I challenged the opening day of Zootopia with 4 kids. I had seen the previews and thought it might be a sweet and funny Disney movie about “changing ourselves to what we need to be, no matter what” or “following our desires.”

It met these expectations. However, there were actually more. As I watched, I wondered: Was this Disney movie really making a political comment about prejudice, sexism, racism, and xenophobia? Did they really try this?

Sure they did. My first trace was a refined joke at first when the heroine, a determined and hardworking bunny named Judy Hopps, shows up for her first day on the job as a police officer. She is known as “cute” by the dispatcher, a cheetah named Clawhauser, and Judy replies, “Ooh, you probably didn’t get it. However, a bunny can name another cute bunny, however when different animals do it, it’s something … “

I appeared on the other side of the theater. Did people understand that? Was that really a line just for me, a black lady, about what could be said within a gang, but not without it? Certainly, was that a problem?

But it surely wasn’t. The movie turned out to be explicitly about biases of all kinds, from unconscious biases to a “we don’t serve your kind” angle and the deliberate cultivation of concern for political energy. It speaks of our heated local political climate, however imperfectly. He did this with compelling characters and echoing phrases we regularly use in conversations about race and prejudice: “Okay, I didn’t imply it,” “Don’t be picky,” “They shouldn’t be here.”

Now, I’m not saying that the movie is ideal. There is something really disturbing about the best way animals are classified in response to their biology, and some revert to their inherent “savagery.” Also, the connection between prejudice within the film and real-world racism will not be completely clear; Zootopia doesn’t have much to say about power or exploitation.

Perhaps, therefore, many of the writings on Zootopia range from “that’s the perfect racial comment” to “that’s the worst.” It is neither, for my part. For you, a Disney movie to do all the work of explaining prejudice to your young people for you, then this is not. Zootopia is not an ideal movie about prejudice, however, it is a good alternative so that you can talk about these points together with your children.

You should actually see Zootopia with them, and it’s good to talk about it later. Teachers can do the same in the classroom.

Many children over the age of 9 will simply have the ability to understand descriptions of biases and prejudices; they generally perceive the parallels. However, the analysis means that even children under the age of five will have the ability to recognize ideas of bias and prejudice. The vast majority of young people who watch this movie will understand the “injustice” and the lack of justice in it. So we, as adults, can also help them make direct connections to the world around us. In my thesis analysis, I found that children who have been in a higher position to establish prejudice once they noticed it in movie clips had Mom and Dad who had been serving them, who had a sense of prejudice. These children, in turn, had extra-racial friends and general accusations of prejudice diminished.

You can start with language like this: “I wonder what you’ve observed. Have you ever handled that approach? Have you ever handled others with that approach?” From there, you should use Zootopia to teach no less than three classes to young people on prejudice. (Warning: some spoilers ahead!)

1. Stereotypes hurt everyone

The language of stereotypes is used explicitly within the film, such as when Officer Clawhauser apologizes for calling Judy “cute.” So we can ask the children if they know what a stereotype is, encouraging them to give you examples. The previous 5-12 months in our group said, “Yeah, like when young people assume that I can’t do the bars fast because I’m a lady or because I’m little.” That is precisely it. We can also help them to perceive that stereotypes are typically true about some people, however they are definitely not always true for all people.

The movie quite astutely reveals how stereotypes can harm both the people who are stereotyping and the people who are being stereotyped. Judy is stereotyped, but she also stereotypes different characters. She is initially fooled by a kind and meek lamb, who (spoiler alert!) Later appears to be the movie’s villain.

Within the typical kids movie, the wild and dark creatures are almost always the dangerous guys and the small and furry are the big ones. Not so in Zootopia, where animals are rarely what they seem, and the lesson will be repeated over and over again that considering through stereotypes can lead you to dangerous conclusions and even put you at risk.

2. Prejudice is unfair

That’s the next step: Prejudice is when stereotypes are used to treat people differently. That’s where young people often go for the “not true” part of their understanding. There are many scenes in the movie where prejudice occurs. The prejudice forces Judy to work as a maid as a substitute for the job for which she was educated.

There is a remarkably unhappy flashback scene when one of the most important characters, fox con artist Nick Wilde, is about to become part of a “scout cub” animal. He’s excited that foxes are often not allowed in this exercise, and he’s worked hard to get the group hooked. Different animals lure him downstairs to start him; However, as a substitute, they tease him and inform him that he is in no way allowed to hitchhike. They actually muzzle him.

It’s a ruthless description of exclusion, and it will definitely resonate with children’s experiences of not being included. It’s a remarkable scene to ask, “Do you remember once they didn’t leave Nick out of their group? What did you focus on in that? Have you ever felt that approach? Did someone not allow you to join a gang as a result? Of them? They had a stereotype about you, did you think that you were just a thing that you weren’t? Sure, that’s a prejudice. “

By talking about these scenes and using the language of young people about heartfelt therapy, we can really help our children establish greater prejudice when it takes place. We can also help them empathically bond with those who are the target of prejudice. We will ask them how they feel about handling that approach and encourage them to consider cases where they possibly handled others with prejudicial methods. The idea here is not to make children feel responsible, but to help them put on someone else’s shoes and start establishing habits that they should change.

3. We will fight against prejudice, and people can change

Zootopia’s characters don’t just see discrimination, they fight it too. You will be able to highlight the methods they use, which incorporate the home connection, and talk about what is happening with associates. The film positively conveys how members of a stereotypical group should normally “work twice as hard” to achieve the same result as others. This concept is taken as a right in many households: members will encounter limitations that lead them to challenge stereotypes or persuade others that they are worthy. However, for some young people (and some adults), this is probably a completely new concept. It also reveals how “working twice as hard” is not an ideal technique, regardless of her hard work, Judy continues to be discriminated against.

Can individuals develop and alter? Zootopia’s answer is safe; however, change is not easy. The film reveals quite a bit of battle, even between partners. Using these conflicts, he explores the harsh concept of “ally”, the method of supporting people who face prejudices and building relationships beyond those who share our social identities. We will use the dot “ally” with our children, using Judy and Nick as examples.

In Zootopia, Judy and Nick become allies. They hurt each other and make mistakes, but they also forgive and decide to work collectively to overcome prejudices. In fact, among the best methods, we can illustrate that this means to evolve and help each other is to embrace it ourselves, thus modeling our children. How often do your children see that you connect with people who are different from you in race, sexuality, or class, to name just a few? Do they see you cooperating, having fun?

Being a good mother, these parenting tips will help you raise your children the right way.

This is probably probably the most valuable lesson contained in Zootopia: By connecting through our variations, we can make the world a more fabulous place. That’s what Judy the bunny and Nick the fox learn to do, and your kids can be taught to do it too, along with your help.