This spring break as I continued babysitting my favorite munchkins, too young to have seen much else besides Disney's "Frozen" and "Despicable Me," I ran into the tricky situation of deciding which classic animated film to show them first! I sat and thought about what I wanted them to see... something nostalgic, something visually interesting, something funny? After thinking about it for a few days, I finally realized why so many of my favorite movies had stuck with me for as long as they did. Sure, they were visually beautiful, groundbreaking cinematically and had great stories, but the films that stuck with me were the ones that taught me something, and I think that's something most of us can connect with.

So, without further adieu, here's my list of the 10 kids movies that made us better adults.

10. "Tarzan"

Hopefully, you know the story of Tarzan: the boy left alone in the jungle after his ship sinks off the coast of Africa and his parents are killed by the leopard Sabor who is subsequently raised by gorillas. This 1999 Disney film taught the 90s and 2000s kids an important lesson about life, aside from the lesson on how amazing Phil Collins actually is.

"Tarzan" taught us that our differences are only skin deep.

Tarzan wants desperately to be an ape and sets out to prove to Kerchak that he can be the best ape ever. Even though Kerchak is hesitant when it comes to his human adopted son, Tarzan proves they really are the same when he protects his family from Sabor. Then, he finds himself on the opposite end of the spectrum when he meets Jane, trying to become more human, learning to speak, read and *gasp* wear clothes! One important, and honestly tear-jerking, scene in the movie comes when Tarzan's mother, Kala, teaches him (and us) the true meaning of acceptance and diversity by having him feel his and her heartbeat, saying they're the same.

9. "The Emperor's New Groove"

Now, if somehow Disney's "The Emporer's New Groove" slipped past you, then you need to find it now. This truly original tale is about a spoiled, self-centered young emperor named Kuzco who is turned into a llama by his recently fired advisor Yzma. This 2000 film got mixed reviews upon its release, parents fearing the bratty Kuzco would corrupt his young viewers. However, this is the exact opposite of the film's main message.

"The Emperor's New Groove" taught us that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Kuzco begins the movie with all his guards and servants at his whim. He even has a theme song guy! He goes through potential brides walking down the line commenting: "Yikes... yikes, yikes... Let me guess: you have a great personality?" Kuzco even plans to tear down a peasant's home on top of a hill to build his new summer home, complete with a water slide. By the end of the film he has grown as the peasant, Pacha, teaches him to care about other people, despite them not having as much money or power as him.

8. "Mulan"

This is for all the people who walk around exclaiming "'Frozen' is the first real feminist Disney movie!" Mulan is the original badass. Loosely based on the Chinese story of "Fa Mulan," Mulan takes her father's place in the army (as he is too weak and old to serve) disguised as a man and eventually saves China from the Huns. What's so unique about Mulan's story is that she's a woman in ancient China. Perhaps in our 21st century America we don't realize how monumental her story is, especially if the story "Mulan" is based on is true. Not only did she save China, but she did it as a woman, which was punishable by death. In 1998 she risked everything to teach us another important lesson.

"Mulan" taught us to do the right thing, no matter who you are.

Mulan showed us that doing what's right and following your heart is more important than following the standards society has set for you. Instead of settling down and becoming the perfect wife, she becomes a soldier to save her father. It pays off for everyone after she saves her general, Shang, and even the emperor of China. She is the perfect example of a woman who can do everything a man can do and more. No one can tell Mulan what she can and can't do.

7. "The Land Before Time"

Who remembers this one? "The Land Before Time" is easily one of the greatest non-Disney animated films, directed by the legendary Don Bluth and released in 1988. It tells the story of a baby dinosaur, Littlefoot, and his friends trying to make their way back to the Great Valley after a huge earthquake separates them from their parents. The little dinosaurs make an incredible journey, facing endless threats. This heart-wrenching story taught us yet another important lesson as children.

"The Land Before Time" taught us to follow our heart and to let it guide us.

Near the beginning (not really a spoiler) Littlefoot's mother sacrifices herself to a T-Rex to protect the baby dinosaurs. Upon her death she asks Littlefoot if he knows the way to the Great Valley, saying she'll always be with him, even if he can't see her, delivering one of the most beautiful and prominent messages of the film: "Let your heart guide you... it whispers... so listen closely." That he does.

6. "Bambi"

Even if you haven't seen "Bambi" you've probably heard of it, or at least its most famous scene. In this 1942 Disney classic, the new prince of the forest is born: a tiny fawn named Bambi. With his loyal friends, Thumper and Flower, Bambi learns the way of the world, at least for a deer. "Bambi" was based on a book by the same name as one of the first environmental novels. Bambi learns to walk, speak, sees his first rain, his first snow, journeys out to the meadow, loses his mother, finds a mate in Feline and learns the hardest lesson of all: man is his enemy. Bambi serves a larger purpose for its human audience as well.

"Bambi" taught us that man needs to be symbiotic with nature, not destroy it.

