10 Perfect Binge Watches You and Your Daughter Will Love

10-perfect-binge-watches-you-and-your-daughter-will-love

March is Women’s History Month, and since the weather is also typically dreary, it’s the perfect time for a new binge watch. Why not pick something with a strong female role model that you and your daughter can both enjoy together?

The shows on this list feature strong, powerful women. But most importantly, these women aren’t perfect. They learn a lot throughout the series’ runs, and they grow and evolve.

Most of these shows are appropriate for middle and high school students, but a few are definitely worth watching ahead of time due to mature content. They’ll likely stir up some valuable but serious conversations that you and your daughter can both learn a lot from each other during.

Here are 10 perfect binge-worthy shows with strong female role models to start this March:

1. Ugly Betty (currently streaming on Prime and Hulu)

Ugly Betty may have debuted in 2006, but it seriously holds up. As a very unfashionable fish out of water in the glamorous magazine industry, it would be easy for Betty to get a makeover to blend in. But she doesn’t.

Instead, she remains true to who she is, and she is valued by everyone she meets for her strong work ethic and consistent morality.

Betty’s sister, Hilda, a single mother raising her son in Queens, is also an admirable character. She doesn’t hesitate to stand up for the ones she loves, and her love for her family, especially her son, is unconditional.

Their close-knit family faces numerous triumphs and heartbreaks throughout the series, and you’ll root for them every step of the way. I really can’t recommend it highly enough!

2. Parks and Recreation (currently streaming on Peacock)

Leslie Knope is the ultimate optimist. No matter how futile working in her local government seems, she refuses to give up. And she always tries to do the right thing. Even when she does make mistakes, she owns up to it.

Leslie is the kind of (fictitious) woman we want our daughters to look up to. She works hard at a job she’s passionate about. She’s a kind and loyal friend. She doesn’t compromise who she is for anyone. And her eventual husband supports her every step of the way and values her dreams just as much as she does.

While this show can be a little cooky or inappropriate at times, it’s full of heart and humor. You and your daughter will adore Leslie (especially from Season 2 onward!).

3. New Girl (currently streaming on Netflix)

New Girl is probably a little too mature for anyone younger than high school, but it’s excellent -and hysterical. Jess Day starts the series by discovering her long-term boyfriend cheating on her and has to completely start over.

She moves into a loft with 3 immature yet kindhearted men and ends up forging meaningful friendships with each of them (if not a little more). The friends support each other, but they also don’t hesitate to call each other out when they need to.

Take Schmidt, who considers himself a ladies’ man and makes more inappropriate comments than a character in a Judd Apatow movie. His roommates rarely let this behavior go unchecked, and over the course of the series, Schmidt evolves from a wannabe ladies’ man to a loving husband and girl dad.

Jess is quirky, kind, and loyal. She’s consistently true to who she is, and she doesn’t compromise her ethics for anything. You and your daughter will adore her.

4. Jane the Virgin (currently streaming on Netflix)

Imagine being determined to remain a virgin until marriage but finding yourself artificially inseminated by your distracted gynecologist at a routine check-up. Jane never expected her life to take this turn, and while it throws everything she’s worked for into chaos, she embraces it and rises to the challenge of becoming a mother in some of TV’s most unusual circumstances.

The show’s telenovela format makes it addictive even when it’s totally over-the-top. Don’t be surprised by unexpected twins, shifting identities, murders, and pretty much any other telenovela trope. And yet the show’s relationships are firmly grounded in real emotions.

At the heart of the show are Alba, Xiomara, and Jane, 3 generations of strong women who have struggled to survive and build lives for their children. They’ve all endured incredible loss and unexpected hardships, but they’ve come out stronger on the other end.

The relationships between mothers and their children on the show vary from unconditional love to true heartlessness, and the tough topics tackled will lead to many meaningful discussions.

5. Maid (currently streaming on Netflix)

Maid is definitely most appropriate for older viewers, but it is so incredibly powerful. Based on the memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, by Stephanie Land, the show follows Alex Russell.

