The After Bedtime Routine

The kids are finally tucked in. The books have been read to their satisfaction, the last drink of water has been doled out,  and the potty has been visited. Nightlights have been lit to ward off the scary darkness and the hall light is lit just in case those closet monsters get any ideas. Hugs and kisses have been placed upon each child respectively and we've crossed off every item on our mental checklist.

My wife and I gingerly walk downstairs as to not disturb the sandman's work hoping that we will finally be alone.It's almost time to get down to business. It won't be long until they've drifted off to slumberland and we can finally get down to "us time". We sit downstairs and wait for padded footsteps on the stairs. We give them about thirty minutes for the REM cycle to start and when all is quiet we both look at each other and say "Ready to do it?"

We're finally alone and we can get down to business, so we turn on the TV and settle into our butt grooves and dust off our shelfies. What's a shelfie? They are all those shows that you put in your list to watch but never seem to get around to. They are the shows that if your kids weren't around you would binge watch not even stopping to take a shower and the ones you'd be scrambling for the remote so they wouldn't see what you're watching.

1. The League

My ultimate dream of a show, a show about a group of friends who play fantasy football in Chicago. I first introduced this to my wife thinking there would be no way she'd love it and now she is hooked. This fantasy football is just for guys? Enter Kevin's wife Jenny who knows more about football than he does. In this season she finally gets her chance to prove to everyone she is as cutthroat as they come. I laugh so loud during this show that the kids sometimes walk downstairs and ask what's so funny, It's a grownup thing we tell them, go back to sleep. