Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun '90s family comedy is fine for tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Highlighting family values, education, and humor, THE PARENT 'HOOD follows the life of the Petersons, an average African-American upper-middle class family living in New York City. New York University college professor Robert Peterson and his wife, law student Jerri, are continually working to balance their careers with their roles as good parents to their four children. Teenagers Michael and Zaria must contend with having caring-but-unhip parents, while grade school-aged Nicholas and preschooler Cece enjoy causing mischief and being cute. Robert's \"hands-on\" parenting style and the siblings' somewhat idealistically close relationship play a big role in the family's efforts to resolve the various issues that arise in each episode. Family friends -- including Robert's wacky best friend Wendell Wilcox -- also add to the storylines.
Is It Any Good?
The Parent 'Hood (which originally ran from 1994 to 1999 and still airs in syndication) is quite family-friendly, but some episodes cover serious topics, including teen pregnancy, gangs, and dropping out of school. Michael and Zaria also deal with the difficulties of being teenagers in a world filled with peer pressure. Nonetheless, the show promotes a very positive image of family and the African-American community. It also sends the message that parenting, while not easy, can be fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about family dynamics. Why do parents set and enforce rules? Kids, what things do your parents do that make you happy? Angry? Families can also discuss how TV represents African-American families. Why is it important to show positive images of diverse people on TV? Is it possible to create an image that's "too perfect"?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 18, 1995
- Cast : Curtis Williams , Robert Townsend , Suzzanne Douglas
- Networks : Syndicated , TBS
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 28, 2022
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