“La Luna ” – A Short Film About Listening To Our Children More

“La Luna” (the moon) is a fantastic short film from Pixar Animations that teaches us the value of listening to our children more. 

Do not hesitate to share these five minutes of animation with the little ones in the house. What catches us most from the beginning of the short film are the main character’s eyes,  shaped and as bright as the moon, full of dreams, hopes and incredible things to teach his family.

During your time as a mom or dad, you have probably never hesitated to guide your children towards learning about everything around them through your own experience. You teach them to walk across the street, to respect nature, to plant a seed, and to see how the moon orbits the earth, just as the earth orbits the sun.

But… have you stopped to think about all that your child is capable of learning? Some people mistakenly believe that adults “already know everything” and that a child’s mind and brain are only prepared to receive information, not give it. It’s a mistake.

The magic of free thought is full of possibilities, and something that our children can give us every day.

“The Moon” is an exceptional short film that shows us these little details.

The short film begins with a test of fire. We meet the child’s family – his father and grandfather – who make a quiet boat trip every day to a very specific place. At this very moment, the son is accompanying his father. Finally, the time has come for him to learn the family profession.

They even give him an old sailing hat because he is now part of the group, part of a small expedition of brave men who take care of a very special task every day: to sweep the moon free from all the stars that land at that time of night.

However, Dad and Grandpa run into a problem. They find a star so large that they do not know how to remove it from the moon’s surface. Broomsticks, the tools they used for generations, are now useless.

But the little boy does not hesitate to climb the star. He is like the Little Prince who explores his own planet, comes up with ideas and makes plans, with a mind free and full of possibilities, just like all children.

Grandpa and Dad do not trust the child to solve their problems. How could he? They are experts and have accomplished this important task for decades. To the surprise of the adults, however, the child succeeds, which illustrates that we need to listen to our children more.

• Children often use a mindset that adults miss. It is called lateral thinking: they see reality in a less rigid way and from a perspective that is so broad and creative that we can only capitulate to it.

• Adults have experience, but it is important not to lose our inner child, who is capable of taking in reality from a broader perspective.
• We should listen to our children, because they have a lot to teach us. They are a new generation, and childhood is not about a lack of abilities, but a treasure chest full of opportunities that parents should promote by having trust and listening.

Children always use life to create a much better world, as long as we can create the right environment and above all respect and enhance all their dreams, abilities and talents, no matter who they are.

Each child is unique and exceptional. They all carry their own moon in their eyes, and therefore we must listen to our children and trust them, so that they can reach the stars that life hides from them. Do not hesitate to enjoy the fantastic short film “La Luna” with your children.