life miserable.
• Make the point. Whether you stop the film or wait til the end, make your point quick and clear. Once again, the movie is being played for enjoyment so allow the kids to discuss if they want to, but do not wax eloquent. This may cause your children to disengage, or worse, find ways to watch movies without you.
• Use scripture and Biblical principles. No offense, but God's Word is more reputable than your opinion. Most kids will respect that. Not to mention, if they tell their friends about it it sounds better quoting King Solomon, rather than "my mom".
• Leave them with someting. If nothing else, leave your kids with something to think about. What you say may not sink in right away, but small lessons that are well taught will stick to the memory of the movie; resurfacing when the film is rewatched.