I am a firm believer that film can teach important lessons to kids and that’s why my wife, the Beautiful AP, and I love to show movies to our two grandkids, John is 11 and Danielle is nine.
Let me say first that my wife was an extraordinary teacher and I value her insightful expertise on anything to do with educating kids. I am with due modesty one of the greatest teachers who ever lived. So the two of us know what we’re doing.
We show our grandkids movies we think will educate them in the best of all possible ways.
Take the film Heat starring two of our favorite actresses Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Even though it was rated a solid “R” our grandkids understood the plot of this movie and seriously loved this flick, as Melissa McCarthy was a boiling comedic swamp of a character that cursed, swore and used all manner of crude language. The sexual innuendos flew fast and furious. The grandkids loved it.
“This is such a funny film,” said Grand AP, my wife.
“Oh, yes,” I said. “I agree completely.”
“John,” asked Grand AP. “What do you think of this film?”
“Well, I find that it has great cursing and vile language. It’s everything my father and mother are preventing me from seeing except I watch stuff on the Internet when I am at my friends’ houses,” John opined.
“I think it’s funny. The fat lady is really funny when she curses,” said the nine-year- old.
I could see that this movie was having a profound effect on them.
“Just do me a favor,” I said to them. “Don’t tell your parents what we’re showing you; they might not understand, okay?”
“You got it,” said John laughing at the latest disgusting quip by McCarthy.
“No problem,” said Danielle. “I like ‘R’ rated movies like this one. Our parents won’t let us watch any of these.”
The Beautiful AP and I smiled; our grandkids were learning an important lesson as we babysat them this night. Film can be fun…and educational.
Of course, John has a habit of not being able to keep a secret while Danielle is like a locked box; you have to pry stuff out of her.
As soon as Greg, our son, and Dawn, our daughter-in-law came home, John rushed over to them. “Dad, Mom, Grandpa Scobe and Grand AP showed us an ‘R’ rated movie! It was great.”
“Really?” said Greg looking at me.
“Danielle did you like the movie?” asked Dawn.
Danielle remained mute. (That’s my girl!)
“What movie did they see?” asked Greg.
“A very educational one,” I said.
“Very educational,” said the Beautiful AP.
“With a lot of cursing,” added John.
I wonder why we haven’t gotten many calls to babysit lately.
[Read Frank Scoblete’s book Confessions of a Wayward Catholic. Available from Amazon.com, kindle, Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores.]