to be disapointed my son watched Frozen in reception class yesterday?

[Jude76]

I hate to moan but we don't do Disney in our house. Not yet anyway. But yesterday my reception aged child came home singing Frozen after apparently watching it in class as a treat. I just don't feel comfortable with it. Am I being unreasonable?

Oh if it was a leaving thing and the teacher got to choose, then that's not a bad reason I suppose. I just used to get twitchy about Disney taking over the whole world media and thinking that one day every single film would be Disney. Shudder.

One of the (non controversial) reasons I wasn't happy is that my son is a very young school starter and quite immature. He has been known to get freaked out by Octonauts. (I know!!!) Disney has always totally freaked him out when he's come across it at friends houses. Finding Nemo haunted him for weeks. I know it sounds crazy but that's just the way he is...

When PFB (now 19) started school I used to get quite frazzled at the things they did that I didn't allow, the things they didn't do that I insisted on, the things they let them eat and the things they didn't, unsuitable vocabulary that they deemed suitable and vice versa and don't get me started on homework, punishments and golden time (or lack of it if you have ADHD). It completely stressed me out.

Now ds3 is at the same primary the only thing that's changed is me. If he comes home alive (every day), relatively happy (4 days out of 5 because you can't have it all) and preferably with the same attire as he went out in then all is well.

YABU.

They're probably tired, precisely because it's their first term. You might think there're a better ways of having down time, but you don't have 30 tired and cranky four-year-olds to deal with all at once!

I think you are being a bit precious. They don't need to be doing something inspiring and interesting 24/7.

If it's because you think it would freak him out, I don't think frozen is too bad. My dd was traumatised by Tangled, though. She can't stand babies being taken from their mummies!

Oh Jude was it the pufferfish one when Captain Barnacles fell into the Whale's stomach juices? That one had DS throwing himself on a sofa in a sobbing heap, crying, 'They're all going to die and then there'll be NO MORE OCTONAUTS'. We were never allowed to watch that episode again.

From memory, Frozen doesn't have any moments of peril anywhere near as bad as that! And certainly none like Nemo.

Another Disney avoider here but DCs occasionally saw them at other people's houses and in school, not impressed by them.

Grown up now and loathe the cartoons as much as their parents do.

Oh dear. Next they will be handing out Haribo on birthdays....

Finding nemo is possibly the least child suitable of all the Disney films imo. ... child's mother dies, child gets lost, all sort of perils and scary sharks and whatever else.... until eventually finds dad! Wtf! Reads like a horror story!

Frozen is fine :)

I agree that they need downtime, but can't they be read a book or have a free choice drawing/colouring activity? Or similar? Some of the children in the class probably get plonked in front of the TV all night at home. They should have been doing something more interactive at school.

DP was traumatised by Zorro once. To be fair we were watching it on DVD with a newborn DD1 between us and there is a scene where Zorro's baby daughter gets kidnapped.

The thing is, OP, all his friends will know it. Backwards. It is part and parcel of playground currency. I think it's quite important they don't feel adrift in that regard (believe me, I know whereof I speak).

I think Frozen is a good film and has some interesting messages about gender and love, I don't think you can really make a judgment about its worth until you've seen it. I wouldn't say you're unreasonable to feel uncomfortable, I think you'd be unreasonable to speak to the school about it (and that you'd be labelled as horribly precious) or to try and get it banned but it doesn't sound like your proposing to do either of those things. I would be worried about one of my children if they wete getting freaked out by Octonaughts in reception though, just because I think that would mean they would have a rough ride through school as they'll be exposed to lots of things which may frighten them. Rather than avoiding anything which contains mild peril I'd think about watching or reading those things with my child and then discussing it together and helping him manage his feelings.

Just to raise and earlier point - we did watch TV in school donkey's years ago. We watched Bod, Mr Ben and words and pictures amongst others. I'm 44.

Ha Farewellfigure! Yes, that one is vetoed. And anything in the Midnight Zone is 'too dark'. Giant Squids are also cowering-behind-a-cushion territory. And don't get me started on Peter Rabbit. Even the music sets him off!

Seriously I couldn't be bothered to critique everything my kid did at school unless I found it to be racist, homophobic etc

It would be exhausting. Let it go.

After being on MN for a short time I feel really sorry for teachers now - seems every two minutes they have a parent running to the school because their child was told not to do something or was told to paint a picture of a tree when they are frightened of trees etc.

Why don't you watch Disney?

Ask yourself OP will this matter in a year? (or a week for that matter)

What are the likely effects of this on your son?

Is it a pattern the school are repeating or a one off?

In 15 years when he is at university filling himself with all sorts of crap food and alcohol, watching goodness knows what movies and games and socialising with all sorts of people and still managing to be a decent person with a decent qualification will it really matter that one day in reception he saw some (he really wont have caught it all) of a disney movie in class? You'll be lucky if he remembers his reception teacher's name never mind that he saw a disney movie

whippet81 let it go let it go can't hold it back anymore! lol

Frozen is beyond shite. Why were they watching films at all?

I understand how you feel, it kind of feels a bit lazy just to stick a film on.

Buuuut actually I think it's a nice bonding experience for the kids to watch a film together and then sing the songs together.

Perhaps also good for the boys to watch what they may consider a "girls" film.

So maybe reconsider your first reaction.

If he was afraid of The Octonaughts but enjoyed Disney (you said in the OP that he was singing it at home) then maybe introduce him to some other Disney films?

Was he scared of Frozen though? Did he come home freaked out?

It's fast becoming my favourite Disney movie and I love them all.

My DS was also traumatised by alot of films and I remember having exactly the same reaction to another film shown at school when he was very young.

I actually thought about watching the pufferfish episode by myself after DS had gone to bed once as I was sad we were never allowed to watch it again!

There are other films where we have had to pause and explain to DS that it's very likely to have a happy ending. Toy Story 3 springs to mind. Whatever you do, do NOT watch Princess and the Frog. I'm afraid that one had all 3 of reduced to blubbering wrecks. DH claims he was only crying because DS was in such a state.

We do talk about his feelings and how a film can be so clever that it makes you emotional. I'd prefer to have a sensitive little soul than the opposite anyway. Getting upset over Captain Barnacles demise is quite endearing, and exercising their emotions in a safe environment probably helps them to cope with grief and other knocks in the long run.

Also remember being horrified at the TV in school thing but now they are older I look back and realise it was really was nice quiet time for 4/5 year olds who re all at very different stages of development and generally get plenty of stimulation in class.

A lot of schools show films at lunchtime when the weather is bad maybe it was that?