Netflix is enjoyed in every possible iteration in our home.
- Me alone
- My wife by her lonesome while I’m away
- The kids together by themselves
- Mom reliving her childhood with two excitable daughters
- All four of us together as a family
- And finally, Netflix provides the perfect at-home date night after the kids have finally quit it with the stall tactic inane conversations in bedrooms down the hall.
It’s also possible that the cats have been watching The Secret Life of Pets and Finding Dory on Netflix and, in the case of the latter, pawing at the Roku Smart TV for the duration.
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I got busy making sweet music with Netflix during a mental health day she took from work on a bright blue sky weekday.
We started with Begin Again, a Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley picture about last best chances featuring New York City as a evocative and redemptive musical instrument. Mos Def also stars in Begin Again, which made us ever happier.
Next, we hopped the pond and time traveled to 1980s Ireland for Sing Street. With original songs by Gary Clark Jr., this sweet coming off age ode to first love and finding the real you filled us with more spirit than any amount of Jameson and Guinness ever could.
We both came away excited to rewatch both movies with our oldest daughter sometime soon. Because that’s another iteration of Netflix we’re about to explore, watching more mature shows and movies with just our new teenager.
Having Netflix is cool not only because mom gets to share Annie and The Parent Trap with our girls and not only because we all get to share in the wonder that is Trollhunters or the campy humor of Project MC2, but because of shows like 13 Reasons Why that will provide our teen and us something to share in together that truly matters.
Then we can talk openly about the serious stuff some teenagers are coping with on a daily basis. 13 Reasons Why and other Netflix teen-focused shows will open another door for our teenager to talk freely with us about any and all troubles or concerns from her own life.
Looking for something to watch with your teens? Netflix shared with me this clever flowchart for parents to discover a show that will entertain, yes, but will also serve as launching points for conversations about peer pressure, stress, bullying, and suicide.
Find your next Netflix show to bond over and discuss at length:
*OWTK is a member of the Netflix Stream Team. All opinions expressed above are unbiased and honest, as always. We did love Sing Street and Begin Again, and cannot wait for season 2 of Trollhunters.
