Here's a Surprising Pick for Family Movie Night

We just wrapped up the third full week of first grade.

These early school mornings are for the BIRDS.

It takes at least three tries to get Abby out of bed every morning, I feel like I’m running a military school getting her ready to leave on time, and as soon as we get home from work we have to start making dinner. This leaves zero time for a proper family dance party before the dinner-bathtime-storytime-bedtime routine starts.

So when Friday came this week, we were all THRILLED.

We celebrated with pizza and a family movie night with our family’s favorite movie.

Photo by Personal Creations via Flickr

This Movie Might Surprise You

This movie probably isn’t a typical pick for a family with small kids because of a few curse words.

But we figure that Abby will hear bad words anyway, so we’d rather be there when she hears them to teach her what they are and when they’re appropriate – before she hears them from other kids and they have an aura of the forbidden about them, making them irresistible.

Not to mention I’ve been known to slip up myself. (Although I’ve recently discovered that the Blu-Ray edition has a family-friendly audio track minus the curse words.)

The movie?

We Bought a Zoo.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more of a sap.

So this feel-good, heartwarming movie makes me cry. A LOT.

The sad parts, the intense parts, even the happy parts.

The Best Part

I’ve always loved this quote from the movie. This time with career change on the horizon, it hit home even more.

"You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." - Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo

But here’s my new favorite part.

16-month-old Bailey played LEGOs on the living room floor while the rest of us watched a movie we already know by heart.

When the lion roared for the first time, Bailey looked up, eyes wide, and roared right back – then went back to her LEGOs.

Want More?

For more family-friendly movie night picks, check out 10 Best Dad Movies for Family Movie Night and 10 Universal Parenting Truths You Learn From Kids’ Movies. Follow my Pinterest board Quotes & Smartness for more awesome quotes.

Your Turn

What’s your favorite movie for family movie night? Share your pick in a comment below!

Hi, I'm Kelly. I'm a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. So let's stop trying to be perfect parents and just be real ones. Sound good? Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you'll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles.