Summer has a way of turning “screen time” into a negotiation. School’s out, the days are long, and at some point every parent hears it: “I’m bored.” The TV goes on — and then you’re right back to the summer version of the problem, hovering with the remote, hoping whatever’s playing stays okay.
We’ve got four kids. We know the July stretch. Here’s how to make summer TV the easy part — plus what to actually put on.
Why summer is when families need this most
During the school year, screen time is rationed — a show after homework, a movie on Friday. Summer blows that up. Longer days, road trips, rainy afternoons, that 4 p.m. lull before dinner. The TV does more work in summer, which means the stuff you’d normally catch slips through more often.
That’s exactly when a service you don’t have to manage stops being a nice-to-have and becomes a sanity-saver.
What makes a good summer family show
Summer watching has its own rules:
Rewatchable. Kids will put the same show on ten times. Make sure it’s one you can stand hearing from the kitchen.
Works for a range of ages. Summer means everyone’s home at once — the toddler and the tween on the same couch. You want shows that hold both.
Nothing you have to vet. You’re already refereeing snacks, sunscreen, and sibling arguments. The last thing you need is to pre-screen the TV too.
Our summer go-to’s
These are the ones on repeat at our house — all held to one standard, so you never have to check.
Raising Reynolds — the whole-family anchor. Funny, warm, and endlessly rewatchable — perfect for the everyone’s-home afternoons.
That Girl Lola — music, friendship, and real teen drama for the tweens who suddenly have twelve free hours a day.
Mr. Miami & Me — a girl dad building a med spa empire; great “watch someone chase a dream” energy for the older kids.
Pets 2 — the animated pick for the littles, for those late-afternoon “just need twenty quiet minutes” moments.
Every one is held to the same standard — no profanity, no sexual content, no glorifying alcohol — so summer TV stops being something you supervise.
A few summer screen-time tricks
Make screen time a “when,” not a “no.” A set window (like the post-lunch heat of the day) beats an all-day battle.
Let them pick from a safe pool. When the whole platform is already clean, you can hand over the remote without hovering — the choice is theirs, the vetting’s done.
Save one show for the road. A go-to series for car trips is worth its weight in gold. Download a few episodes before you leave.
Make it the easy part
Summer’s supposed to be the fun season, not another thing to manage. That’s why everything on We The Studios is held to one standard — so the TV is the one thing you don’t have to referee. Hand over the remote, grab an iced coffee, and let summer be easy.
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