Has a movie ever made you think differently about parenting?

For example- did seeing Taken make you more protective?Has a movie ever made you think differently about parenting?
Step Mom.


I mean, I was a step-mom...and that movie always made me think ';Danni, you need to be compassionate towards this woman. She may be vile and cold, but she is your step-babies mom, and your husbands ex. Be kind.';


Of course, she ended up giving full custody to my husband, and I legally adopted my daughter, HOWEVER I was always kind to her even if it was through bared teeth.Has a movie ever made you think differently about parenting?
Yes.


Strangely enough, seeing movies like Taken just makes me less protective and reinforces my determination to let my children be children instead of shutting them in little boxes. It just reaffirms my belief that the media is turning parents into neurotic, paranoid control freaks.





Horror movies and fear-heavy movies like Taken are always popular in conservative (not necessarily politically - I'm talking about society at large's trends) upswings in society. The 50's, the 80's, and the 2000's have all seen conservative upswings, and with it a trend in horror movies and media scare tactics. It's all about control. Using pop culture to keep gullible, easily-led people frightened and in line and doing what they're ';supposed to.';





The result is the average suburban mom of 2009: panicked, assuming every male on the street corner is an axe murderer WAITING to abduct and kill THEIR child, knowing that the Brownie troupe leader is actually poisoning all those cupcakes, obsessed with safety and supervision and removing any and all danger or minor inconvenience from their child's path. It's completely unrealistic and loony, but it's average now.





So I look at that movie, and all the others exactly like it, and all the reports on the news that make it sound like the case of the 1 out of every few million children that does get abducted and killed is a realistic view of life, and I laugh. Not at the misfortune of the family or the child, but how the media portrays it. It's just ridiculous to assume that EVEN if you're the most paranoid, hyper-vigilant, germ-phobic, stranger-danger, protective parent on earth; that you could EVER make the world completely safe. Because you can't. Even if you shut out most of the world like most moms try to these days, you can't.





On the off chance that something really is out to get your kid, sorry to say it, but it's probably going to happen whether you refuse to let your precious baby ride the city bus until he's 30 or not. On the other hand, letting them learn common sense, street smarts and how to take care of themselves and do things on their own might save them. Resourcefulness, sense, guts, and independence are more protection than all the knee pads, obsessive calls home every 10 minutes, and GPS trackers can ever provide.
I am HORRIBLE with names but the 1 that came out 6-12 months ago with Angelina Jolie, based on a true story. Changling, maybe? That 1 made me even more paranoid. I already have nightmares about my oldest being kidnapped. There are many but this was the 1st that came to mind.
American Beauty.





';How's Janey? is she happy?';





It's not all about what his grades are, if his clothes look good and if I bought him what he needs. I want to know he's happy too - and what I can do to change it, if he isn't.
Parenthood- honestly i don't know why my ovaries didn't just shrivel up and die after watching that movie!