Connect Corner: Pixar’s Soul: Discussing Life and Death with Children

The acclaimed Pixar movie Soul boldly addresses existential questions about life, death, personality, and purpose. Delivered through a childfriendly medium, the film explores mature concepts that, for young audiences, may be their first acknowledgement of mortality. It may be daunting for parents to address their children’s questions of spirituality and death directly after the film. For parents who may be unsure themselves about what awaits them after death, these issues may be particularly confusing to navigate. Drawing from child psychiatry perspectives, we hope to provide some initial age-appropriate guidance for these difficult questions.