I am a ‘ShineBright’ Ambassador and have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.
As I mentioned previously we are huge fans of holiday movies, and this past week we enjoyed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was a great opportunity to discuss diversity and how we should treat others. I asked my 10 year old son what he thought about the way Rudolph was being treated by the other reindeers. He said it was sad that they don’t give him a chance or even try to get to know him.
I was pleased to hear him speak freely about how his thoughts on bullying. That he thinks that “bullying is dumb” and that “just because someone is different or likes different things doesn’t give anyone the right to bully them”. I also reminded him that we can make a difference by standing up against bullying by not being afraid to speak up and tell an adult when we see it happening.
Another character that experiences bullying during the movie is Hermey the Elf. His situation was a bit different because he was being bullied for wanting to become a dentist instead of making toys. It was a great opportunity to remind my children that they can choose whatever career path they want regardless of what society thinks is the norm.
After the movie, we used the free guide and resources found on the PACER website. I asked my son to fill in the star with a couple of words that describe him. I was very happy with his choices because they truly describe his awesome personality.
He also colored some activity pages that encourage kids to take a stand against anti-bullying. My son loves to draw and color so this was one of his favorite activities.
You can find all of the great resources I mentioned above on the PACER website: http://www.PACER.org/shinebright/. You may also download the Shine Bright guide which can be used in conjunction with the movie by clicking here.
Also when you purchase the eBook “The Legend of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, one dollar from each eBook purchase will be donated to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
Instead of the sugar cookies that I originally planed to make, we opted for chocolate chip cookies. It was the perfect choice for a great family movie night.
Do you discuss the topic of bullying with your children? I would love to hear your thoughts on this!
Leave a comment