There is a new Disney Pixar movie out and we wanted to check it out! After Encanto, the movie Disney launched last month, puberty is another topic that’s of importance when it comes to our kids.
The movie revolves around a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian middle school girl who turns into a giant red panda whenever she’s overcome with emotion. Yes! You read right, a panda.
What Is It About?
She has always been obedient to her parents, but as she goes through puberty, she realizes she’s not only changing physically, but emotionally, too. And to add to everything, she changes into a giant red panda when she gets too excited, sad, angry, or shows any kind of strong emotion.
Her mom is a typical Chinese tiger mom and Mei is torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and trying to deal with the changes that come with adolescence.
Before I watched this movie with the kids, I went online and read about it whether it was age-appropriate for them. I will say at the outset, the reviews are quite mixed.
Some have called the content too mature and uncomfortable for kids since it talks about periods, sanitary pads, teen crushes etc and there are another lot of parents who feel that these are topics that don’t need to be brushed under the table.
If you think tweens having crushes/periods/going through puberty is inherently ‘grown up’ or ‘inappropriate’, then as a fellow parent my humble advice is don’t make it into something that shouldn’t be discussed openly. Normalize it.
Ar KSP, we actually have a fabulous course called Circles of Safety that you should check out if you have a child in the house. Click here to know more.
Mei dances a lot, has crushes on boys and has a group of loyal besties who share her obsession with the members of the boy band 4*Town.
With kids hitting puberty earlier – as young as 9-10 years – preparing them is essential and the movie is a step in that direction.
Aren’t we all trying to have honest conversations with our kids so we can keep our lines of communication open? Obviously, there is a time and place to have an honest conversation about the change that every child will undergo around a certain age and what they can expect, but having that conversation is so important. Believe me, it is.
There were concerns about the rebellion and attitude of the main character Mei. Now that is completely not OK. But as a parent, you will deal with your own little (or big) incidents when your kids will try and assert their independence in different ways. But it is up to us as parents to instil in them that sense of respect for their family and people around them.
Aren’t teenagers filled with all sorts of strong feelings? Mood swings, hormones, it’s a hard time. Don’t you remember your growing years?
Would I Recommend It As A Parent?
This is a must-watch for any child coming of age, boy or girl, about how to be yourself, get through generational trauma, and understand there’s nothing wrong with growing up and accepting the parts of you that aren’t perfect, especially if you think they’re important,
After watching this movie, as a family, we had a great conversation about the dangers of keeping secrets from each other and the need for both close friends and trusted adults.
If you’re looking for movie recommendations to watch with your family, click here
Age: 8 Years +
Where: Disney Hotstar
Watch the trailer here
Gopika Kapoor
Neha Savla
Kanishka Pariani
Mansi Zaveri
