With bullying being so prevalent in the youth (and adults) of America, right now is a great time to talk with your kids about kindness and how to accept others even when they are different from you.  Back to School time is perfect for setting new goals and personal standards for the school year.

Teaching Kindness and Acceptance with Netflix

Sometimes, the best way to help our kids learn about these qualities is through engaging movies.

One of my favorite movies from my childhood is The Fox and the Hound.  (Yeah, 1981?!!)  It depicts an essentially “blended friendship” where an orphaned fox and a puppy meet and become friends. As they grow older and they find that their natural instincts (the fact that they’re from two separate worlds) drive them apart.  In the end, their friendship finds their way back to each other in its own unique way, and the kindness and acceptance as a friend prevails.

Here are some other movies for your little ones that can help in your discussions.

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1. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Vol. 1 Ep. 6: Friends Help Each Other
2. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Season 3, Ep. 4: One Bad Apple
3. Arthur, Season 15, Ep. 8: Muffy’s Classic Classy Club / Best Enemies
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
5. Super Why, Season 1, Ep. 61: The Ugly Duckling: Becoming a Swan

Not too long ago, a friend of mine took her family to the movies.  It was a Rated R movie, and the theater’s policy is that those under 18 can see Rater R movies as long as they are with a parent and a guardian.  My friend’s son’s skin color is different than the rest of his family, so the facility refused to let him in.   The thing is, this is America.  We are so diverse that you can have a family of six that span six different races and nationalities without even batting an eye!  Humans are humans, and it’s all about acceptance.

There are so many movies that have an underlying message of kindness and acceptance.  It’s not just kids that need these life lessons.  There are so many adults who can learn from some pretty awesome movies as well.  I’m one of those people who can only watch a movie that tears at your heartstrings just once.    Movies like Rudy and Radio have such a powerful message of acceptance behind them, that there’s no way you can watch them and not want to be a better, more accepting person.

Here are some titles that are great!

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1. Rudy
2. Mulan
3. A Mile in His Shoes
4. Radio
5. Good Luck Charlie: Down a Tree
6. Glee

Have your talked to your family about kindness and acceptance?  Do you ever use movies to help get a message across?

Disclosure:  I am part of the Netflix Stream Team.  All opinions are my own.