UPDATED! It’s the weekend and you are ready for family movie night. You have all finally agreed on a movie, the popcorn is popped, and everyone is snuggled up on the couch excited for the show. Then it happens. Ten minutes in and your child is covering their eyes, upset because it is “too scary.” You end up abandoning the movie or worse, end up with one sibling wanting to watch it, while the other whines to turn it off.
How many times have you experienced this? If you are parenting a highly sensitive child (HSC), like I am, your response is probably, “A lot!” So how do you know what movies will and won’t be appropriate before wasting time and money on them? After talking with parents in my Facebook group and my own family’s experience, I have compiled a list of movie recommendations for the highly sensitive child. This post will give you a good idea of movies that have passed the HSC test and warnings for those you should be cautious of showing.
These are recommendations based on discussion with other parents with highly sensitive children and my own experience raising HSCs. What is enjoyable for one child, may not be good for another. This is a guideline for parents to make their own decisions from and may contain affiliate links.
Recommended Movies
101 Dalmations (cartoon version)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Movies your highly sensitive child may struggle with:
You may be surprised to see several Disney classics on here. We have tried several Disney movies and nine out of ten times we don’t get past the first 10 minutes. Most of them have at least a few very dark and scary parts that are all too much for sensitive children. The movies below either contain more than one scary scene or a dark villain, involve a parent dying, a good amount of violence, or scenes of danger and peril. I am not saying that every HSC will have trouble with these films, but definitely proceed with caution.
It’s Showtime!
Now that you have an idea of some movie recommendations for the highly sensitive child and which to be cautious of, you can feel confident that your next family movie night will be a success! Have a favorite that I didn’t mention or one that was too difficult for your HSC to watch? Please let me know in the comments below!
WANT THE MOVIE CHECKLIST?
Get FREE access to the Family Movie Night Checklist for sensitive kids plus access to all of my printables for highly sensitive children when you sign up to receive my newsletter.
Other resources on my blog that may be helpful to you:
How to Help your Sensitive Child Handle Big Emotions
Discipline Strategies for the Sensitive Child
Beginner’s Guide to Understanding High Sensitivity in Children
How to Handle After School Meltdowns with your Child
Gift Guide for the Highly Sensitive Child
5 Myths About the Highly Sensitive Child
Resources for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children
The Power of Play Dates for Anxious and Sensitive Kids
10 Benefits of Being Highly Sensitive
Recent Comments