If you're a parent and VCRs were around when your children were little, you've been through it. Your child fixates on a character or movie with an all consuming passion. Although you have a rack full of choices, he returns to the same movie every day, or even more than once on a given day.
It started with Tyler as a toddler watching 101 Dalmatians with rapt attention each time as though it were the first. In fact, that was the only movie he would watch for several months. Then it was Lion King.
This week The Lorax (which I got from Netflix) replaced Tangled as the movie of choice.
Why do children do this? Although I have a Masters in Elementary Ed, it's not necessary to know the answer (and I don't think they covered that in my classes anyway). You only have to be a parent to know the answer.
Watching the same movie over and over gives a sense of familiarity, and with familiarity comes comfort. The trees will get cut down, but one boy will save the day, plant the last seed, teach the adults an important lesson and repopulate Sneedville with trees.
Young children--and even the not so young ones--like things that are predictable. They know how the characters act, they know that the problem will be solved. At school they may face problems with peers and teachers and not know how things will work out, but when watching that favorite movie, they know the outcome.
They also master the movie. They know the words. They know the songs. They know the characters. They could probably perform the movie by themselves.
And many times it's the songs that draw children back to the movie. Right now the "Let it Grow" song from The Lorax is a favorite. Any of my children can sing it for you.
And lest you think children outgrow this at some age, Jessica has watched Hunger Games numerous times. And the Narnia movies. Not every day or even every week (because there isn't time), but she will turn to the same movies over and over rather than choose something new. Like I said, comfort in the familiar. (My husband does the same thing so I guess it's not even just kids)
Do you find this true with your children? What have been the five or ten most watched movies, or still are, in your house?
15 comments:
My little one has been watching Cars and Cars 2 for about two years now. I keep thinking he'll move on, but he's only 3, lol.
princess diaries, firehouse dog,snow dogs are the top 3 around here!
Since we own very few movies (by choice) and only rent for 24 hours, they don't watch the same thing. They do read and ask to be read the same stories over and over and over again.
Katie--We have both Cars movies and they are well loved and have been watched a multitude of times, but I think it's the ones with catchy music mine have been watching over and over right now. Not always true since Ty used to only watch 101 Dalmatians.
Nadia--We have Firehouse Dogs and several of the other movies Josh Hutcherson is in--Bridge to Terabithia, Hunger Games, Miracle Dogs (he was really young), and Journey 1 & 2, Zanthura, Polar Express (voice of the main character).
Hevel-yes, the same thing is true with books. Especially the predictable picture books like Goodnight Moon.
Matilda, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast are the ones that leap out from my childhood. (I'm just over a month younger than Jessica)
I've have noticed that when my nieces come over from Belgium they don't like to see films they have already watched in French in English and vice versa. They have favourite films in each, but they refuse to watch them in the other language.
That's interesting. Did you grow up in Belgium? My dad was there in WWII but I've never been. Only England, Scotland, Wales and France.
UGH! I posted a huge long comment last night and now it's not there! Well, I"m not reposting. LOL I'll just say yes!
Megan-it never posted because I didn't get an e-mail showing it come in : ( Did you make sure the word verification was right? I hate that, but I don't appreciate the six ads a day that start appearing the day I take it off!!!!
Yeah, I"m pretty sure I got the word verification wrong it always takes me at least 2 times if not 3 to get it right. LOL
I hate it. I can't read them. But every time I take it off I start getting Japanese ads and viagra ads.
I'm 28, and I STILL watch the same movie 20 times, or watch the same tv shows 20 times, or listen to the same music over and over again....I don't think we ever out grow it!
I'm pretty sure that's true for all of us.
We have worn out more VHS tapes than I can remember, mostly given to kids as gifts.
When Saul came home almost 10 yrs ago a friend gave him a Wiggles tape, we watched several times a day, lost 27 lbs with the Wiggles during my time off when first came home, also when he started talking in english it came out more Austrialian than Minneasotan...
27 lbs! Wow. Now we know the secret to wait loss. Dance with your kids.
Oh brother. "Weight" not wait!! Or maybe both.
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