The New Year brings us more than an urge to make resolutions, clean out cupboards and start new regimes: it brings colds and flus. For parents with little ones, this is a most difficult time of year.  Just when we were ready to bustle them into their coats and mitts and head back to school, they come down with something just ghastly enough to keep them from attending… yet not so debilitating it knocks them out for the day. 

So now you’re working from home (read attempting to work while making countless snacks and filling endless sippy cups of watered down juice) and fretting over the loss of education for your germy offspring.  You are regretting your “no TV while  home sick” rule and wondering how to get around it without completely losing credibility.

Well thankfully Netflix has you covered.  Netflix has some amazing series and movies to educate and inspire.  My kids are all about animals and right now Netflix has Planet Earth in their lineup.  They can snuggle down on the couch with their snacks and drinks and learn about animals, sea creatures, deserts and jungles.

Each show offers amazing videography and inspires conversations about sustainability and conservation suitable for a wide age range. The kids are happily entertained and you can get some work done. Or not. Perhaps joining them on the couch and watching whales and sea creatures in their natural habitat is just what the doctor ordered for all of you! Feed their brains and your soul, engage your children in meaningful discussions about the Earth and all it gives.

Or if you’re needing a feel good inspiration story to show your kids how following your dreams and never giving up is worth it, there are so many great movies to do just that. Bravery, perseverance and integrity are common themes in several family friendly movies offered on Netflix, uplifting and rewarding in their own way.

Whatever you’re looking for, Netflix has what you need to get through the winters colds and flus, to open young minds to the world and offer inspirational stories to boost dreams.