Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Trading Mom

By Grace Montgomery, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Silly '90s fantasy is a little dated but still fun.

Movie PG 1994 82 minutes
Trading Mom Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Parent of 17-year-old
September 27, 2021
age 8+

Not as Disapointing as It Looks!

It might seem a dull movie, and well kind of is. Anna Chlumsky is great however in the movie as well as the two actors that play her brother. Its not in every Blockbuster in town, but if you get a chance to rent a movie, look for this one (just make sure you're doing something while watching it, it won't seem as boring.)

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The Martin kids are sick of their divorced mom (Sissy Spacek) nagging them to clean up and behave. With a little help from the flower magic of neighbor Mrs. Cavour (Maureen Stapleton), the kids make their mom disappear and head to The Mommy Market to pick out a new mother. Oldest sister Elizabeth (Anna Chlumsky of My Girl fame) picks the exotic Mama, Jeremy (Aaron Michael Metchik) picks the outdoorsy Mom, and Harry (Asher Metchik) picks the circus performer Natasha. Unfortunately, these new moms just aren't quite right and the kids soon start to realize their mom might not have been so bad after all, especially when the school principal keeps making unexpected visits.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

TRADING MOM is a fun, cheesy flick that has a lot of heart but a few flaws. Some parents might not be fans of some of the dated messages and the back talk given by the Martin kids (Jeremy's bitter "no wonder Dad left her" is especially unpleasant). And Sissy Spacek's portrayal of all of the moms is pretty over-the-top. But overall, it's a surprisingly cute movie that will probably be a hit with the younger crowd.

Kids will love the fantasizing about their dream mom and will probably love how silly all of the new mothers are. Parents will appreciate the ending message that it's really better to have a mom who loves and understands you but isn't always fun. And parents who grew up in the '90s will probably love the throwback fashion and some fun cameos like Andre the Giant.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different moms in the movie. Why were the new mothers not quite right?

  • What qualities make a good mother? If you could pick a fantasy mother, what would she be like?

  • Who was your favorite mother in the movie? Why was she your favorite?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate