Another year down at the Oscars. Frozen won. (Of course it did. The music, the story, the fabulous gown that Elsa wears…) And as much as we are in love with it, every parent is sick of hearing their adorable little kids sing about Frozen, talk about Frozen, dress like Frozen and act out scenes from Frozen (ok maybe I’ve egged it on). We get it. It’s a hit (hitting the $1 BILLION made worldwide mark on Oscar Sunday, yeah it’s a hit).
But the biggest and most latest reason why this movie all about ‘fear’ is a hit? It got my 3 year old to conquer the current fear in her little life… all because something “looked like Frozen” (that’s a quote).
Who’s scared of a cute pony? My LadyP. Gotta love her. Every pony-riding opportunity – until this past Oscar weekend – was a big fat flop for us. Parties, fairs, you name it… all yielded the same (predictable) results: Jumping and running and pointing and “MAMA I WANNA RIDE THE PONIES!!!” the second she sees them. So (every time) we buy the tickets, we wait in the line… and then we panic and cry and run the other way the minute the gate opens and it’s our turn to enter the corral. Money spent, time wasted… me wondering why my always-independent and too-opinionated tot can’t seem to muster up the courage to get on a horsey. After all, her little sister did it at 1-and-a-half, 1-and-three-quarters and 6-days-until-I’m-2 without hesitation.
If little sister does it, why can’t big sister do it? As a mom, it breaks my heart to see my older girl scared of things. Like any parent, I want her to confidently (and safely) jump into life, park her tush on the saddle, grab it by the reigns in her own way and gallop into the sunset. Are most 3 and a half year olds scared of ponies? Am I raising a ‘fraidy cat? Is that just her personality? Maybe that’s why Frozen struck such a chord with families: No parent wants to see their kids frozen with fear. No parent wants to be frozen by fear. You bet I was geared up to watch the Frozen-fest Oscar Sunday, with Idina Menzel (or, Adele Dazem) letting her big voice rip.
I remember when I used to cover the Oscars as a reporter: As incredible and dream-like as it was, I was always a little bit scared. Some years more than others. Scared my questions wouldn’t be good enough, scared I wouldn’t look like I belonged there, scared I’d mess up on live TV, scared I’d be freezing, scared I’d never get there again (this last one still lives on a bit as it’s been five whole years, but I’m keeping it in check). I have vivid memories of ‘refocusing’ my fears into positive energy. Elsa’s song ‘Let It Go’ resonates so deeply for anyone at any age because we all have fear, we all must fight it. And even though my girls are so young, I find myself trying to fight their fears back… even if it is just about pony rides. LadyP has been frozen by what she thinks will happen if she sits on that horse. There’s nothing to be afraid of… just have fun, I’d say. (Words I wish I would’ve taken more to heart for those things that froze me years ago…)
But when we came face to face with a pony that “looked like Frozen” — her fear melted away.
Really? This is all it took? A pony with a glittery blue mane?!? Geez. She let her fear go. I was so proud of her. Thank you Elsa. (Let’s not mention how I also realized that, standing in horse poop, I was decked in Stuart Weitzman heels and an evening gown at the most famous red carpet of all just a few years ago. How life ebbs and flows…)
But seriously: Any movie that affects parents and kids by making us cry, laugh, sing, blast the soundtrack in our car, embrace our own lives and inspire us to face and conquer our fears together, is a WIN. Finally getting my little girl on a horse (tears-free!) is worth a couple of Oscars and a billion bucks, at least. That’s what I call fabulous.
HOW DO YOUR KIDS CONQUER THEIR FEARS?