Party animal udderly irresponsible

Your son promises he'll look after his little sister while you run a quick errand. He does quite well, until he spots his buddy outside with a new snowball-launch machine. He abandons your daughter and rushes outside for the world's greatest snowball fight. You come home to a whirlwind of frosty fun, but inside your daughter has got ahold of the permanent markers and is creating a colorful mural in your kitchen.

If your child has trouble balancing having fun with being responsible, the new movie Barnyard can help. After watching the film, now available on home video, saddle up for a family conversation about when it's all right to let loose, and when it's time to buckle down. Then do our family activity, “Holey Cow,” to bring the big-screen lesson to life!

The animated film stars a carefree cow named Otis (voice of Kevin James), who loves to party at the farm's late-night hoedowns. After Otis persuades his respected father, Ben (voice of Sam Elliot), to take over his night watch so he can raise the roof, Ben dies defending the farm when coyotes attack.

Otis is chosen as the farm's new leader—a position he reluctantly accepts. Otis continues to goof off, playing tricks on humans and singing and dancing. But when coyotes threaten the barnyard animals once again, Otis finally realizes he is now responsible for the lives of his fellow animal friends.

Trying to be trustworthy for the first time, Otis is afraid he won't succeed in protecting the barnyard from carnivorous coyotes. Can he find the courage and talent to be a true leader?

Talk Together

Take turns sharing the thing you love to do most—whether it's snowboarding or karaoke singing. What makes that activity so much fun?

Has there been a time when, like Otis, you've enjoyed yourself so much that you abandoned all responsibility? Maybe you told your mom you'd meet her at the ski lodge at noon, but because you were so enjoying zipping down the hill, you were two hours late and she called the rescue team.

It's great to play and have a blast! But together, imagine what the world would look like if everyone only had fun and didn't care about being responsible. Now picture a world where everyone's responsible and has zero fun. Take turns sharing how you could better balance fun and responsibility in your life.

Play Together: Holey Cow
Create this craft to be cream of the crop!

You will need:
• Empty small coffee creamer bottle
• Black and white paint
• Paintbrush
• Large marshmallows

Make sure the creamer bottle is clean and dry. Use black and white paint to decorate the outside in a cow pattern. Leave the lid off.

Every time your child proves he's responsible—from making his bed without you asking to turning in all his homework for the week—put a marshmallow in the hole of the cow container. Put in two marshmallows if he showed he did an exceptional job balancing fun and responsibility, such as postponing playing video games to pack his bag for a family getaway.

When the cow container is filled to the top with marshmallows, give your child a “free pass,” whether it's staying half an hour longer at the arcade or getting out of chores for a full day.

Your kids will learn, just like Otis, that making the right moo-ves pays off.