Being a parent is a rewarding job, but there are days where the rewards feel like they are few and far between. When motherhood starts to overwhelm you and you second guess whether you’re being a great mum, you need to watch one of these movies to ease the pressure. We’ve found 10 movies to watch to make you feel a better parent. In some scenes you will relate and in others you will be relieved and hopefully realize you’re not doing so bad after all.
1. Cheaper by the Dozen 2003 – If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a big family, this is the movie to watch. It’s relatable for parents who experience the pressures of balancing work and a family. You may laugh at the chaos or be grateful you don’t have so many children to run after.
2. Mom’s night out 2014 – Hard working mum Allyson organizes a night out with her friends while their husbands look after the kids. It’s a crazy, funny movie which has a message that will give you new perspective about motherhood.
3. Life as we know it 2010 – Holly and Messer hate being near each other after a terrible blind date. A car accident leaves their shared goddaughter orphaned and both Holly and Messer are left to raise her as their own. There’s a clash of different parenting styles as Holly and Messer navigate their new roles as parents. A great movie for new parents.
4. Riding in cars with boys – 2001. Drew Barrymore plays the main character Bev who finds herself pregnant at 15. The movie follows Bev as she deals with motherhood and her dream of publishing her memoir. Bev deals with welfare, a heroin-addicted husband and makes some not so great choices along the way while struggling to accept the sacrifice motherhood can have on her personal dreams. It’s relatable in some ways and eye-opening in others.
5. Yours mine and Ours 2005 – This remake of a 1968 Lucille Ball film where a widowed Coast Guard Admiral (father to 8 children) and a widow handbag designer (mother to 10 children) get together after 30 years. They fall in love and get married and then deal with the aftereffects of blending their big family. A great movie to watch as a step-parent or a parent of a blended family.
6. I don’t know how she does it 2011 – was based on the bestselling book of the same name. The movie is about Kate who is a wife and mum of two, juggling marriage, children and a highly-stressful job. All mums will relate to the busyness Kate deals with in the movie. A great movies for working mums.
7. Dennis the Menace 1993 – Sometimes watching a kid do crazy stuff can make you feel better that your child is either not as bad or relieved that someone else is experiencing the same. If they’re worse, you may want to watch the next movie.
8. Problem Child 1990 – Junior is a redheaded kid who is hell bent on creating chaos to his newly adoptive parents lives. Wherever Junior goes, disaster is sure to follow. If you’ve had a bad day, you will love watching this movie.
9. Sex in the City Movie 2 – While not as good as the show or the first movie, if you’re a working mum, this movie will be relatable in some ways when Charlotte and Miranda discuss how hard it is to raise kids and have a life. Their escape to Abu Dhabi may be the escape you need to breathe in and breathe out.
10. Home Alone 1990 – If you feel like a failure as a parent, this movie will provide some comfort that at least you haven’t left your kid at home when going on a holiday. The movie focuses on bratty 8-year-old Kevin who acts up the night before their family vacation to Paris. His mother makes him sleep in the attic and the family mistakenly leave him behind and don’t realise their error until they are in the plane.
Got any movies to add to the list? What movies do you watch when you need a pick me up?
