Five lessons about bullying kids can learn from the villains of PJ Masks

Based on the Les Pyjamasques book series by Romuald Racioppo, PJ Masks teaches preschoolers many problem-solving skills, how to be thoughtful and helpful, and how to work as a team.

It can be shocking and upsetting to learn that your child has got in trouble for picking on others or been labelled a bully or been bullied. As parents it is hard to always get your children to open up to you, and the hope is that the media they consume will help them deal with everyday life problems.

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Disney has a reputation for quality kids’ shows, and this one is no exception. PJ Masks is about a cute crime-fighting trio of preschoolers who deal with the everyday challenge of working with others while defeating pint-sized villains Luna Girl, Night Ninja and Romeo.

By day, six-year-olds Connor, Amaya and Greg go to school like everyone else. But when they put on their pajamas and activate their animal amulets, they magically transform into their dynamic superhero alter-egos and become the PJ Masks.

Romeo, with his genius and mischievous gadgets, is always trying to capture the PJ Masks and take over the world. He loves playing pranks on people and looking for ways to destroy the superheroes.

Luna Girl wants all the daytime things for herself and she’ll have a terrible tantrum if she doesn’t get her way. With the moths by her side, she takes to the skies on her Luna Board on a mission to steal the fun things away from children.

The back-flipping Ninja wants to show everyone that he’s the best at everything. Even his team of Ninjalino’s must make sure they step in line and let him lead the way on a mission to take the greatest assets of the city – like the PJ Masks HQ.

Here are five lessons your little ones can learn from PJ Masks as they watch Gekko, Owlette and Catboy defeat the villains and save the day:

Lesson 1: Don’t take what does not belong to you

It's show-and-tell day at school. Amaya brings a statue known as the Giving Owl, which her aunt gave her, a figurine of an owl flying over the moon. When the kids arrive in class, they find the items for show-and-tell have been taken. Luna Girl has been searching for the prettiest items for her lair, and the PJ Masks have their hands full when the villain travels to Amaya's house to steal her Giving Owl statue. Luna won’t stop, even though she can see how unhappy it makes the children. The PJ Masks eventually defeat her, reinforcing the message that stealing from others just won’t fly.

Lesson 2: Two wrongs don’t make a right

The episode Owlette’s Two Wrongs focuses on showing that two wrongs do not make a right and helps children understand that getting angry is never a solution. It's the annual school art show and everyone's thrilled to show off their creativity. But the clay creations have all been taken - except for Amaya's Flossy Flash statue, which was broken when it was knocked over. The PJ Masks discover that Night Ninja is making his own statue and hiding everyone else's artwork. Amaya seeks to get back at the Night Ninja, but soon finds that her approach just makes things worse.

Lesson 3: Name calling is never nice

There is some name calling on the part of the villains, especially by naughty Romeo. When Romeo does not get his way, he uses mean words like “bird-brain”, “bozo”, “PJ pests”, and “losers” to hurt the PJ Masks trio. In one episode, Romeo plans to steal their voices to use them in his naughty crimes, and Gekko is too scared to speak up and tell Romeo it is wrong. But as a team, the PJ Masks defeat Romeo and teach him that you do not have to be mean to get people to talk to you.

Lesson 4: Care about other people first

In Beat the Drum Catboy, Connor is excited about leading the big parade. But Connor's drum has gone missing and the parade floats have been painted over. Night Ninja plots to claim the parade as his own, and the PJ Masks must stop him. Ninja just won’t accept that it is okay to share and put others first. With some team work and special powers, the team puts an end to Night Ninja’s plan.

Lesson 5: Have confidence in your own abilities

In Gekko's Super Gekko Sense, Greg feels that he's not capable of doing the cool things that Amaya and Connor can do. But when the kids find out that Night Ninja has challenged them to a game of Capture the Flag, the PJ Masks must save their headquarters. Feeling tricked by Night Ninja and scared of losing, Gekko doesn't feel his powers will earn them the victory and he makes up a new power that could cost them the win. He realises eventually that he had the ability to beat Night Ninja at his own game all along.

We need more shows like PJ Masks, that teach our future leaders that it’s okay to mess up or fail as long as they keep trying. This is one of the kids’ series on Showmax that is not only highly entertaining - it also reinforces good behaviour.

Watch PJ Masks on Showmax now, or download it onto your smartphone or tablet to keep the kids entertained while you’re offline on holiday.

DStv Premium customers can watch PJ Masks at no extra cost! Click here to find out more.

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