How To Get Fantastic Sleep

Marvel On a tip from a savvy movie critic , I took my 7-year-old out to see his second ever Marvel movie the other day (he's a big fan of Norse mythology so he's seen Thor: Ragnarok and sorta liked it). We sat back, donning our 3D glasses (he was very into the novelty of this) and took in The Fantastic Four: First Steps . What a pleasant surprise. The movie is, in fact, as my movie critic colleague promised, The Best Marvel Movie for Families. For the kids, there’s a lot to love. There are the action montages, a bright retro futuristic setting, a visual style that is gee-whiz superhero cool, but in a comic way — shiny and light and not over the top. The movie is just more palatable for kids than most other Marvel movies, emotionally and cognitively. The superheroes are relatable as family but they also play the part of role models well, interacting with and caring deeply about the public they serve. The villain, too, is not so much motivated by evil but by an unstoppable appetite (for planets, granted) that he is actively trying to rid himself of. A little sympathy goes a long way to take the teeth out of a monster. But most importantly there’s Franklin, the baby. The Fantastic Four are a family and have arguments and issues that are familiar to all kids. One big one is the strain (and joys) that having a baby puts on, well, everyone. I especially loved seeing Reed Richards and Sue Storm, superheroes with doctorates who no doubt have seen their share of sleep debt, complain a…