At some point, we've all cheated...

Disclosure: Atypical Familia is now part of the Netflix #StreamTeam! (Which is a dream for us because we love Netflix.) We can’t wait to share what’s new and what we’re watching. As always, all opinions and experiences are our own.

I think it’s safe to say that at some point, we’ve all cheated.

In fact, 46% of viewers are cheating right now—with their favorite Netflix shows. And it’s not just parents who are culprits of the crime, cheaters come in all sizes, so even the littlest ones can’t be trusted.

I usually discover what’s new on Netflix via Facebook. I like to see what other people are talking about before committing to a show. And last year, it was like everyone in my FB feed binged on Stranger Things.

It was a Friday and I was home sick for the day. I went to Netflix for to look for something to watch.

Stranger Things was definitely coming up in our suggestions and I saw everyone talking about it on social media. My curiosity was piqued.

“I’ll just watch the first episode…” I thought to myself.

Ten minutes into that first episode, I just knew it was something Joseph would like. We’re both 80s kids and Stranger Things was made for our generation. It’s every single 80s movie you’ve ever loved.

But I was already hooked. By the time Joseph came home from work, I binged all eight episodes. (Don’t judge me, we’ve all done it.)

Later that evening, I casually asked if he wanted to watch Stranger Things. I didn’t want to admit I’d already watched the entire thing. And it was something I wanted to watch with him.

So I watched it again. And not once during our Stranger Thing binge weekend, did I mention that I’d watched it without him.

It was tough. Not wanting to give myself away, I had to remember to jump during the parts when I was scared and keep from saying things like “this is my favorite part.”

The #1 Reason Why I Cheated

Joseph and I have different binge watching philosophies.

I’m committed. I’m ready to watch all at once.

Not Joseph, he will drag 8 1-hour episodes over the course of a month. (Drives me crazy!)

That being said, it was easy to stop Stranger Things after the first few episodes with Joseph. I already knew how it was going to end. It was a win-win situation.

After we finally finished watching Stranger Things, I admitted to watching the series without him.

Joseph – the good guy that he is – wasn’t mad. He didn’t even care.

Though I’m not sure if the same could be said, if it was Luke Cage or Dare Devil.