TV Shows & Movies for Your Sensitive Child

Hi all! It has been a while. I decided to write a post about this topic, because I have searched and could not find a whole lot of information on good shows or movies for sensitive children. My daughter did not start watching anything until after she was 2, closer to 2 1/2 actually. I only allow her to watch a show or movie once or twice a week at most. She is a sensitive child, and very affected by anything she sees or hears, so I have always had to be very careful about what she watches. I will get right to it. These are the movies and shows that I have found that are great for kids between 3 and 5 years old. Also, as a bonus, all of these shows can be found on either Netflix or Youtube (as I am not a huge fan of commercials either.) So, here is my list of shows first:

• Guess How Much I Love You - This is probably my favorite show for my daughter Ocean. It is based on the book by the same title. I did not love the book, but I love this show. I cannot really find anything I dislike about it. (The only thing that I could say you may find mildly obnoxious is that the mouse characters voice is a little high pitched and loud.) The show is slow moving. The characters in the show are all kind and loving to one another. The father and son nut brown hairs have a wonderful relationship dynamic. At the end of every show, they ask the question the question, "Guess how much I love you?" Then, give each other hugs and go to sleep. Very sweet.
  
   
• Reading Rainbow- Just recently added to Netflix and I was ecstatic about it when I found out! Most of us grew up on this show, so you probably already know what this show is about. There is not much I dislike about this show either. It is educational, but also fun to watch. My daughter loves books as much as toys, so she loves the fact that they read a book each episode and then at the end, they talk about books. Yay book! It's ethnically diverse, which is important to me as well. LeVar is just a fun guy to watch, and a great host. So happy to have this show available for my daughter to grow up on, as I did.
  
• Mr. Rogers Neighborhood- Just like Reading Rainbow, I am sure you know all about this show already. You can find most of the full episodes on YouTube. This is another great show that combines learning and imagination and manners. He's a genius in my opinion. 
  
• Daniel Tigers Neighborhood- This show is a spin off of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. It was made by his son I believe, but don't quote me on that. It is a sweet show for the most part. I read the episode descriptions first before having her watch this. Most episodes are good and entertaining enough. I do not like the ones where Daniel Tiger is scared or really mad. Those ones don't benefit my daughter. This one is just decent. My daughter really likes it, but it is not my favorite.
  
• The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh- This is another show I grew up on. You can find most of these episodes on YouTube. This show I have to watch with Ocean. I cannot just leave the room and expect there not to be anything scary in it. Certain episodes have "scary" things in them. Creepy characters, shadows, etc. If time allows you, I would recommend proof-watching an episode first to make sure there is nothing your child would perceive as "creepy" or "scary" in it. Also, there are certain episodes where Rabbit is excessively mean. We try not to watch those ones either. The episodes are also relatively short, so that is nice. 
  
• Puffin Rock- This is a new Netflix original series. We just discovered this one, and Ocean really enjoys it. It is slow mo, which I like. It is semi-educational and entertaining. Some characters are a little bit "mean". Overall, it is a cute show and has not been "scary" so far. Will update once we have watched a few more episodes. 
  
• Pingu- My daughter really likes this show. It is a British claymation show. They don't speak, they just makes noises. Well, they speak "penguin" I guess. This is a gentle show that is good if you are just looking for something entertaining  and slow motion. 

Movie list-

• Milo & Ottis- This is a sweet movie about a cat and dog who are friends. They get lost and have to find their way home. Overall, it is a sweet and sensitive movie. There are certain parts of the movie that she has me forward through. She does not like the night parts, as they are dark and could be perceived as a little scary. She has me forward the parts where the bear comes. He is not very nice and is always trying to kind of attack them. Also, she does NOT like the part that he jumps off the cliff into the Ocean. She screamed and cried when she watched that part, so from now on, I know to forward that part. Toward the end, both the dog and cat find "mates" and they have kittens and puppies. It is very sweet. I recommend this movie, as long as you forward those parts I mentioned, unless of course your child is ok with them. 
  
• Winnie the Pooh- There are a few Winnie the Pooh movies out there. I do not really recommend the Christmas one, the Easter one or the Piglet one. We have watched all them. The problem with the Christmas & Easter ones is that Rabbit is mean and upset for the majority of the movie. It is kind of stressful to watch, almost. The Piglet one is decent, but my daughter was really concerned about Piglet being scared. She asked to not watch that one any more. The ones that I DO enjoy are Winnie the Pooh & A Day for Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh (2011) & The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977). A Day for Eeyore is cute. He is sad like always, but at the end they throw him a birthday party and he is happy for once. I really like the 1977 Winnie the Pooh best, as it is most closely based on the books. The newer Winnie the Pooh movie in 2011 is cute, but there are a few parts that we have to forward. When they are talking at Owl's house about the "monster" they are trying to trap, we forward that part. They rest is mild enough.
  
• Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella- We love this Cinderella. It is a musical, which is always fun. What makes it ten times better is that it is a musical with Brandy & Whitney Houston! We have watched this one, I can't tell you how many times. (Just ask my husband.) Most kids would probably be fine watching this whole movie without forwarding. For my daughter, she has me forward the parts that the step sisters or step mother are talking because "they are too mean, mom." The parts where they are singing are fine though. I love this movie. 
  
• Kiki's Delivery Service- This is a pretty mellow anime about a nice witch who moves to a city. We can watch this whole movie through until the end. At the end, there is a blimp in the sky that crashes down. She does not like this part, so usually she just closes her eyes at that part. 

This is the extent of my list so far. I hope this helps you! 

Nourishing Bone Broth

Bone broth! Have you heard of it? Most likely you have considering it has become more and more popular with Paleo diet being so trendy these days. I do not consider myself paleo, I don't really like labels, but I do love bone broth! It is the first "meat" I chose to give my almost 3 year old daughter. For those of you who are not familiar, bone broth is broth made from from bones simmered in water for 24 plus hours. It is very rich in protein, minerals, gelatin, glycine, proline, and much more. It is wonderful for your gut and digestion especially. It is also great for the skin because of the collagen you are getting from the bones. How do you make this you say? There are so many variations, but this is a good guideline to use:

Carissa's Bone broth-

• Grass-fed organic (preferably local) marrow bones from lamb, deer or cow
• Vegetable scraps (This can be literally anything. Save the odds and ends of vegetables that you would normally throw away like celery ends, potato skins, whatever. You can save them in a bag in the freezer so that you can just pop it in the crock pot when you are ready to make your broth.)
• Apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar (you need 2-4 Tb. This ingredient is mandatory. It is what acts as a solvent and pulls out the calcium and minerals from the bones.)
• Medicinal mushrooms (such as chaga, reishi, shiitake, etc)
• Medicinal herbs (astragalus, nettles, ashwagandha, thyme, rosemary, etc)
• Garlic & onions
• Bay leaves
• Himalayan salt & peppercorns 
• Dried seaweed (whatever you have on hand like wakame, kelp, sea asparagus, kombu, etc)
• Egg shells (This will add additional calcium and minerals to your broth)
• Crustacean shells (very optional. Only if desired for extra trace minerals. Adds bitter flavor so only add a little.)
• Purified water

Combine everything in a crockpot. Add just enough water to cover the bones. Cook on low heat for 24-72 hours. Strain and store in refrigerator. It is important to refrigerate quickly after done cooking so that your broth does not start growing bacteria. Whatever you are not going to use within a couple days, store in freezer.

What do you like to add to your bone broth?