Goodbye Christopher Robin: A Lesson In Parenting

This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions are my own.

As I grabbed a hand full of popcorn my eyes played witness to a imaginative story of perseverance, work ethic and lessons in parenting. What initially sparked my interest was eventually lost in the distinctive characters that tugged on heart strings with their witty sense of humor and emergent temperaments. In an instant, my perception of the Winnie-the-Pooh books that drove my childhood was forced into maturity by the back story of the movie. My eyes then filled with tears as I was forced to confront my roles as mom and blogger thanks to the Oscar worthy portrayal of the bruised family relationships that filled the theater.

MOVIE INFO

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN gives a rare glimpse into the relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) and his son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston), whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie-the-Pooh.  Along with his mother Daphne (Margot Robbie), and his nanny Olive (Kelly Macdonald), Christopher Robin and his family are swept up in the international success of the books; the enchanting tales bringing hope and comfort to England after the First World War.   But with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, what will the cost be to the family?

MEET A. A. MILNE “BLUE”

Mr. Milne’s was the head of his house hold. A husband and father who suffered from PTSD, post World War. He was also a creative, recognized for his great work. Just like bloggers he was forced to write and give his audience the next best thing! However, his characters exemplify’s perseverance when he’s forced to raise his son alone, fight PTSD and serve as inspiration to the world. Finding himself in a creative rut, bonding time with his son later served as hope and happiness to the world when they needed it the most. The product? The magical world of Winnie-the-Pooh!

MEET DAPHNE

She was Christopher Robin’s biological mom, yet she lost her battle to Nou, Christopher Robin’s nanny from the start. She appeared to be more attracted to the social life rather than being a mom. You could tell from the way she kept her son at arm’s length unless it was the instances upon which she gifted him the stuffed characters that inspired this kid’s classic. What causes moms like me to struggle with favoring her character is that she admittedly offers the audience her vulnerability as she confesses to only having a baby to make Blue happy. To add insult to injury, she later confirms that she wanted  a girl and not a boy. As a result, she dressed young Christopher Robin in girly garbs. Could this confession be the reason she threw in her mommy towel? It’s hard to decipher because we’re forced to emphasize with her feelings of being scared to lose her son to war. Could this be the reason she hoped so diligently for a girl? I’m not sure that we’ll ever know. The one trait of hers that kept her in my saving grace was that like a good wife, she pushed her husband to produce and to be his best.

MEET CHRISTOPHER ROBIN

Christopher Robin was a boy who was raised by his nanny, known as Nou. He was later forced into being raised alone by his father when Nou took an extended leave of absence to attend to her sick mother. What served as bonding time with his father later turned into their personal moments being shared with the world. Using the forest behind their home as their playground and the stuffed animals gifted to him by Daphne to fill the gaps, awesome memories sparked an idea in Blue that almost costed him their relationship. Christopher Robin was forced to take on press, media appearances, interviews, photo shoots and other rewards for his role in the Winnie-the-Pooh classics. Later growing unhappy with all the attention he realized that his relationship with his father had changed and that their sacred moments were no longer just theirs.

Between the reassurance from his father that he would no longer produce the material and the permanent leave of Nou who left for new beginnings with the love of her life, his world had changed as he knew it. He was shipped off to boarding school and left to experience the repercussions of being a celebrity by being picked on for many years by bully’s. He grew up resenting his family, leaving the audience with the ultimate message of wanting them above all the fame and fortune.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE

“This was all ours wasn’t it? Before it was anyone’s elses.”

Blue asked “What did you want?” Christopher Robin sadly responded, “I wanted you.”

“Find the thing that makes you happy and stick with it.”

MY LESSON IN PARENTING

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is a much needed reminder that our children should come before our social status. I’m often guilty of looking at every experience my family encounters as a blogging opportunity instead of living in the moment. The quick videos and repeat poses truly steals the purity of those moments that should matter the most. In an age where social media has grown in popularity we as parents unknowingly allow strangers to become apart of our children’s lives. We allow them to watch them grow from babies, to toddlers, to young kids sharing mile stones and personal moments that should be sacred. As a result, we’re robbing our children of their privacy, innocence and childhood.

As a blogger whose niche is family and lifestyle I do find my children at the forefront of my social shares. When they were smaller they didn’t quite understand why this was so. Now that they are older I never miss the opportunity to explain to them the who, what, when, where and why’s. Although I do find some reluctance from them to cooperate sometimes just as with Christopher Robin, I’ve learned how to pull back. I’ve learned that less is indeed more. During our experiences, I found that by getting the photos and videos done first it leaves us more time to focus and  just live in the moment. I don’t take it personal on their bad days and I don’t force them to participate.

I do believe that there is a tasteful way to still accomplish your social goals while still allowing your children to live in their truth. It’s all about balance! Sometimes its difficult to distinguish engagement and authenticity from sharing too much. Unlike A. A. Milne, it’s important to find that balance before it’s too late.  This movie is another example of how endowment and riches come with a hefty price tag. Everything has a hidden cost. What will be yours?




GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is a great family film, go see it! I think it’s safe to say that my childhood will indeed continue to live on through the tales of Winnie the Pooh.

“An extraordinary imagination can bring wonder to the world”

What are you waiting for!?! GO OWN YOUR FANCY!