I am a child born in the 90s. I’m also a big fan Full housewhich means growing up, slogans like “You got this, man” and “Mercy” were basically part of my DNA (along with “Did I do thaaaat?” – IYKYK). I distinctly remember sitting on the couch in my living room as a kid, anticipating my daily dose Full house. At the time, I resonated a lot with Michelle’s character – partly because we share the same name, and partly because she was the youngest of three girls (like me).
Full house It’s always had a special place in my heart, but because I watched it as a child, I see it through a child’s lens. Now that I’m in my 30s and have three young children, I decided to revisit my favorite childhood show (which, admittedly, I haven’t watched in 25 years).
As I sat down to rewatch it, singer Jesse Frederick’s husky voice came on and it immediately put a smile on my face. No matter how long it’s been since I’ve watched the show, its theme song will remain etched in my mind, reminding me of the warm and fuzzy feelings I get when watching a show as wholesome as this one.
Here are some things I learned while rewatching Season 1 that I’ve grown to appreciate.
It’s okay to ask for help.
Parenting is hard work, and some parents feel like they need to be strong, self-reliant, or have all the answers for their kids, which makes it hard for them to admit when they need help (hi, that was me with my first child ).
But asking for help doesn’t mean you’re incompetent. In fact, it’s a sign of resourcefulness, self-awareness, and a commitment to doing what’s best for your children. The show emphasizes this in a wonderful way – most obviously when Uncle Jesse and Joey move in with the Tanners to help raise the girls, and even when Grandma comes back to “check on” the family and see how things are How it goes. Sometimes, a village is needed, and if you’re privileged enough and there’s that village around, then using it is fine.
Danny’s mother is surprisingly affable.
Danny’s mom makes a brief appearance on the show, but her appearance in the opening episode of the first episode makes her an unexpectedly relatable character. The scene shows her saying goodbye to Danny, DJ and Stephanie after helping the family during their three-month stay following the death of Danny’s wife. She doesn’t want to leave, Danny is ready for her to leave, and the grandchildren are begging her not to leave.
This often reminds me of a thought: There comes a time when you have to believe that you have taught your children enough to fly high, even if they are in an incomprehensible situation like being widowed.
As my kids grew into older kids, teenagers, and eventually adults, I knew one day I had to throw them into the world and hope for the best, and I bet that’s exactly what grandma was doing thing at this moment.
Meeting the needs of different children at the same time is indeed a difficult task.
It’s an all-too-familiar scene: Danny tries to comfort DJ because she has to share a room with her sister, while Michelle cries for milk and middle child Stephanie just goes along with it. As a parent of multiple children, it’s a constant battle trying to manage everyone’s physical and emotional needs… let alone your own. (PSA: You did a great job!).
The show highlights some different strategies for managing the children’s needs: Danny is able to adapt his approach based on birth order and age (e.g. DJ’s troubles differ from Stephanie’s, and Stephanie’s troubles differ from Michelle’s Trouble is different), the adults are pros at dividing and conquering (Danny’s structure balances Uncle Jesse’s emotional availability with Joey’s humor and comedic levity), and the shared family values are so present in every episode (Growing Up People always reinforce the values of kindness, honesty), and mutual respect).
Danny’s parenting style strikes a healthy balance.
Throughout the season, Danny oscillates between authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles. While he longed for his children to have a sense of order and obedience, he also placed great emphasis on cultivating a nurturing and responsive environment where they could make mistakes without judgment.
This is evident in almost every episode: when DJ “moves out” of her room and into the garage, when Stephanie tries to skip school on her first day, when the girls lose Bubba the Turtle.
Looking back, it’s interesting to see that his parenting style also translated into his problem-solving strategies with Uncle Jesse and Joey. Give an example? While he was angry that Uncle Jesse was throwing a party at his house, he was also quick to show empathy and compassion for Uncle Jesse because he knew the rock star was going through a journey of growth and transformation.
That’s actually very inspiring and I think we all strive for that no matter what our parenting style is. We want children to feel comfortable asking us questions rather than keeping them bottled up inside.
The show doesn’t underestimate the bond between siblings.
The bond between the sisters, especially DJ and Stephanie in season 1, is one of the warmest parts of the show for me. On more than one occasion, we see DJ put on a brave front for her little sister, often to her own detriment (like when she gets upset and Danny has to go to work instead of taking them to the mall), but she suppresses herself feelings so as not to hurt Stephanie).
And then there are the adorable scenes of the two getting into mischief – like when they sneak out of bed and raid the freezer for ice cream. Watching scenes like this resonates because my kids often have sibling conflicts, so whenever I notice them working together on something, even if it involves a bit of mischief (within a reasonable and safe structure, of course – like the “science experiment” of making condiments for the refrigerator), I try to let it go. Yes, this may push back bedtime a bit. But I believe the friendships, teamwork, and memories they form in these small shared experiences will deepen their bonds and encourage problem-solving skills—just like in Full house.
