We all know the old joke, right? If you were a kid in the ’90s and you were home sick, you watched The Price is Right. My husband and I were also talking about how the movies you saw the most were whatever your home happened to have on VHS and whatever you could get as a rental from the video store! Talk about a Friday night tradition! Now though, with the addition of streaming options and YouTube, we aren’t necessarily stuck with whatever episode has come out on cable tv each week or the old standby reruns on certain channels.
So what can a family with varied ages and interests watch together? Are they stuck watching Paw Patrol every time the tv is on? It would certainly mean less whining from your toddler…but if you’re brave, you can broaden the kids’ horizons with classic family television!
Here are some shows we’ve found are entertaining for adults and kids alike:
Golden oldies
These shows are fun because they give kids a glimpse of the “olden days,” contain classic comedy, and teach technology history by including black and white seasons which sometimes switch to color tv mid-run.
- Andy Griffith
- Gilligan’s Island
- I Love Lucy
- Leave it to Beaver
- The Brady Bunch
The Great Eighties (and beyond)
For millennials, these shows are more reflective of our own growing up years, and besides just being fun, they sometimes spark conversations with your kids about your own experiences!
- Murder She Wrote (for kids who love mysteries, but aren’t old enough to see the victims!)
- Family Matters
- Boy Meets World (the early years are more interesting to our young kids at this point!)
- Home Improvement
- Full House
Something I appreciate in these shows is that the recurring themes are the importance of family and friends, and respect for parents and teachers. They often come with good lessons like the importance of being responsible for your actions and saying sorry when necessary. I feel like these are all things we can get behind! You also don’t have to worry too much about language or mature themes. And finally, I think it’s good practice for kids to watch something that other people are interested in so they know it’s not all about them, all the time. Only like, 90% of the time! Kidding.
Have a tv show your whole family can watch together? Share it in the comments!
