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You are here: Home / Parenting / 13 Thoughts I Had While Watching 13 Reasons Why

13 Thoughts I Had While Watching 13 Reasons Why

April 29, 2017 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I am a part of the Netflix #StreamTeam. As always, all opinions are my own.

It was a Friday night and I was just looking for something new to watch on Netflix. I never heard of 13 Reasons Why when I pressed play but within minutes I was hooked. I wanted to know Hannah’s story. It was an intense gut-wrenching binge watch.

I’m the kind of viewer who binges. If you are not, I would advise taking your time with this series. It’s a lot to process.

**If you plan on watching with your children/teens there’s a guide for parents available in English and Spanish: 13 Reasons Why: Talking Points for Viewing & Discussing** 

13 REASONS WHY

13 REASONS WHY

I don’t have a teenager. And my son, Norrin, most likely will never have the same high school experience as the teens in 13 Reasons Why. At 11-years-old, he doesn’t have an understanding of what social media is.

I had many moments while watching where I was grateful for autism.

Also grateful social media did not exist when I was in high school.

Related: How I’m Learning to Cope with My Depression

After watching, I made my friend and 2 daughters watch it. The girls are 21 and 16 — so obviously, they know everything. We watched the first few episodes together. It definitely sparked a lot of conversation and questions. I kept pressing pause so that we could talk about our feelings and experiences.

While we didn’t all agree on some issues 13 Reasons Why focused on – we talked about them. It gave me insight into their world.

13 Reasons Why gave us the opportunity to talk about things, we would never talk about on a random Friday night visit.

Netflix-US-Infographic

13 Reasons tackled tough topics: underage drinking, peer-pressure, bullying, depression, sexuality, slut-shaming, suicide and rape. And it made me think about my own teenage experiences. I understand Hannah more than I would like to.

And the reality of all the teenage issues 13 Reasons focused on scare me. It’s no wonder why it scares so many parents.

“…it was the duality of these teenagers that struck a chord with me. They had one face they wore at home with their parents and a completely different one around their friends at school. When things started to happen, the parents were blindsided.” Denise, Pear Mama.

NOTE: 13 Reasons Why: Talking Points for Viewing & Discussing – available in English & Spanish.

13 Reasons Why is a serious drama that prompts deep discussions and disagreement. It gave me a lot to think about – as a mother, a viewer and a former teenage girl.  

13 Thoughts I Had While Watching 13 Reasons Why

The music. The soundtrack is really good. It’s the kind of soundtrack that keeps the story going. There’s a lit bit of everything: vintage classics (The Cure), pop covers (“Only You” Selena Gomez) and indie hits — my favorite, “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron.

Mean girls. Jessica…Courtney… Why did they have to be so mean to Hannah? Are high school girls really that mean? Yes. Because then I remembered to Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy. Audrie & Daisy is a documentary that deals with similar topics.

Alex. Hey – it’s the kid from Parenthood! And then it was, why couldn’t you just be honest with Hannah?

Are adults in the school system really that clueless? Looking at you Mrs. Bradley and Mr. Porter. It was disappointing to see Hannah’s attempts for help to go completely unnoticed. Also – I love that it’s Lane from Gilmore Girls playing Mrs. Bradley but I’m still side eyeing her.

Omg…Hannah’s mom. Kate Walsh’s (Mrs. Baker) performance is heartbreaking. I can’t tell you how many times I ended each episode ugly crying. I don’t know how any parent can survive such a tragedy.

Speaking of moms...Clay’s mom. Sigh. She means well but gah she takes helicopter mom to a whole new level. But I get it, she’s scared.

Why didn’t Clay just tell Hannah he liked her?! I mean, I know why but I still yelled this at the TV. A lot.

What is up with Tony and his brothers?

The diverse cast. I know, it’s random but it’s something I notice. Not sure how the characters are described in the book but it was nice to see different ethnicities portrayed. And that the ethnicities didn’t fall into stereotypes.

The tapes. I miss tapes. I should’ve never gotten rid of my cassette player. And I appreciated the use of the tapes. Yes – it’s very dark, haunting. In this new media obsessed world, the tapes were Hannah’s way of making people listen to her and her side of the story.

Justin. Justin. Justin. I really wanted to hate him.

Do high school kids really have all those tattoos?  What is up with that? I don’t remember anyone having tattoos in high school. But just another reminder that my high school days were a long time ago.

