Jonny Quest

FW isn't much of a TV or movie watcher. He likes documentaries like Blue Planet and Microcosmos, but other than that it's been a struggle to get him to sit and watch TV. I know what you're thinking--what kind of a crazy parent wants her kid to watch more TV? But nutty as it sounds, we think it's important to encourage FW to do things other kids his age do.

Since we wanted him to enjoy his TV watching experience, we tried to find cartoons that would hit on the things he likes: science, "freaky" creatures, cool gadgets, and airplanes. I remembered Jonny Quest from my childhood, and this has been a big hit. Netflix has the first season, which I think is all that's available at this point. It's a bit on the scary side--people get shot with guns (although there's no gore) and blown up in explosions, for example. There are also "monsters" which, as in Scooby Doo, turn out to be man-made creations. But FW loves it. I am now mining the vast catalog of 1960s and early 70s cartoons for things FW will enjoy as much as he enjoys Jonny Quest. [Note: this is the original 1960s "Jonny Quest," and not "The New Adventures of Jonny Quest" or "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest," which came later].