10 Things About Family That Full House Gets Right

Bedtime has become a struggle in our home. No, my kids aren't scared of the boogeyman, and they don't want to stay up to hang out with mom and dad. Rather, they've discovered Full House reruns on Nick at Nite. Having grown up watching the show religiously on Friday nights and now eagerly anticipating the debut of the new version of the show, I'm delighted — and surprised — to find my 9- and 6-year-old boys immersed in the world of the Tanner family.

My first thought was that the show was unbelievably dated — acid-washed jeans, the Beach Boys, Uncle Jesse's hair! — but after giving the show (and my kids' reactions to it) my undivided attention, I see why they're loving it. It's wholesome, the characters — for the most part — are nice to each other, each episode wraps up with a moral lesson, and of course, there are the hugs. While we've sat and watched other shows as a family — Good Luck Charlie, Austin & Ally, and The Haunted Hathaways to name a few — I often find them pushing more mature themes toward my young kids, making everyone in the room a bit uncomfortable.

It's become part of our evening routine now, enjoying an episode (and having to explain some of the '90s cultural references), and it's something that has us bonding in a new way. Read on to see why the show appears to be touching a new generation.

01
All Families Aren't Traditional.
ABC

All Families Aren't Traditional.

Decades before Modern Family, Full House was, in essence, one of the first nontraditional families to appear on TV. Yes, The Brady Bunch appeared before it, but the Bradys had a mom and a dad at the head of their household. Full House had a dad, an uncle, and the dad's best friend raising the three girls. And while some may argue that each man embodied a different trait, together they provided those girls with a warm and loving household. In essence, three adult males with no female presence (until Jesse's future wife moves in) try to cook, clean, and diaper-change their way toward providing a nurturing home environment for three adolescent daughters.

02
Single Fatherhood.
ABC

Single Fatherhood.

Sure, Danny Tanner was goofy. Sure, he fumbled around with the child-rearing — especially when it was time to deal with his daughters' puberty. But the show never made light of the fact that Danny was a single dad (and a responsible one at that). He didn't bring around a parade of inappropriate dates (just one — a college-aged coed right around the time DJ was entering college); he put his family first.

03
Hugs. Hugs. And More Hugs.
ABC

Hugs. Hugs. And More Hugs.

I hadn't noticed, but my kids quickly did — the characters on the show are the originators of hugging it out. A hug solves all issues on the show, and while they might not be as cure-all as Full House portrays them to be, they certainly help in real life.

04
The Language.
ABC

The Language.

The worst language ever heard on Full House is Stephanie's catchphrase, "how rude." Not only is it innocent, it's not a bad thing for kids to be aware of as they consider what their family and friends say to them.

05
Dad Talks.
ABC

Dad Talks.

Every Full House episode wraps up with a lesson, and while there was usually cheesy music and a sit-down in the girls' room to accompany it, the lessons were heartfelt and never involved the characters degrading each other. So many of today's shows focus on bringing others down in order to make themselves feel good. Full House always went back to teaching the Tanner girls how to treat each other with respect.

06
Little Kids Have Funny Takes on Dating.
ABC

Little Kids Have Funny Takes on Dating.

My boys are 8 and 5, so right now girls are still "icky, gross, mean, etc." but I watch them take in the dating scenes with unbelievable intensity. Unlike watching Good Luck Charlie or Austin & Ally, where I notice that they squirm with discomfort, they seem to relate to the scenes on Full House perfectly.

07
Tough Issues Can't Be Handled With a Trip to the Mall.
ABC

Tough Issues Can't Be Handled With a Trip to the Mall.

Body image, smoking, drunk driving . . . Full House covered them all and did so with heart. They weren't shoved down your throat. We experienced the ups and downs of puberty with the Tanner kids, and now my boys are, too. And while the show focused on the girls, my boys are learning a bit about what goes through girls' heads as they enter the tween years.

08
Respecting Your Family.
ABC

Respecting Your Family.

One thing Full House made a point of doing, at least according to John Stamos, was showing that there was mutual respect between the children and the adults. Everyone had their say. Every voice could be heard. While the adults in the house always had the final word, everyone was heard.

09
Dancing. Lots of It!
ABC

Dancing. Lots of It!

Really, is there any better way to get kids to let go of their inhibitions and just have some fun? A nightly dance party is something we used to do when I had toddlers, but with homework and after-school activities, it fell by the wayside. Seeing all of the dancing on the show has brought it back into our home, and it is now one of my favorite times of the day.

10
click to play video

The Hair, the Clothes, the Music.

OK, you can't talk about Full House without also talking about the hair, clothes, and music. My boys keep asking me if people "really dressed like that" and if dad "once had hair like that." That's led to several sessions of flipping through old photo albums (the kind with the vellum covers where the pictures keep falling out!) and plenty of laughing as we relive the awful styles of the early '90s.

And then there's the music. If I put on the oldies station on the radio, all I hear is whining from the backseat. They'd rather listen to Katy Perry, Pitbull, and Ariana Grande. But when the Beach Boys appear on the show and I explain that they were grandma's favorite band and they appeared on a show that I liked, my kids' minds are blown. They actually sit and listen. They may not like it, but they're taking it in, making it something the multiple generations in my family can enjoy together.