Good Movies for Kids : An Interview with Bizymoms Top Blogger 2010 Recipient Carey Bryson

1. What was your motive to finding out about suitable and good movies for kids?

I believe we have a responsibility to our precious children to make sure that they grow up in a loving home, and to provide them with the skills they need to make wise decisions and lead happy, productive lives. Media of all types has the potential to impact children in both positive and negative ways, so it is important to monitor what is entering out kids' brains, and especially to talk with them about the things they see and hear in movies and TV.

2. What objectives do you hope to achieve through this blog?

My goal for my Kids TV & Movies blog and website is to keep parents in the know about what kids are watching through reviews and articles, to provide a forum where parents can discuss issues related to kids and media, and to provide information and ideas about using media to help kids learn. I also have a lot of fun covering upcoming movies, DVDs and TV specials that kids get really excited about.

3. How are TV and movies for kids linked with child psychology? What impact does it have on the growth of a child?

Questions about the exact impact that media has on kids are the subject of many studies and a lot of debate, but I think it's clear that there is an impact, and that the impact can be positive or negative in varying degrees. As children grow, they develop paradigms about the world which create a complicated context within which they grow and learn and make decisions. Media can send incorrect or unhealthy messages to kids, but it's a combination of the messages they get from family, friends, teachers, media, and other sources that lead them to conclusions about life, so parent involvement is key.

4. How important is it for parents to have an understanding about child psychology when nurturing their children?

The importance of proactive parenting cannot be overstated. We have to be involved, and we have to talk with our kids, or someone else will, and we don't know what kinds of messages they'll get. We all come to the parenting table with strengths and weaknesses, so it can never hurt to educate ourselves about child psychology and wise parenting techniques. Sometimes, little things like our tone of voice or the way we word things can make a huge difference with kids, so learning about the way kids think, feel and respond can be enlightening and will lead to stronger family relationships.

5. What type of guidelines should parents follow when they want to choose good movies and TV for Kids?

Since parents are so different in their values and world views, no guidelines will work for every parent. Some parents think it's important to shield kids from inappropriate content, while others believe that exposing them to media and talking about it is the answer. So, parents have to establish their own values for their families, and then make conscious decisions about the media limits they feel are appropriate for their children. My objective is to provide parents with information about kids' TV and movies so that they can make the decisions based on their own beliefs and values.

6. What types of subjects and values should parents discuss with children in connection with TV and movies?

Anything and everything that parents feel is important. Just the act of discussing media teaches kids so much - how to analyze information for themselves, how to evaluate something based on personal values and make a decision about it. It's important to talk to kids about things they see and hear on TV and in movies, and they will learn something from those discussions, but even more important, they will learn to think.

7. What types of good movies for kids would you recommend? Why?

There are so many ways parents can use movies in positive ways - from just having good old fun with family movie nights to teaching kids about life. But, one type of movies I really love is movies that are based on great books. We have a blast reading a book as a family and then watching the movie together. The first movie we did this with was 'Charlotte's Web.' My daughter adored the book, and we had fun comparing and contrasting the book and the movie. She didn't even realize that all that fun we were having was also helping her learn literacy and analytical skills. Since I am always writing about upcoming movies, it's easy to look ahead and see what is coming out that is based on a book. Whenever the books and movies are age appropriate for our kids, we read and watch as a family.