I totally felt like having a kid ruined Mrs Doubtfire for me. The wife was definitely a douche to Robin Williams after they got divorced (she should've just let him take care of the kids after school from the beginning), but I totally understand why she was pissed at him. Letting a petting zoo into their super fancy San Francisco house, especially when the kid wasn't supposed to have a big birthday party because his grades were bad?! Ridiculous. Plus, she went to the effort to get him a cake and was going to have a small party for him anyway. When I saw that movie as a kid, I thought the dad was the coolest. Now I think he was a nice dude, but totally not a responsible husband at all.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, having kids ruins frivolous TV. I keep waiting for Little Ricky to scream bloody murder from the room he is always playing in quietly alone while Lucy and Ethel plot out something. And talk about reliable childcare - Mrs Trumbull was always available to babysit at a moment's notice.

Why aren't all kids like TV kids?

I know! I want TV kids! I was watching an episode of "7th Heaven" and the two younger kids are quietly playing in their room with no TV when the mother comes in with open cups of milk and a huge plate of cookies and asks them to please stay in their room while she and the father entertain a guest. Like my kids would ever do that especially after all the sugar from the cookies and spilling milk all over!

The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV

At least she was in a car seat! They used to just put babies on the floor of the backseat surrounded by pillows and blankets.

The part that gets me is that in some of the early episodes, they're celebrating Danny's 30th birthday. A few episodes later, DJ mentions she's 11. He was a teen dad, but now he lives in one of San Francisco's painted ladies? What?

Sounds like he must have a ton of family money.

I was born in 1968. When my parents went to visit their relatives (a four hour car ride) they laid me out on the floor in front of the front seat in a bed of blankets. I shudder at the thought.

It was the 80s ... I was born in 86 and remember my friend and I riding in the trunk of my parents' station wagon with no seatbelts ... we were just in that big trunk area having fun. I think our dog was there too.

Oh the 80's...

Anonymous wrote:And during the opening sequence, they have Michelle as a baby riding in a forward facing car seat and no baby gate on the open stairs down to the basement. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, "I really need to get a life."

Has having kids ruined frivolous television for me?

She wasn't in a bucket seat. Those were the only seats that rear faced.

I never thought of the gate even as an adult.

Yes, having kids ruins frivolous TV. I keep waiting for Little Ricky to scream bloody murder from the room he is always playing in quietly alone while Lucy and Ethel plot out something. And talk about reliable childcare - Mrs Trumbull was always available to babysit at a moment's notice.

Why aren't all kids like TV kids?

Anonymous wrote:What ever happened to predictability ...

I am the same age as Michelle and I rode in a forward facing car seat in the front seat of my dad's Explorer. Ignorance is bliss!

I noticed the carseat recently too!

What ever happened to predictability ...

And during the opening sequence, they have Michelle as a baby riding in a forward facing car seat and no baby gate on the open stairs down to the basement. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, "I really need to get a life."

Has having kids ruined frivolous television for me?