Socialising Through Stories: Life Lessons from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
When my six-year-old son recently watched Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace, I didn’t just see him enjoy the pod races or lightsaber duels. I saw him experiencing a full spectrum of emotions hope, love, excitement, and even despair through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. As a parent, I realised how powerful stories can be in socialising children, helping them understand complex emotions and values that shape their relationships with the world. Hope: A Light in the Darkness One of the strongest themes in The Phantom Menace is hope. My son was captivated by Anakin Skywalker’s journey a boy not much older than he is, with dreams of making a difference. Anakin belief that he could free himself and his mother from slavery resonated deeply. Through Anakin, my son learned that hope means holding onto possibility, even when the odds are stacked against you. It opened a conversation between us about how, in life, hope drives us to do the impossible, whether it’s making a new frie...