Let’s face it – when you have kids, they’re not going to want to watch the movies that you’ll want to watch. When they’re old enough to develop their own tastes, they’re going to automatically assume that anything that’s older than they are is crappy. Well, too bad for them. You’re the adult, so you get to decide what they watch. The following selections are ten films that you’ll one day force your kids to watch that you’ll love and they’ll love – whether they want to admit it or not!

10. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

(1982)

The alien himself might already look like a rubbery nightmare, but that doesn’t make this story of friendship work any less. Just make sure you watch the original cut and not the sanitized update.

9. The Nightmare Before Christmas

(1993)

It may be every goth’s favorite kids’ movie, but don’t let the fans annoy you. The Nightmare Before Christmas is both a solid holiday film and positive film for kids. It encourages viewers to look past sometimes ugly surfaces and accept people for who they are inside.

8. Princess Mononoke

(1997)

Perhaps better for slightly older children, Princess Monoke is a not only a great film, it’s also an excellent gateway for introducing kids to the concept that sometimes they might have to read while watching a movie. Sure, you could watch it with the American voice acting, but you really don’t want to do that.

7. Gremlins

(1984)

As much as we’d love to recommend the absolutely gonzo Gremlins 2: The New Batch, it’s probably best to start with the original. Not only is it a great adventure, Gremlins also demonstrates that sometimes young people are the real heroes and adults are the clueless ones. Plus, it’s got Gizmo!

6. Labyrinth

(1986)

It’s a little disturbing from time to time, but Labyrinth has the classic fairy tale appeal that works with kids of every generation. Just try not to let them stare directly at David Bowie’s package. They could go blind.

5. The NeverEnding Story

(1984)

Like many of the films on this list, The NeverEnding Story is equal parts adventure and fairy tale. After watching it once, your kids will forever want a luck dragon of their very own.

4. The Dark Crystal

(1982)

The Dark Crystal is creepy and strange, but your children probably won’t even notice. They’ll be too busy being floored by the amazing visuals and stunning world of the film to be creeped out by it. But you might be, because it’s an even weirder movie than you probably remember.

3. The Princess Bride

(1987)

The Princess Bride has something for everyone: romance, action, giant monsters and Andre the Giant. If your kid doesn’t like something about it, then he’s probably an alien pod person. It’s better you find out sooner rather than later.

2. The Goonies

(1985)

It’s hard to imagine that there will ever be a better adventure movie for young viewers than The Goonies. Show it to your kids and they’ll forever think that pirates are awesome, there’s adventure lurking around every turn, and if they try hard enough they can save an entire neighborhood from dastardly rich people. This signifies you’ve officially done your job as a parent.

1. Anything by Pixar

Pixar will certainly still be making quality movies decades from now, but kids still won’t want to watch their older movies. Many of them probably will look pretty dated as the years go by. But the stories in these films will be every bit as good a hundred years from now. Watch the Toy Story films, Up, Ratatouille, Monsters, Inc or any of the rest, and you’re guaranteed to have a hit with the kids.