Raising Beloved Children
CREDIT: ILLUSTRATION BY FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA FOR EW I'm pretty sure I learned a lot about marriage, family, and parenting from the "Thank Goodness It's Friday" (TGIF) sitcom lineups from the 1990's. Exhausted from the trials of junior high and high school, Friday night became the greatest time of the week. I would unwind on the couch with my brother and a healthy portion of junk food and tear through two hours of comedy and life lessons from the likes of Carl and Harriette Winslow on Family Matters , Frank Lambert and Carol Foster on Step By Step , Danny Tanner, Jesse Katsopolis, and Joey Gladstone trying to raise Danny's three daughters on Full House , and Earl and Charlene Sinclair, giant dinosaur puppets living human lives on the show Dinosaurs . Reminiscing by watching clips online, I was reminded of how intentional these shows were at portraying family dinners, career advice, sibling rivalry, conflict, school life, blended families, friendships, and soc