Parenting teenage boys and How to talk to your teenage boy?  All March my husband I would watch promos for the new Fox TV show Surviving Jack.  My husband would say I want to watch that show. The promos would feature Jack Dunlvey  the Dad putting his teenage son through the paces,  as punishment for doing some stupid teenage thing.    My husband being a sarcastic person,  the show was right up his alley.

How does a Tv show help you parenting teenage boys and talk to your teenage boy?  I will get to that..

This show is a coming of age show, set in the 90’s, and  it is a about a Dad  who is a doctor has cut back on his practice to allow his smart wife to go back to school to become a lawyer, he takes over parenting for their 2 teen age kids.  Dad Jack is not a sugar coated kind of guy,  he says what is on his mind and he is also madly in love with his wife.  Jack played by  Christopher Meloni  (from SVU) is perfect for this rolehard ass dad with a soft side.   The Mom played by Rachael Harris is ever present like most moms are and she trys guides Jack, with humor and love.  It dynamic between the 2 characters shows unique humorous coparenting dynamic .

The kids son Frankie played by Connor Buckley with  daughter Rachel played by Claudia Lee  are very talented and  have great comic timing.   Frankie is an 16 year old who sprouted up over the summer and is awkward but coming in on his own,  trying to figure out girls, school, sports.  Rachel is the slightly older sister, who is working the system with smarts and looks.  The casting director did a great job on this show.

After watching a few episodes I get the idea of asking my 13 year old son to watch the show with us.  My son has never really sat and watch a sitcom with us.   He loves it and says it is hysterical ..  Now my son says “Wait to for me watch Surviving Jack.”    My son will laugh at Jack or “OMG” when the son got into something. There is alot of “WHATS” when every Jack does something total outlandish to his son and his friends.

Parenting teenage boys: How To talk to your teenage boy?

The Best Part of the Show Surviving Jack for us as parents is  watching it with our son,  is my son will also ask questions through the laughter.. like “What is the pill ?”

To which I was more than happy to answer.

“The pill,  is a pill that girls take not to get pregnant but it NOT 100% effective. You still need to use condoms when you have sex”

I call these moments : My seeds of Parenting  to place in his mind.  No full blow discussions need because he is 13 and not there yet in his development (No girls even in the picture,  I think he knows they exist).    Why have a large talk when it just make him feel awkward, plant a seed the big talk will come when needed.

This past week Season Finale of Surviving Jack :  The episode  dealt with 1st time drinking.  This also brought up a discussion with my son.

I said  “I prefer you wouldn’t drink, but if you do call I will pick you up. Be safe be smart,  I will not be mad”

My son  said “Mom! I am like 3 years away from going to a party that has alcohol”

My parenting seeds are planted.

While Watching Surviving Jack : My son does not say “EWE” when he sees how much the parents love each other. In the episode about the Son going to homecoming and the parents not having their “alone time”.  The episode discussed about the parents being sexually active and then not getting it.  Watching it with my son was not award because of the humor.  I thought it was great for him to see/know that parents are human.  That episode had a context he could understand because it ran the parents in tandem with the sons problem.    That is life add humor and it makes for a great TV Show.

Reasons to Watch Surviving Jack:

• So it shows a healthy relationship where the parents adore each other
• It shows a man supporting a women’s dreams
• It shows a loving family, real parenting issues, and a modern humor
• Touches on subjects that will spur discussion
• It shows parents are human and make mistakes
• It shows really teen issues in a humorous way
• It is set in the 90’s so the clothes are funny but not strange like recent 80’s shows –  where the clothing feels unrelatable to our teens
• The time period allows for your kids to say was it that way when you were young
• Repercussions for your actions
• Humor, Humor Humor

Think Cosbys with a 2014 sarcastic humor.

Thursday Night  May 9th was the last episode to be aired,  that is right Fox Cancelled Surviving Jack.  Because everything good must be squashed.   So I tell you watch it watch it Now… I can highly recommend you watch this on demand or hulu or on streaming video with your kids.

I just told my son the show was cancelled and he said “Why Why” and “Are they going to make more episodes at a different time?

He said that was my favorite show.  I don’t even like TV but that was the best thing I watched n years.. He said I will watch the reruns..

So Watch Surviving Jack … Late is better than never.. I wish FOX would reconsider or another Network would pick up the show. There is a petition to save the show if you want to sign it Surviving Jack Petition   or tweet with the hashtag #BringBackJack

I wanted to write about the show earlier on my blog and I am sorry that I waited to share my family’s love of the show.  Because that is great TV a show that brings people together in fun, laughter and discussion.

I have to say thank you to The Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers of Surviving Jack for giving us another way to connect with my son.

So you know the Show is based on Justin Halpers book “I suck at Girls”

 

So what are your thought is there a show or movie  that opens up a discussion in your home?