• 5 Ways to Use Wonder Woman to Teach Values to Your Kids

    Plus, five more movies with strong female characters you can watch with your kids.
    by Rachel Perez .
    IMAGE Warner Bros.
  • It's been a week since Wonder Woman opened in theaters, and it still rules the box office. If you haven't seen it, we suggest you do now and go ahead and bring the kids. Critics (and the Internet) have been raving about it, and it's not surprising. It's the first superhero movie (we've had a lot of those in the past years) that centers on a female protagonist, Diana Prince. An Amazonian demigod, she's someone our little girls can look up to, sans her superpowers. It's also the first female-lead movie directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. And the star, Gal Gadot, is just an awesome human being (the mom of two actually did reshoots while she was pregnant!)  

    But aside from wanting to emulate Wonder Woman's fighting prowess and fashion style, it's important to talk to your kids about the film's message. Here's are five conversation starters, based on Common Sense Media's blog by Betsy Bozdech, to help you talk to kids about values:

    1. What did you love most about the movie? What makes Diana a good role model for kids especially young girls? 

    2. How did Wonder Woman demonstrate compassion, empathy, and courage? Do you think those traits are important?

    3. What about the other characters? How did they show teamwork? What qualities did you like the most in Steve Rogers?

    4. Do you think the movie has too much violence? What did you think about Amazons and their costumes?

    5. The movie is set in the past, but how do you think you can be like Wonder Woman today?

    Your discussion will depend on your child's answers to these questions, of course. Most girls get the message without feeding it to them. Here's an example of the Wonder Woman effect on girls from its director. 


    More from Smart Parenting

    You can ask your children to refer to strong women in movies your kids have seen in the past to make comparisons. Strong female characters such as Moana, Merida, Elsa and Anna of Frozen, Mulan, Judy Hopps of Zootopia, and the like, are the usual picks. Here are some live-action movies you can rent or stream online. 


    She's a unique and special little girl who felt unloved by her family because she's different. She learned to be independent early on, and fought for what she believes is right. 

    The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

    Four young girl friends find their own paths growing up. Their friendship is tested as they spend summer break separately, with only a pair of pants that each fit them perfectly to keep them in touch.  

    Bend it Like Beckham

    Jess wants to play football, but wasn't allowed to because she's a girl. However, she didn't let that stop her from achieving her dreams,. when one scout gives her the chance to live her dream. 

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    A League of Their Own

    The men fighting in war led to a candy-maker starting the very first women's baseball league. Many women sign up and eventually wins the fight to continue playing when the fighting ceased. Another point to make here: the perks of a sisterhood. 

    Hidden Figures

    Other than the three protagonists being women of color, this movie tells the true story of how women were instrumental in sending the first person to the moon. 

    Granted, these are movies with strong female protagonists; boys can learn a lot from them, too. So go ahead and rent or stream these movies and add then to your must- watch family movies. 


    Find more movies with strong female role models here

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