One night, after a few too many drinks, Alex’s abusive boyfriend goes too far and she flees, taking her adorable toddler with her. She has nothing -no job, no home, just the clothes on her back. And she has no support system.

Watching Alex struggle to navigate the system to get the resources she and her daughter need to survive while simultaneously working so incredibly hard will rip your heart out. It will also inspire you and your daughter.

The show tackles numerous difficult topics, and the abuse Alex and other characters face is disturbing at times. Her boyfriend, while abusive, is also portrayed as extremely human -viewers know that he could’ve been a good person if he’d grown up in a healthy home.

The show will lead to a lot of important conversations focused around healthy relationships, hard work, and economic challenges. And at 10 episodes, it’s short enough to watch during a school break.

6. The Middle (currently streaming on HBO Max)

This is one of the most relatable shows out there. The Hecks are a struggling, middle class family in Indiana who endure all kinds of everyday challenges. The humor is pretty innocent and the characters are people similar to those in your own life.

Sue Heck is perhaps the most relatable character of all, and you and your daughter will root for her as she moves through the awkward middle school years, through high school, and into college. Sue is an irrepressible optimist, true to herself, and the best friend anyone could ask for. You can’t help but love her.

7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (currently streaming on Peacock)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is so underrated. It’s hilarious, heartwarming, and even occasionally mysterious! The cast includes 3 strong, but very different, women.

Amy Santiago is the ultimate overachiever, Rosa Diaz is a total badass, and Gina Linetti is a complete individual. Every character on the show is richly developed and brings value to the social dynamics. The friendships and relationships are surprisingly deep for a half-hour comedy. You and your daughter will laugh your way through the seasons.

8. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (currently streaming on Prime)

This one is strictly for older viewers because of occasional nudity and colorful language, but when your daughter is old enough, it’s a great watch! Miriam “Midge” Maisel finds out her husband is cheating on her and decides to blow off steam in a pretty unusual way -an impromptu standup routine at a local comedy club.

Miriam is hysterical and feisty, and she refuses to let the expectations of her time limit her capabilities. Plus the 1950s fashion is gorgeous! Follow Miriam and her manager, Suzie, as they navigate the comedy scene and Miriam finds her identity outside of her marriage.

9. Hart of Dixie (currently streaming on Prime, may be headed to HBO Max soon)

Who doesn’t love a medical drama where no one dies? In another fish out of water story, Zoey Hart leaves Manhattan to work at a small medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Bluebell is an adorable but unfortunately fictional southern town with quirky celebrations and loveable residents.

Zoey struggles to find herself throughout the series’ 4 seasons. She was so certain of what she wanted back in New York, but once she leaves the city, everything is upended. New priorities, opportunities, challenges, friends, enemies, and love interests force Zoey to evolve, and you’ll both love being along on her journey!

This is honestly one of my all-time favorite TV shows. The music is excellent, the characters are lovable, and the plot is addictive. I love to watch it mid-winter, when things get especially dreary, because it’s a perfect escape.

10. Grey’s Anatomy (currently streaming on Netflix)

The early seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are by far the best, but the characters show exceptional growth throughout the series’ continued run. Overachievers can relate closely to Christina Yang and Meredith Grey. Izzie Stevens is definitely the heart of the group.

While Grey’s has a lot of heart-wrenching plotlines, as well as some adult content, the show’s presence on primetime television keeps it relatively appropriate for high school students and possibly some middle schoolers.

The show explores mother-daughter relationships, the pressure we put on ourselves to be extraordinary, and the challenge of accomplishing what you’ve always dreamed of and finding yourself lost and overwhelmed. You’ll find yourself rooting for the characters as they navigate difficult surgeries and even more difficult relationships.

Who do you think is the best female role model on TV? What shows are you dying to watch with your daughter? Please share in the comments below!

For in-depth reviews of the shows, including descriptions of questionable content, check out Common Sense Media. And for more tips for girl moms, check out these strategies for Raising Confident Daughters!