Our Friday night traditions

Friday nights have always been pretty sacred for me. I was early to the Friday night party and can clearly remember getting that thrill of the coming weekend right from when I was little.

At school Fridays were special – we’d have free time for half an hour in the afternoon when we could play our tunes on cassettes (remember them?!). We’d dance to the likes of East 17, Scatman John and the Outhere Brothers – totally cool when you’re in Year 6 – before running amok out of the school gates. In the evening I was allowed to stay up late and we’d have takeaway curry or fish and chips for tea. Friday nights were the best.

Then I turned into a grown up and Friday nights meant chips at the pub before wine, vodka tonics and dancing. In fact, I met the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine on one such Friday night. 

As a mum, Friday nights have taken a different turn, but they’re no less special. These days I have the sweet anticipation of avoiding the school run the next day. It didn’t take long for Frog to cotton on to the fact that Fridays are brilliant. We mark the beginning of the weekend by a trip to the village shop for sweets on the way home from school, followed by “Friday Night Movie Night”.

As soon as she’s through the door Frog gets her PJs on and snuggles up on the sofa. We plan our Friday night viewing earlier in the week, and Frog literally counts down the days. Today it was all about the new offering on Netflix Kids – All Hail King Julien.

If you’ve seen Madagascar then you’ll already be familiar with King Julien. Now Netflix have given him his very own spin-off show, complete with Friday night banging theme tune.

For me, the sign of a good kids’ show is one that has enough for the adults to enjoy too. For example, as much as Frog LOVES Bubble Guppies, it really isn’t my thing. King Julien though, that one I can get on board with.

King Julien reminds me very much of Alan Partridge. OK, so he’s a lemur and a cartoon character, but he has many similar character traits. He’s a bumbling buffoon, happy to take the credit for the hard graft of others but kind of lovable in an idiotic, feel sorry for him kind of way. You find yourself rooting for him even though he’s actually a bit of an idiot. And, just like Partridge, that makes for very funny viewing.

At four years old Frog was old enough to get the jokes, thought the music “awesome Mummy – it’s SUPER awesome!” and watched four episodes in a row without losing interest. At 31 years old I rather liked the music too, along with the surprisingly motivational snippets. My favourite being these wise words from King Julien:

I have learned a valuable lesson today. What do I care about one dummy who doesn’t like me? I bet I like that dummy even less! I can easily make up for the one hater. I just have to love myself twice as much.

Each episode was just the right length and, at bedtime, Frog asked when we can watch it again. I have a feeling (fingers crossed) Frozen may even take a back seat for a while. We can but hope.

How do you mark Fridays?

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Disclosure: I’m a member of the Netflix Stream Team. All views, as ever, remain my own. I *may* have chosen to watch an episode of King Julien on my own after the kids went to bed this evening. Busted.