Just 7 reasons why every parent will be watching Disney and Pixar's Turning Red with their kids ASAP.

Sometimes you can tell your child to calm down until you’re blue in the face with little to no impact. But perhaps a giant red panda staring back at them from the bathroom mirror will convince them to heed your advice? 

Only the most vibrant of colours could have inspired Turning Red, the latest Disney and Pixar flick reminding us all that growing up can be a beast.  

Meilin (Mei) Lei is 13. She’s coming to terms with being a teen and having a protective — but slightly overbearing — mother never far from her side. But it’s when she gets too excited (hint: almost always) that she transforms into a giant red panda. And well, it’s a lot.

The original movie is streaming from March 11 exclusively on Disney+ and *squeal!*, there’s so many reasons why we can’t wait for this one. Here are the 7 things we're looking forward to most.

You’ll nod along as you witness the struggles of the mother-daughter dynamic.

Talk about bringing it all back. Thirteen is that tricky age where you love your mum more than anything, but suddenly you have other people to see and things to do. 

As a teenager you’re torn between spending time with your family and friends, and this usually happens at the precise moment your mother is struggling with letting go. 

Both need to happen so Mei can grow into her own person. For me as a mother (and once a spirited girl of Mei’s age), it’s art imitating life. And with a tear in my eye, I’m here for it.

Teen emotion and angst is a big, scary deal.

In Turning Red, Mei’s phase of growing up is marked in an unexpected, larger-than-life way: when her emotions get the better of her, she changes into a huge red panda where her feelings are set free. 

The only way to turn human again is to take deep breaths and calm down. If she remains in control, the big red panda will disappear. There’s a lesson in that for all of us — one I am excited for my kids to learn.

But with the film being set in the early 2000s, it reminds us that no matter the era, whether it's Tamagotchi or TikTok, there is something truly special about being a teenager that bonds us all. 

Image: Disney Pixar.

It’s what’s inside that counts.

Red Panda Mei is the same Mei her friends and family know and love, but in the form of an unpredictable, eight-foot-tall, inadvertently destructive red panda. 

Mei is initially horrified by her freakish appearance, but her friends know she’s the same girl inside. “We love you, Mei!” they exclaim, “you’re our girl!”. The people who truly know and love you will be able to see the real you through even the furriest facade.

A timely reminder for our kids, especially in, well... an image obsessed world. 

Image: Disney Pixar.

Mei’s friends bring us right back to our own school days.

Miriam is loyal, easy-going, and you can count on her to make you laugh. Priya is calm and collected, passionate but cannot contain her love for 4*Town, the hottest boy band. Abby is the pocket rocket who will not hesitate to launch herself at anyone who threatens her besties. 

Diverse, individual and they’ve got your back. Sound familiar, right? Everybody had a Miriam, Priya and Abby in their friendship circle (and if you didn’t, you should have) and the reminiscing is real.

But more importantly? It teaches our kids what it means to be a friend. 

Image: Disney Pixar.

You’re not a regular mum, you’re a cool mum.

4*Town is the hottest boy band of all time. Nobody Like U is climbing the charts and their concerts are the hottest ticket in town. 

Epic performances, flashy video clips, catchy tunes that stay in your head and dreamboat band members — it’s the whole package and the young characters in Turning Red are mad for it. But, as you and I know, it’s nothing new.

I will relish in telling my kids how I used to crush on the boy bands of the '90s and '00s and somehow convinced my mum to let me have a day off school just to get to the front row of a concert at Olympic Stadium. 

The movie throws up so many callbacks of my golden era and the music of my generation (Backstreet Boys!! NSYNC!!), so I feel like I can tell my daughter about this power-ballad and dancefloor-filler boy band phase with some authority and she will be so impressed with her mother’s uber-cool past life. That’s a bonding moment right there.

You’ll learn to embrace your wild side. Just a little.

Sick of being “perfect little Mei Mei”, the red panda is an outlet for Mei letting loose for a while. 

Trying to figure out who she is, as a red panda Mei can be her vulnerable, messy and true self. 

Image: Disney Pixar.

The film production studios are bang on for movie hits.

Turning Red has come out of the same studios as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Inside Out.

These titles are always on repeat in our household because of a simple strategy: we can't get enough of films that are heartwarming, inspiring and funny, but more so than anything, relatable.

We can't wait for Disney and Pixar's Turning Red to be added to this squad. 

Ready to experience all the nostalgic vibes with your kids? Catch Disney and Pixar's Turning Red exclusively on Disney+ from March 11.

Feature Image: Disney/Mamamia.