As October starts to creep into the picture, it’s hard to believe that school has been going full force for almost a month. For our boys, the days are long, but they are fun and busy. How do they unwind after a day of learning, playing and being busy – they come home, turn on the Netflix and zone out with a snack.
From roughly 5:45pm to 6:30pm most weekdays, our two are in front of the TV enjoying one of their fave shows and having a small snack before dinner. Their brains are mush, so it’s good to keep it light. Their tummies are grumbly, so it’s all about priming them for a good dinner.
This time is also great for mom and dad to actually talk about the day without being interrupted. All is great for 45 minutes. It is a peaceful time for everyone to change into comfy clothes and silently enjoy each other’s company.
Now, not every day is a Netflix day. Hey I am being honest. Some days the boys like to watch TV Kids if they get home in time to watch Wild Kratts.
But what is nice about Netflix is, the boys seem to know how many shows they can fit in before dinner. They know the shows they watch are roughly 22 minutes. That time frame has been ingrained in them thanks to Netflix. I find this funny because 30 minutes is a pretty easy chunk of time to live by and that is how I have managed my TV watching for my whole life.
So what about the snacks? Well, don’t get too excited. My wife and I are not coming home to make bugs on a log or slice a watermelon. Like I said, we are decompressing as well.
We just go to the snack cupboard, grab a small bag of whatever and they are good. Goldfish, Star Wars crackers, raisins, or whatever is not going to ruin dinner.
I know there are parents out there who do it up nice, but that is not us.
For those who do have the time and energy, Netflix did share a few tasty snack recipes with me to share with you.
Click on each to see full recipe.
Now that I look at these recipes again, they are much better to go with a Netflix and dinner kind of night.
We rarely watch TV during dinner, but I will keep these in mind for the next time it is just me and the boys and I feel like earning some dad points.
Our boys (7 and almost 4) are really not into movies. Like I said, they live in a world of 22 minute shows and they prefer that. They get bored with movies. I know that will change.
That is why we love Netflix in our house. The choices are endless for whatever mood they are in.
These days their shows of choice are:
Warning for parents about Sid the Science Kid. The songs will get stuck in your head trust me. You will be heading to work and singing “rug time”, I guarantee it.
The first month of school has been great so far. Our boys started at a brand new school, so it’s been a giant transition for all of us. New teachers, classrooms, morning routines, different walks, new clothes, homework, swimming and two very tired boys at the end of the day.
So, Netflix, thanks for helping us bridge the time from getting home to when dinner hits the table.
#streamteam
