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There’s been a no-TV during the week rule in our home since the beans were in pre-k. No TV, no movies, no iPads or video games. I bought a brand new car and purposefully opted not to purchase TV headsets. It’s not that I’m anti-TV; I’m just pro-suffering. For one and for all, except for the adults. We’re hypocrites.
I believe that TV is passive entertainment, and that kids need to be active, not just their bodies, but their minds. There is a value to boredom and knowing how to entertain themselves. Build a fort, read a book, come up with a stand-up comedy routine. Suffer. Gather material kids, then threaten your mother that you’ll write a memoir all about her restrictive parenting skills.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, a suggestion, something not for your littles…
In support of her fourth #1 Bestseller, Uganda Be Kidding Me, Chelsea Handler shares her global travel tales along with her opinions on subjects ranging from her expectations of sexual partners, to the very real problem of dolphin rape—in her uncensored one-hour stand-up comedy special entitled UGANDA BE KIDDING ME LIVE, premiering Friday, October 1oth on Netflix. On it.
SIDE NOTE: Chelsea Handler and I are published in this bitchy book together: http://bit.ly/biggestbitch
As pro-imagination as I am, I also believe in the magic of the movies. Of making memories. Of family game nights, a tub of popcorn and sleeping bags on the living room floor, as you come together, a safe knot. And I love when it happens in Autumn. It’s cozy, and there’s a reward in it. The beans work hard now that they’re back at school, and the weekend should be just that, an end to it. A time to unwind, snuggle, and reap some rewards (these kids work on the point system in our house, rewarded with gifts of experience). A few weekend nights this summer, we had family friends over for dinner and board games, and suddenly our personal Netflix queue had… what? A fifth family member? Yes, Lucas added his friend’s name and selected all the shows and films he thought his friend might like to watch the next time he came over. The cutest.
In all honesty, yes, there are educational apps. Of course there are educational shows, and I adore storytelling and movies and musicals! Are you kidding me, hello! Yes, yes, yes. Love! I am still on the hunt for Netflix Tutorial Shows (like watercolor classes, screenwriting classes, etc.). Then, oh, how TV is suddenly productivity!
Here’s a selection of Family-Friendly Go-to Moves:
FOR YOUR LITTLES:
1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
2. The Pirate Fairy
3. Hoodwinked
4. Angelina Ballerina
5. Bob the Builder
6. The Muppet Movie
FOR YOUR BIG LITTLES:
1. Strange Hill High
2. The Avengers
3.The Smurfs 2
4. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
5. Free Birds
6. Mako Mermaids: An H2O Adventure
FOR YOUR TEENS OR—WHO ARE WE KIDDING?—FOR YOU:
1. Clueless
2. The Breakfast Club
3. Friday Night Lights
4. The Vampire Diaries
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
6. 13 Going on 30
Nope, I wasn’t paid to share this information. Just want to give you something to look forward to, other than dessert.
As a Netflix Stream Team member, I received an Apple TV and a year’s subscription to Netflix in exchange for sharing 1 post each month about Netflix movies and TV Shows. As always, though, all opinions are my own. Also, I’ve been a Netflix subscriber since the Wasband, that’s how far back we go. Just sayin’.
