Tough Conversations? There's an "Ep" for That! #StreamTeam

"Mommy, why did Opa have to die?"
"Mom, what if there is a fire?"
"Well, how do you know if you've started your period?"
"So and so and so and so were talking about 'hotboxing'."
"She called her a b____ and I just want everyone to get along since I'm friends with both of them."
"I felt lonely at the playground today."
"I mad!"

There are so many things that come up with kids on a daily basis that it's ever so crucial to provide an environment where they can comfortably and safely talk about any and all subjects.  George and I have always tried to instill in our kids that we want them to talk to us, come to us with questions--no matter how uncomfortable, so that they are getting accurate information and advice on how to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of childhood into adolescence. The teen conversations include some topics that are foreign to anything we had to deal with as teenagers ourselves and we don't have our parents to be able to call and say, "Hey, how did you handle when someone was saying mean things online?"  WE are the first generation of parents for that. So sometimes we fly by the seat of our pants.

Though, we are lucky.

We have communicative children.  Sometimes things take an extra push or pull to get out of them, but for the most part, we just have to open the dialogue.

Lately, Lily  has had some fears about being alone or having a fire.  After watching a Veggie Tales episode of Where's God When I'm Scared on Netflix and talking with her about those fears, assuring her, and reminding her we are always here, I can just start humming or singing the song from that episode and she will smile.

Violet is two.  Enough said??  Well, what that means is, she's ALL about expressing her emotions. Our buddy, Daniel Tiger helps out with that no matter what the situation is with her right now. She's mad? We've got an episode to watch and a song to sing.  She wants to go potty?  Let's watch! You know how many times a day we "fake potty"?

Reagan is starting middle school next year. This opens up a whole new set of challenges and although we've been through these years with Andrew already, she is our first girl to navigate. Ack! All of a sudden she's so grown up!

Netflix is host to a variety of family-friendly shows that explore a range of real-life issues with equal measures of humor, angst and heart. No matter what your situation is, chances are there’s a show and episode that can kickstart a dialogue around the topic just by watching it together.

Here's a few suggestions:

Let's Talk About... For the little kids:

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.

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.

Following the Rules Watch Ep. 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. For the big kids: 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. 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. Peer Pressure Watch Ep. 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. For the teens: Social Media FOMO 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. 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. 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. Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam I was provided subscription to Netflix and also exclusive insights or other products. All opinions are my 100% my own and I was already a proud Netflix subscriber prior to this opportunity. Please see my full disclosure.