[Maram68]

I was today again confronted with my geek-raising techniques :

Did I tell you about the time Mara (6 ½ years old ) was with me in the car, saw the sunset and commented: "A red sunset ... blood has been spilled today ..." (for comparison, quote Leggy’s lines as the three travelers run on the plains of Rohan)?

That one was a shocker, believe me!

This morning, Mara woke up and asked me to set the dvd player so she could watch TTT EE. (I know the LOTR movies aren’t recommended for anyone younger than 13).

I told her, "Sure honey, it’s in Spanish, you will understand everything the elves say."

She replied: "MOM, elves speak ELVISH!" and put me to shame.

Then she started watching and was telling the story to Camila (3 years old, who loves hobbits!) and in between asking stuff like : "Mom, Gandalf became the White guy because he slew the fire-monster right?"

Now, I would like to clarify that I never translated the movie to my kids, it is the first time they watched it in Spanish, and I surely don’t have the time to have them learning the Tolkien trilogy by heart ... so WTF?

Am I creating little monsters? And no they don’t get Orc nightmares ...

To my dismay, Mara’s favorite characters are Legolas and Arwen.

So ... what is wrong or right with my kids?

[Hathor]

[Leila]

It was an adult friend, named Hope, who got me reading the books. She lent me her copies saying that maybe one day I would understand why she loved the books so much (not in those words). I do now. But I haven't spoken to her lately ( ). (She used to work for my mother, is now retired.)
My father is the one who got me started watching the movies. Went to see first two with him, but wont be seeing him til about March so will have to hope will be able to go see 3rd one with him.

[Thuriniel]

Your kids sound adorable, Claudia, and I don't think there's anything wrong with you or them!

My daughter (6) is not much into the movies, although she likes to watch them as long as I skip the Orc parts. She knows who Legolas is, and Frodo and Sam, and Aragorn, and recognizes the music whenever I play the soundtracks in the car. She was quite confused with the elves, however. Once she saw Dobby in HP she asked me why Dobby and Legolas are both elves but look so different !

My son is 3. He watches both FotR and TTT in a regular basis. He loves the scene of Gandalf fighting the Balrog, he squeals when Frodo greets Gandalf in the Shire, as well as when Gandalf lets out the fireworks. He thinks the Oliphaunts and the Ents are the coolest and calls Gollum "the little monster." His favorite characters? Frodo and Sam. We have him recorded in camera saying "Frodo ith cool and tho ith Tham." He has a lisp, cannot pronounce his "s's" too well, which makes him even more adorable (OK, I'm gushing, but he's my baby!).

I think that if this sort of influence makes them want to read the books later on, as I hope it happens as well with Harry Potter (both my kids are HUGE HP fans), then I'm all for it. I'm a firm believer that establishing good reading habits in kids since they're young is a must, and if these movies are the means to the end, so be it ... I know I greatly enjoy watching them with my little ones, so I'm not complaining !

Maria

[queenoftheshire]

Sounds like you have a couple of smart kids on your hands. Encourage thier interest in Lord of the Rings and wonderful things can come of it. Most six year olds are just starting to read in don't really have much comprehension of it, but to watch Lord of the Rings, an utterly complicated book and movie, and recalling much of what is in it is extraordinary! Plus the vocabularuy seems to be rubbing off on them as well. I say theres alot of things RIGHT with your daughters. You might even want to consider reading them The Hobbit to start off with and going on the Lord of the Rings if they enjoy it.

[SilverMoonLady]

I am glad to see other parents who introduce such great literature to their kids, even young, as I am one of them! I read The Hobbit to my little ones starting six months ago, and have gone straight into LOTR with them as well. They refuse to go to bed without hearing "another 6 pages!!" My daughter (4) keeps picking my brains for all the little facts about Strider and Frodo (her favorites), and keeps asking for new "5 minute stories" about "little Pip", random little life-lesson bits I make up to keep them awake in the car or to settle them down before naptime.. And of course, she requested a sword and armor the minute she heard that ladies could also go chop up orcs! She really likes the Hildebrandt painting of Eowyn slaying the fell beast:) All three of them really like the party scene in Fellowship, especially the fireworks.
I certainly can't wait until they are all old enough to really appreciate and discuss both movies and books, and maybe even explore some fanfiction writing.... Hope we're all still here by then! (My littles are 4, 3 and 3) There is so much to be learned and enjoyed in this Middle Earth we've been given, and there are so few good influences to counter the carelessness, apathy and violence in our culture today... These books say it is important to care and to do the right thing, even if it is hard, even if it is painful. Children need to know that.
But enough babbling.... Glad we share the love and pass it on!

[GlorfindelsGirl]

Nothing wrong with introducing Tolkien at a young age at all. Just be glad that you now have Peter Jackson's film trilogy and don't have to subject them to Bakshi's animated Lord of the Rings, or the animated version of the Hobbit (both of which, I may add, I was practically raised on! And, though loath to admit it, I still love the films in some twisted way.).

As far as reading the books to your children, I think it is a wonderful idea. My dad started reading the Hobbit to me before I could even walk, so my love of Tolkien was something I did not have much choice in. In fact, the first books I remember reading as a child were "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". In addition, I think that Tolkien's literature can really serve as a great introduction to the Classics, as the language and writing style are nearly as complex as anything you're likely to encounter in Dickens or Bronte.

In short: Rock on, Tolkien-Mom. The world always needs more Tolkien freaks.

Cheers.
GG

[ilistine]

My mother begged me to read the books, but I was into my horse stories and such. I had to see both FoTR and TT and be out of reading material to finally take up the challenge of reading LoTR. I am a voracious reader and went to mom's house (right around the corner from my own) to snag a few books from her library, I was bragging about how I had just read Pride and Prejudice in 1 day when she thew the huge LoTR book at me and said "read this in 1 day", suffice to say it took me 8. I fell in love and my darling daughters Renee 5 and Emily 3 have fallen with me. I have not shown them these films because I feel they are too violent and we shelter our daughters from violence, (I still watch Helms Deep between my fingers over my eyes), So they have learned from pictures and the story told in a censored fashion. Renee loves Galadriel and wants to be her, even asking for me to print a picture of her and the ring she wears out for her, she put it on the wall above her bed. My little pistol Emily has declared that she is Eowyn, and she sure is. We have begun to read the Hobbit together and so far they love it, it is fantastic to have a few pictures to show them of Bilbo's home and hobbits, I even considered showing them the first movie scenes of Hobbiton, so they can relate to what I am reading. Wish me luck I am reading them the Hobbit while I traverse the history in the Silmarillion. Hey who knows maybe we'll raise a new generation of Elvish speaking, merry making, epic story loving people. Ilistine

[SilverMoonLady]

"Hey who knows maybe we'll raise a new generation of Elvish speaking, merry making, epic story loving people. Ilistine"

Hear Hear!! I think the world could use that!!!