Bryce. Effin Bryce. Everything that happened to Hannah begins and ends with him.

I hope that parents of tweens/teens watch 13 Reasons Why with them. I hope it prompts honest discussions. I hope that kids watching realize that kindness matters. How we treat people, matters. And I hope adults take the time to listen to what’s not being said.

“…while tv shows come with warning labels. While the pros debate about whether or not this show is glorifying suicide, whether parents of non-teenagers are sharing their insensitive comments on Facebook discussions. Just remember that none of that shit matters to kids who are hurting.” Xenia, Raised By Culture


According to The Jason Foundation

  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for teens.
  • More teens die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
  • Each day in the United States, over 5,240 teenagers attempt suicide.
  • Four out of Five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs.

This guide (available for free on Kindle) equips you with 13 steps as suggested by counselors, therapists, and the National Suicide Hotline for how to engage teenagers in crisis: 13 Reasons Why Not: A Step-By-Step Guide to Helping Depressed & Suicidal Teenagers Kindle Edition

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Filed Under: Neflix, Parenting Tagged With: #StreamTeam, Netflix, Parenting, Sponsored Posts, Teenagers

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Hi, I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. I'm a 40-something mom raising a son with autism in The Bronx, NYC.

Atypical Familia is a personal blog & resource site for Typical Parents raising Extraordinary Kids. We focus on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. This is parenting from a unique perspective.

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I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. Get to know more about me and my familia!

Atypical Familia focuses on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. If you'd like to work with us, send us an email: autismwonderland(@)gmail.com. 

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🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to mis 🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to miss a thing.
I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m easily distracted. P.S. Why didn’t y’all tell me about Married at First Sight sooner?! How is it that 9 seasons in, I’m just discovering it?
cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 woke up grateful for another day and the life I’ve been able to create. Day by day, my life gets better because I get better. It’s been a slow process. First I had to figure out the life I wanted. Then I had to realize that I DESERVE the life I wanted.
Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. C Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. Change. Complain. Accept. Deny. Accomplish. Regret. Finish. Quit. 
I DECIDE. 👊🏽
🦋 🦋
🖤 🖤
It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful not It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful nothing in my life turned out the way I planned. My life is turning out to be exactly the way it’s supposed to be. My HPs plan is better than I could’ve ever dreamed of. 🌻
Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything. Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything.
Never ever 🖤🌀 Never ever 🖤🌀
4🔥5 . . . . . As per my young friends “This 4🔥5 
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As per my young friends “This gotta go on the grid. This is not a story pic.” 🤣🤣🤣 Thank you for this collective effort 📷 @ashestogoodvibes @loutimes5 💛 #flyageless
euphoria: the feeling or state of intense exciteme euphoria: the feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness 🌻 I may struggle with depression and anxiety but I also have moments of pure and genuine happiness. That is where I am right now. One of the gifts I’ve received in sobriety is the ability to hold space for all of my emotions. I feel them, I acknowledge them and I let them pass. For me, it’s in the passing where the power is... I don’t stay in it. ✨ 45 is going to be amazing. ✨
Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. B Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. But I continue to get up. I do my hair, throw on some hoops, dab a little gloss and give myself a pep talk. Dear Me, I know you’re scared, but you can handle this. Keep going. Love, Me 🌻#selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO a No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO and keep it moving. ”No” is hard when you’re a people pleaser but boundaries are absolutely necessary. It’s something I’m learning to do to maintain my own peace of mind. Lack of boundaries invites lack of respect. And I respect myself way too much to allow anyone to disrespect me. 💥 periodt ✌🏼 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. After meditating and writing my list, I opened my Beautiful You book. Describing myself in 25 words or less without using roles or physical features was not easy. It took a little time. But I did. Making healthy choices, setting boundaries is a daily practice. I am grateful I have the willingness to do so. I am grateful I can pause and breathe through my anxiety. I am grateful I have the courage to follow my dreams. Thank you @rosiemolinary - I am grateful for your words and online presence in my life. Hope we can be in the same room again soon. xoxo amiga 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand th One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand the loneliness. More so during the quarantine. As painful as it has been, it’s allowed me to heal. The solitude forced me to figure myself out. I may not always be happy about my situation, but I am happy with myself. And I think it shows. 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
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