Parenting. It’s the actual best and the actual worst all at the same time.
Your son gets poop on your face, but you get to rock him peacefully to sleep that night. Your daughter gets out of bed 15 times in one night, but earlier that day, she laughed uncontrollably at some random sound you made.
As much as I love the good parts of parenting, some days those bad moments just seem to outweigh the good. (Or, at the very least, I’m left bone-tired at the end of the day.)
On those days – the days where I just need to sit and stare at something before crawling into bed – there is Netflix. I’ve put together a list of the best, mostly under-the-radar shows that will have you laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels.
Before you start feeling all guilty about watching TV, you should know that watching it with your spouse can actually improve your relationship, according to research. I’m not just throwing some random study in your face, either. My wife and I have experienced this exact bond watching the very shows I’m about to recommend to you.
So if you want to improve your marriage and simultaneously ease away the stress of parenting, order Netflix if you don’t have it (#WorthIt), and turn on one of these awesome shows:
1 | The Great British Baking Show
Cancel your plans right now and go watch this show. It is seriously that good.
Don’t believe me? Well, it just happens to be “a significant part of British culture and is credited with reinvigorating interest in baking throughout the United Kingdom.” It has even set records in the UK for its viewership.
When you watch this show, you will feel good. It is incredibly uplifting and leaves you with a sense that there really are good people in this world. (And, you’ll want to go bake something.)
2 | John Mulaney, The Comeback Kid
Did you and your spouse have a particularly hard day today? Need a laugh? John Mulaney is your man.
This dude is ridiculously funny. And, bonus, he’s not one of those “in your face” comedians and doesn’t venture into that cringe-worthy dirty or dark style of comedy that so many other comedians seem to set up camp in. This guy is just pure, clean hilarity.
3 | About Time
Okay, this one technically isn’t on Netflix, but it’s one of the best, most underrated romantic comedies I’ve ever seen. My wife and I both loved it, and it remains one of our favorites. You can stream-rent it on Amazon and Google Play.
4 | Sebastian Maniscalco: Aren’t You Embarrassed?
This guy’s stand-up routine actually inspired me to be a better parent, to the point where I wrote a Parent.co post about it and explained a bit in his routine.
My wife and I basically died laughing at this guy’s pointed insights into American culture. He is inspiring and ridiculously funny.
5 | Jiro Dreams of Sushi
This may sound boring AF, but can you really not watch something that is one of the highest ranked documentaries on Rotten Tomatoes (with a 99 percent rating)? Jiro Ono runs Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat restaurant that sits at the bottom of an upscale district in Japan.
It’s truly a mesmerizing documentary, and one that will take you out of your parenting world and in to Jiro’s little sushi bar that serves $300 rolls.
6 | Jim Gaffigan Cinco
I know I’ve already listed two stand-up comedians, but laughing is one of the best ways to restore my broken and weary parenting self.
Jim Gaffigan is a tried and true, clean comedian with multiple specials out. His comedy will leave you on the floor laughing.
7 | Stranger Things
“Stranger Things” is everything. If you haven’t seen it before, why? If nothing else, you’ll be familiar with all the “Stranger Things” references now saturating pop-culture. Unless you want Barb to haunt your soul forever, you really need to watch it.
Have any good shows worth watching?
