[easyazon-image-link asin="B000F1IQNC" alt="Nanny McPhee (Full Screen Edition)" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61BHTDRA1QL._SL160_.jpg" align="left" width="104" height="160"]Nanny McPhee is about a family of seven naughty children who are quite determined not to allow their father to hire a nanny to look after them (since their mother died).  They play all sorts of naughty tricks on the nannies and behave in a terrible way to ensure that they refuse to stay.  However when Nanny McPhee enters the house, she appears to have magical powers and as she takes control, the children begin to behave and learn some important lessons.  A fun, magical film that teaches us all about the importance of love, respect and family.

14 minutes and 35 seconds into the film (for approximately 5 minutes).

The scene I have chosen shows the children mis-behaving in a terrible way.  Nanny McPhee arrives and in an effort to teach the children a lesson she uses her magic which then makes the children behave even more naughty and they find they can’t actually stop the bad things they are doing.  They soon get worried as they realise that what they are doing will mean that their baby sister will get hurt.  Nanny McPhee tells the children that the only way they can stop doing these naughty things is if they say “please” to her.  All of the children manage to say this apart from the oldest boy who refuses.   Eventually, as he sees that his sister is in danger, he forces himself to say ‘please’ and the mayhem stops and peace and calm returns.

I would use this clip to explain to the children that we all have choices in life.  Some choices are easy, such as what to wear or what to eat.  Some are more difficult and one such choice  we have is whether to choose to do right or wrong.  In the clip the children chose to be naughty as they were trying to scare the nanny away.  When they realised their sister was in danger, they had to make a choice, to say please or to carry on being naughty.  They chose to do the right thing and said please.

I would encourage the children to think about decisions they may have to make in their lives.  It could be things such as the following:

  • Whether to tell the truth or to tell a lie?
  • Whether to pay for an item or to steal it?
  • Whether to follow the other children at school and bully the child in the playground or stick up for him/her?
  • Whether to cheat in a test or not?
  • Whether to play with the child on their own in the playground or to leave them out?
  • Whether to do as your parents tell you or ignore them?

The list of choices we have to make is endless.  However a good way to think about it is to try and work out what Jesus would do in that situation.  I may then go on to talk about the WWJD (what would Jesus do) wrist bands that some people wear.

This clip could also be used when learning about characters from the bible who had a choice to make such as:

  • Eve (in the garden of Eden)
  • Judas (when he betrayed Jesus)
  • Daniel (when he chose to carry on worshipping God and risk being sent to the lions)

(there are many more too!)