Today’s post is inspired by my participation in the Netflix StreamTeam program. I am compensated yearly for my participation and write these fun posts all year long. My opinions of Netflix and the shows are 100% my own.

I also wanted to point out that this image of my kids was chosen because when I take them out for meals I often get complimented on their manners and behavior. Today was one of those days. Okay, on to the actual topic at hand.

My kids are growing up. As they are getting older they are dealing with new thoughts and feelings and new situations. My daughter is in a school all week long interacting with tons of children from other families. She’s seeing other values than those that we are trying to instill in her. Sometimes we need to have a conversation about those feelings.

There was one story where Eva wanted to play with some of her friends. They were all pretending to be police dogs. She wanted to be a police woman. They said no, that she had to be a police dog. To me that wasn’t a huge deal because all the kids were police dogs. If they had all been police women or policemen and made Eva be the police dog, then that would have been more of a problem in my eyes. She’s had a couple of incidents like this where one kid wants play to be a specific way and it doesn’t sit right with Eva. We’ve had discussions about seeking out other friends to play with. These conversations that we have had with Eva have been productive.

I often watch TV with the kids. We watch many shows together and sometimes they spark discussions. Netflix is saying, There’s an Ep for that. There are many episodes of shows on Netflix that can help start a discussion with your kids. The nice thing about watching the same show with them is that you have common language and references to discuss. If a character acts a certain way in a situation we can talk about how Eva would react in the same situation. Did the character act true to their beliefs and values? Did they sacrifice or suppress their good values to go along with the crowd?

Eva’s getting closer to peer pressure situations and a discussion is imminent. So let’s check out a show about peer pressure and then talk about it. We watch Fuller House together and a good episode about Peer Pressure was episode 106: The Legend of El Explosivo. “After getting grounded for sneaking off to Bobby Popko’s house, Jackson realizes he needs to stand up for what he knows is right and not give in to please his friends.” And on a side note I read that Candace Cameron-Burre did all of her own wrestling stunts in that episode. Very cool.

With Andrew we are dealing with situations like following the rules. Andrew is a little rebel and an imp. He’s very much the one who will run off and do his own thing. He’s also starting to be even more rebellious and naughty. So, rather than scream and yell about that type of behavior we can watch an episode of Puffin Rock and discuss what happens. There is an episode of the show all about Following the Rules. That would be episode S1E6: Stormy Weather/ Baba’s Adventure/ Rock Music. “Mama tells Oona and Baba to stay close with a storm approaching. After ignoring her advice, Oona and Baba get stuck in a seagull nest during the heavy thunderstorms.“

Seeing examples of the situations that we want to discuss can help make the conversations easier. There are many shows with episodes that would be great for discussions with little kids, big kids and teens. Here are some more examples of Episodes and their themes for discussion.

For the little kids

The Hive – Topic: Sibling Rivalry

Watch Ep. S1E1: Babee’s Room

Buzzbee and Rubee compete over who Babee (their new sibling) gets to room with. Mom and Dad must explain to Buzzbee and Rubee that Babee needs to grow up before she can share a room.

Veggie Tales – Topic: Responsibility

Watch Ep. S1E1: Puppies & Guppies/ Sorry We’re Closed Today

Larry and Laura Carrot want to adopt puppies but quickly learn it takes responsibility in order to watch over and care for a pet of their own.

For the big kids

Puss in Boots – Topic: Self-Love

Watch Ep. 113: Star

After Dulcinea feels like no one in the group needs her help, she tries to use a newly-discovered wishing star to show her worth — but fails — showing her that presence alone has lit up her friends’ lives all along.

Project MC2 – Topic: Teamwork

Watch Ep. 103: Smart is the New Cool

After McKeyla insists she works better alone, she learns that four is better than one when her friends jump in to help her rescue the Prince from a botched space mission.

For the Teens

I would like to say here that one of the shows suggested for the teens has been a staple in our house ever since it started. That would be Girl Meets World. We love watching this show as a family and the topics are well suited for kids of many ages. Both Andrew (4) and Eva (8) watch the show and like it. I love it because I never missed an episode of Boy Meets World and I enjoy this continuation of the story.

Girl Meets World – Topic: Social Media FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Watch Ep. 102: Girl Meets Boy

Cory challenges his class to unplug from their phones for a week. When Riley and her crush Lucas sit down to talk face-to-face, personal stories bring them closer.

Degrassi – Next Class – Topic : Body Image

Watch Ep. 101: #BootyCall

According to the kids of Degrassi Community School, butts are the new boobs. But Shay’s realization that “brains are the new butts” can speak to a number of body image insecurities.

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Topic: Self Improvement

Watch Ep. 104: Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!

Kimmy quickly realizes that she can’t fix her problems by simply “Buhbreezing” them away – real change comes from the inside.

In addition to those shows there are many others that have good jumping off points for discussions with your kids. And then there are also shows that are just plain fun. There are two such series that we have been loving at our house lately. One afternoon I introduced Andrew to Animaniacs and he was all over that show. But what he’s really loving now is Phineas and Ferb.

Oh and a beloved story is coming to Netflix August 5 and that is The Little Prince. Netflix is bringing the story loved by countless families to life with the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd and many more. Here is a trailer for it.