It's man who kills Bambi's mother and man who starts a forest-wide fire that chases the animals out of their home. Who still remembers the Smokey Bear ads with Bambi and his mother before the forest fire? Only we can protect the earth's other creatures from ourselves.

5. "Toy Story"

Well, I'm already crying. Has anyone not seen "Toy Story"? Any of them? Not only was Disney and Pixar's 1995 movie "Toy Story" the first film to be made entirely on the computer, but it was also one of the first movies to rip our hearts out. If you're unfamiliar with it, "Toy Story" is a film about a cowboy doll, Woody, and his space ranger best friend, Buzz Lightyear, who have crazy adventures with the other toys in Andy's room. From getting lost to being toy-napped to accidentally ending up at a daycare center, these toys always think of one thing, the North on their compass: their kid Andy.

"Toy Story" taught us that we should cherish what we have, including our youth.

We see it when we watch Andy play with his toys, miss them when they're lost, grow up and eventually say goodbye to Woody and the gang when he goes away to college. All of us can relate to the moment we realized childhood was gone, and watching Andy literally wave goodbye to his toys makes me hysterical every time.

4. "The Fox and the Hound"

Even though Disney's "the Fox and the Hound" basically flopped when it came out in 1981, it is richly enjoyed by late 90s and 2000s kids as a heartwarming and tear-jerking film rich with life lessons. Based on the book by the same name, it tells the story of a fox named Tod who miraculously becomes friends with a hunting dog named Copper, despite nature (and every secondary character) telling them it's impossible. Despite the unlikeliness of the pairing, Tod and Copper taught us something important:

"the Fox and the Hound" taught us that true love can conquer all.

This isn't your typical Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella "love conquers all," it's the beautiful and true love between best friends. It doesn't make any sense for these natural enemies to be friends, but we root for them anyway. We finally see their love ascend evolution when Copper blocks Amos (the hunter) from shooting Tod at the end of the film and both go their separate ways in peace. (I'm not crying, you're crying.)

3. "Balto"

This story is one I have learned over the years is not as popular as it should be. "Balto" is a 1995 Universal Studios film about the true events of the 1925 serum run to Nome. Balto sets out in one of Alaska's largest blizzards to lead the sled-dog team carrying the only antidote to save Nome's children from diphtheria. Sounds like an amazing story, right? The catch in the film is that Balto is half-wolf, which means he has lost the trust of any of the humans, while the other dogs also treat him poorly. Even though Balto is fighting to save people who don't care about him, he runs out into the blizzard to save the lost team and bring the anti-toxin to Nome.

"Balto" taught us that we have to overcome obstacles to do what's right.

Balto does just this, fighting off a bear, running over thin ice and saving the team from falling icicles to save the children of Nome. He does it, not because he'll get praise or because everyone will finally accept him, but because it's the right thing to do... and only a wolf can do it.

2. "The Iron Giant"

If you haven't seen "the Iron Giant," you need to stop reading this and go watch it right now. This film, along with the number one on the list (I can say with certainty) affected who I became as an adult. "The Iron Giant" is another great Don Bluth film, from 1999, about a boy named Hogarth who befriends a giant metal man that's crash-landed on Earth. This film is filled with too many life lessons to count, but there's one important lesson that many Iron Giant fans will carry with them for the rest of their lives:

"the Iron Giant" taught us the you are who you choose to be.

One of the biggest lessons the giant learns from Hogarth is that "you are who you choose to be". The iron giant learns the difference between a hero and a villain, immediately idolizing Superman (though seeing himself in the giant villainous robot Atamo) while reading Hogarth's comic books. When they both realize the iron giant is a weapon, Hogarth reminds him that guns kill, and he can choose not to be a gun. He just has to choose. As for the end of the film, I won't spoil that for anyone who hasn't seen it but make sure you've got tissues.

1. "The Lion King"

The number one kid's film that taught us to be better adults has to be Disney's 1994 "The Lion King." Based on several Shakespearean plays and even African folklore, "The Lion King" tells the story of a young lion, Simba, who must go on a spiritual and emotional journey to take his place on the throne as the king of pride rock. Hopefully, if you weren't born yesterday, you've seen "The Lion King." Spoilers ahead if you haven't. The driving force of Simba's inner turmoil is the murder of his father, Mufasa, that he is led to believe was his fault. Simba is driven away from pride rock, only to be driven back by a realization.

"The Lion King" taught us that the past can hurt, but you can either run from it, or learn from it.

It's one of the film's most famous lines, but it's still true, no matter how many times you say it. Simba decides he has to face his past and go back when he learns that the pride-lands are dying and only he can restore his land back to health. It doesn't matter that he was to blame for Mufasa's death, he can't run from it, he must face it. I often think about this piece of advice from "the Lion King" when I'm in a tough spot.

Out of all of the films deemed "kid's movies," these were the ones that inspired many millennials to be better people, and they will always be in our hearts.