Hmmm...have I done this?

I love my son. He has such a big heart... so big that it gets broken all the time. We have had him in a very protective cocoon for a very long time... is that part of the problem? Movies are what get him the most. He says he knows they aren't real... but he gets so caught up in the characters that he rarely finishes watching a movie. He gets much too upset (often in the first half hour,, twenty minutes) and we have to turn it off. He's much better with science based topics... such as Prehistoric Park. He can watch a T-Rex eat an Ornithomimus and be fine... explaining to us that T-Rex is a carnivore and that's what they do... they eat meat.

Anyhow, we have taken him to watch Curious George in the theater and we left after our son insisted that the monkey was just behaving too badly for him to watch. To this day, when the Curious George cartoon is on tv... he will only watch until the monkey starts his monkey business.

We tried to let him watch Polar Express. He loves trains, Christmas and Santa, and I thought he might be old enough now... but he was upset to see that the boy got on the train without his parents. And as soon as he found out that there were other kids without their parents... again, we had to turn it off.

Today I tried Alice in Wonderland. I know, it seems like an odd choice... but here was my thinking. I thought that it was silly enough and far fetched that he would be able to easily separate it from his life. I also was wanting him to see it because I'm hoping to use it as the theme for Alyssa's birthday and I wanted him to understand and contribute to decorating ideas.

So, I have to admit... he wasn't very fond of it from the beginning when she fell down the hole. But I pointed out that she wasn't hurt, wasn't scared and then I pointed out the silliness of the things around her. He agreed to hang in there and watch a little more. We went back and forth between him wanting to turn it off... to him laughing at the silly moments such as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum... and the singing Dodo bird.

He enjoyed the Very Merry Unbirthday song (we are hoping to celebrate Robbie's unbirthday at Alyssa's birthday party as well)... and he enjoyed the Cheshire cat. But when Alice met the Queen. That was too much.

Robbie (in tears and crying hysterically): "Turn it off... turn it off... I don't like it anymore!"

Me (not really paying attention to the movie as I am trying to direct Alyssa to something appropriate): "Are they doing something silly now?"

Robbie: (through tears): "No! No! They are just being mean! She is using her words telling them she wants to go home... and they aren't letting her!" (big sigh as he catches his breath) "They are going to lock her up!" Now he falls limp in the chair, defeated, and he just weeps.

I turned it off quickly and tried to scrape up the pieces. This is often his reaction to movies. He gets very involved in the characters. I was a little worried that I scarred my son once again, but it turned out to be something that the Wiggles were able to cure. And... he still wants to help decorate Alyssa's Wonderland... but he will "never, ever, ever watch that movie again" he claims. That's fine. I have a feeling that introducing the movie through a book would have been a much better idea.

I think that sometimes I forget that we shelter him not just because of what we don't want him to experience yet... but also because he isn't ready to experience them himself. He's a very emotional boy... we've always known that. And he lets us know when he's ready to experience new feelings and ideas. I just need to remember to slow down and listen to him more often. He's much better talking about things than seeing them on t.v. He likes his few safe shows that we allow him... and he doesn't like to venture from them.

It makes me thankful that I have the best of both worlds. I get to experience a child that knows himself and is comfortable enough to take things as they come. I also get to experience a child that has no fear and anxiously runs to experience her next success or failure... whatever it is, bring it on!