Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Instant Kid Shows: Anytime, Anywhere! (Thank Goodness!)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

One of the first things we did when we found out that quadruplets were on the way was cancel cable.

What was a normal expense for a young professional couple without kids, suddenly became a monthly $100 extravagance to a family needing to immediately cut back. But we really enjoy getting to watch TV, so we started looking at other options. Netflix was one of the first options we came across with all of the full seasons of TV shows that it offers.

Then the kids got a little older, and on occasion I just need a break, so we turned to Netflix for some children's programs....and that's when we realized the full potential of Netflix. In fact, I consider our $8 (yes, eight dollars!) per month Netflix subscription an absolute necessity at our house at this point. When Netflix asked if I would write a post for them about their children's programming, it was a no brainer since we use it daily!

One of our favorite programs or "shows!" as my kids call them, is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally. With bright colors, engaging songs, and fun little problems to solve, my kids are entranced with it. One of Abby's first phrases was, "Oh, Toodles!" (Toodles is a character in the movie.) It's a good thing Netflix doesn't charge by how often you watch a show, because we've probably seen this one at least 75 times.

Abby Dancing to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme Song
I also have to say that dinner prep and dinner clean-up are so much easier with a little something to distract the kids. And after dinner, Sean and I really enjoy snuggling up with them on the couch as they finish watching their show just before bed. They don't seem to hold still much anymore unless they are distracted. I'm trying to enjoy my snuggling while I can get it!

Ellie completely engaged in finding the Mickey Markers!
It's not just Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that we enjoy. We also like Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, Angelina Ballerina, Justin Time, Sesame Street, and Curious George. There are a ton of kid options that come with reviews and ratings to make it easy for parents to choose appropriate shows for their 2 to 12-year-olds.

Ah, peace!
Along with being incredibly inexpensive, Netflix is so easy to stream. There are a bunch of different devices that you can use to watch shows including: Wii, Roku, tablets, smartphones, and, of course, regular computers. We use a Roku to stream Netflix to our TVs, but we also stream it on our tablet when we need the kids to sit still for their haircuts. The versatility is really wonderful! With a house as busy as ours, I'm really grateful for an affordable entertainment option that lets me stream favorite kid shows anytime I need a little help getting things done around the house!

What are you watching on TV with your family? Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere. And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

13 comments:

  1. Hm, $8 a month seems really reasonable. We don't have cable or Netflix or anything right now; I rely on library DVDs and youtube to keep us entertained. We may have to look at a Netflix subscription at some point, though.

    Lincoln LOVES the Road Rally, too!! "First you go to Mickey Park, to start your racing day! Then it's off to the desert, which is kinda far away..." I sing it in my dreams, seriously. lol.

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    1. You definitely should! I'm pretty sure if you go to their website, you can sign up for a free trial month. They don't have contracts, so if you try it and don't like it, it's painless to cancel (but you won't want to. Trust me!)

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  2. We love Netflix too. Sad that they no longer have NickJr shows as of today though, Blue's Clues and Dora have saved my sanity many times lol.

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    1. I didn't realize that. Bummer! Have you checked out their Disney Junior shows though? We find a lot of good stuff there!

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  3. We LOVE Netflix!! We don't have little ones, but the girls I watch afterschool catch all of their "teeny bopper shows" on there!! :D

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    1. Thank goodness we haven't gotten quite that far yet. I'm still enjoying my toddler days. :)

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  4. Not sure I'd want a version if my house without Netflix. We've watched every episode of Sesame Street at least 3 times!

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  5. We had Netflix, but it was definitely more than $8 a month and their customer service was terrible. We must have been paying more for some additional feature. What do you get for $8? Maybe that is just for "streaming" and we were paying more to actually be able to get the DVDs by mail? Hmm, maybe I'll have to look into this again. We have Roku, Wii, and a tablet, but I am a bit technologically challenged!

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    1. Hmm...how long ago was that? I just contacted their customer service yesterday with a question about our account, and they were great! I used the online chat feature that they have.

      I think you were getting streaming and DVDs. We just get the streaming and it's just $8. Well worth it! You may want to look into it again. :)

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    2. It used to be more expensive, and then they split out the streaming/DVD into separate options. I can't remember for sure, but if you didn't cancel one or the other, I think it was around $15 for both. The monthly price actually went down if you opted for streaming only. We canceled the DVD portion and love the streaming option!

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    3. Thanks ladies! It does sound like it could be worth looking into again. It was probably about a year or two ago. I know they changed the pricing structure while we were members, but it went up, not down. I think we must have had streaming and DVD and maybe we should be looking to get just the streaming. Thanks for the info. I'm glad to hear there is an online help "chat"...that is one of the best ways to get good help that I've found.

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    4. Just wanted to let you know that we decided to give Netflix another try. :) The boys are LOVING that every single episode of Busytown Mysteries/Hooray for Huckle is on there! We're still in our free trial month, but I think we might get rid of cable and keep Netflix. It's a whole lot cheaper, that's for sure! Thanks for the recommendation!

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