Parents' Guide to Sofia the First: The Curse of Princess Ivy

Here's further evidence of Disney's remarkable skill in crafting characters and stories that blend quality entertainment and positive messages kids can relate to their own lives. The story begins with a familiar-sounding sibling spat caused by Amber's jealousy, follows her rationale behind defying Sofia's wishes, and explores the consequences of her actions, none of which are good. Similarly, it reminds kids that when you do something wrong, it's up to you to make them right, and that's not always as simple as apologizing. Because it's so easy even for young kids to see how her misdeed causes such mayhem, the lessons about honesty and respect for others become evident to them as well. Even the substory of Princess Ivy's background reflects this same theme, giving viewers yet another example of positive vs. negative relationships.

But The Curse of Princess Ivy isn't just about teaching your tots how to get along with others. It's also about adventure, and spunky Sofia always makes sure there's plenty of that to go around. The girls' pursuit of Princess Ivy and the amulet takes them far from Enchancia, where they meet new friends and even get some help from Rapunzel in their quest to save the kingdom. Along the way there are fun new songs, comical characters, and multiple opportunities for them to solve problems. All in all, this movie is a fun way to spend some shared screen time with your little ones.