Child-friendly Films To Cope With Loss And Bereavement
In our desire to protect little ones from the painful aspects of life, we sometimes choose not to talk about some important issues. However, despite our intentions, children will sooner or later face difficult situations. In these cases, it is preferable that they have learned from us how to deal with them. In this article, we are going to introduce you to some movies for dealing with loss and grief to watch with your children.
From pets to more or less close relatives, it is possible that at some point in their childhood our children have to experience the death of a person or animal they love.
When not dealt with correctly, they are situations that even adults have a hard time dealing with. Pain, if handled poorly, can have serious repercussions. Therefore, we must help the little ones to have an adaptive approach towards death.
Why are movies useful for dealing with loss and bereavement?
The world of cinema is extremely attractive to children. They often remain engrossed in listening to the narration that accompanies the spectacle of captivating colors, sounds and characters. Therefore, children’s films are a valuable resource for addressing important issues together. In addition, they allow us to hear their reflections and to provide our opinions on a given topic.
Movies are an important element in conveying values and learning coping skills. The behavior of the protagonists can serve as a model and help children to have a reference when they are faced with a similar situation.
Movies for dealing with loss and bereavement suitable for children
The Lion King
This Disney classic is one of the films that conveys a strong and hopeful message. After witnessing the death of his father, the young lion Simba walks away from his family with a huge sense of guilt and full of sadness. During his journey through the savannah, he will learn values such as loyalty, support and friendship. But above all he will discover that no one dies totally.
The values, memories and teachings that his father left him will accompany and guide the young Simba during his journey. Eventually, he will realize that his father never died because he will live forever in his heart and in the stars. Simba will find the strength to go home and live a beautiful life with his closest loved ones.
Coco
With this fantastic production, Pixar gives color to death which is generally portrayed as dark and gloomy. In many of our cultures, when someone dies, we find ourselves in gray cemeteries, with black clothes and surrounded only by silence.
That person’s life becomes a taboo that generates only pain and discomfort. This film invites us to unite life with death as an indissoluble whole and to celebrate the latter with affection and gratitude for the time it has allowed us to share with our loved ones.
The film reflects the deep-rooted Mexican Day of the Dead tradition of decorating graves and making offerings to loved ones who have gone the other way. It gives us a colorful and “vital” vision of death and presents the pain of loss as something to be shared and expressed rather than relegated to a dark, silent and lonely place.
Up
This film, through the character of Carl Fredricksen, shows us the suffering we can feel when we lose someone we love. After his wife’s death, Carl feels his life is definitely over. He feels sad, alone and abandoned. Become a quick-tempered and lonely person with a house full of memories that he holds onto tightly.
However, when he least expects it, Russell appears in his life to show him that it’s worth moving on. Through this new bond – which the old man establishes with the enthusiastic eight-year-old boy – the protagonist will finally be able to deal with the loss of his wife. She will understand that the unconditional love he had for her will never go away. In this way, he will be able to continue living his life.
