We just watched Food Inc. on Netflix streaming with the kids. Even though the film only runs a few minutes past an hour and half, we took almost three hours to watch it. We’d pause to discuss topics as they came up, and I’d frequently add information that has come to light since the movie was made. Watching and discussing was a school assignment for my high school freshman, but I didn’t figure the younger ones would watch.

I couldn’t tear them away. Rose, now 9 and Christy, now 12 were glued to the TV, and asked for frequent note-taking breaks. They understood a lot more than I thought they would. But the real impact was felt by Kate, my animal lover. She was horrified, angered, frustrated, flustered and moved to tears several times throughout the film. I’ve offered all three girls space on this blog should they decide to vent some of their feelings in writing.

My oldest child still at home wasn’t with us for the viewing, but tonight at dinner she sure got an earful! I see that Kate has also put a note on her Facebook page: “Wow. It is not a pretty movie, but it is important. I have learned so much from this and what is going on that we don’t know about, just… wow.”

I was worried that she would be very, very upset by what she saw, so I checked in with her one-on-one. She said no, she was so glad she saw it, because as hard as it was to watch, now she knows why I’ve been making some of the strange decisions I’ve made lately. She has already sent notes around to her friends recommending they see it.

Her next film assignment will be FRESH, because I very much want her to see the positive that can be done once we know what we are up against, a message FRESH delivers very well.

Because of the kill floor scenes and the discussion with the mother who lost a son to e. Coli, I don’t generally recommend this movie for children or pre-teens. But, it’s important to know your child and make those decisions the best you can. And no matter what age child is viewing, discussion at each of the section breaks is something that can break down the larger issues into more understandable chunks. I also found some wonderful talking points at the Food Inc. site’s Educational Materials section.

But do watch and discuss this movie with your older kids. All that youthful exuberance is looking for an outlet: a cause on which to hang their hat. What a great thing to be motivated about!