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Parents' Guide to

Growing Pains

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

'80s favorite offers laughs and life lessons.

TV ION , Nickelodeon , Syndicated Comedy 1985
Growing Pains Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Buffy40
Buffy40 Adult
April 19, 2021
age 7+

Hope from a sitcom

This show is one of the best sitcoms in the 80s it had a lot of common sense knowledge that they did when they sat down with her kids on the show and gave them the facts of life and things that go on in the world the father and the son were able to show love to one another and the family was positive and very influential. I give this a 100% positivity level type show
Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
July 25, 2016
age 10+

Artistic quality not too memorable, but good morals.

While the subject matter makes this show inappropriate for younger children, it's a fine choice for older children, as even the episodes that deal with such things as drug use- as well as the other episodes in the series- are done tastefully and take what most parents (and other adults) would consider to be the moral high ground. Life lessons are taught and taught well. The parents always have plenty of time for their children. Carol, the middle child, is a bit of a goody two-shoes, but not excessively so. Younger son Ben, and especially older son Mike, are troublemakers, but not excessively so, and by episode's end they always see the error of their ways. Mike also changed- for the better- when he met Kate, whom he eventually married, showing young viewers that people sometimes do change when they meet the right man or woman. The only word of caution that I'd have is regarding Mike. That caution is that, even though he is a below average student, he does well in school when he really tries, and ends up going to college. In and of itself that is a good thing, but it could be a letdown for kids who just don't do well in school no matter how hard they try. On tv everyone who tries hard and really studies does well in school. In real life that's generally true, but for some students it isn't. In other words, in real life there are some kids who just don't do well in school no matter how hard they try. On tv you'd be hard-pressed to find such a kid. That could be a big disappointment for such children, especially if they don't know of any other kids in real life who just don't do well in school no matter how hard they try.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Classic '80s sitcom GROWING PAINS follows the ups and downs of family life with a full household of busy kids and two parents managing successful careers. Alan Thicke stars as Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist who, for much of the series, runs his practice out of his house so he can help out while wife Maggie (Joanna Kerns) pursues her career as a journalist. Despite their busy schedules, this dynamic parenting duo always manages to carve out bits of time for themselves and each other, and their loving, mutually considerate relationship is the foundation for the entire family. Meanwhile, oldest son Mike (Kirk Cameron) is a below-average student prone to getting into lots of good-natured mischief; middle child Carol (Tracey Gold) excels in academics and is a bit of a goody-two-shoes; and rambunctious younger son Ben (Jeremy Miller) gets into his fair share of trouble, too. In 1990, a fourth child joined the Seaver family when Maggie gave birth to Chrissy, who (through the miracle of TV) matured between seasons to become a perky youngster played by Ashley Johnson; another late addition was Leonardo DiCaprio as Luke Brower, a homeless teenager who came to live with the Seavers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Though Growing Pains is a typical sitcom in many ways -- most obviously in the ability to solve problems in less than 30 minutes -- its comedy roots didn't stop it from addressing some emotional issues that are still relevant today, including bigotry, sexism, women balancing careers and family, loved ones' death, and teen drug and alcohol use. Through it all, strong messages about responsibility, self-respect, accepting others, and making good decisions come through thanks to the strong parental role models who invite communication and open relationships with their kids. While very young viewers won't be able to grasp the storylines, this is a great series to share with older kids, tweens, and young teens, who may end up liking it so much -- despite the cheesy '80s clothes and hair -- that they won't realize the life lessons they're picking up along the way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how parents and kids relate to each other. Kids: Do you find the characters in this series believable? How are their relationships with their parents different from yours? How do their relationships with their siblings compare to yours? How does this show compare to today's sitcoms? What marks it as an "'80s show"? The series also offers plenty of plot-based discussion points. What issues did the characters face in the show? Who did they turn to for help? What would you have done in their situation? Do you think the parents' advice was good? Why or why not?

TV Details

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.

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