FAMILY: TEARS FOR A DEER

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By Nicki Gostin

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It's got an adorable hare, a gangly fawn and one of the most disturbing death scenes in the history of animation. We're referring, of course, to the 1942 classic "Bambi," in which the hero loses his mom to the sharp crack of a hunting rifle. With the film out on DVD this week, parents will be wondering how to cope with the inevitable question: "Mom, are you going to die?" Dr. Michel Cohen, author of "The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby & Child Care for the Modern Parent," notes that not all kids will be upset by the film. In other cases, the angst may not emerge for a week or two. Seth Aronson, a child psychologist at New York's William Alanson White Institute, suggests explaining that Bambi's mom didn't die a natural death and that most people live until they're very old. Another idea is to watch the film with your kids safely snuggled in your lap. He also theorizes that Disney offs characters like the dad in "The Lion King" because "it leaves the hero to fend for himself, become resilient and overcome obstacles." Try telling that to Simba.

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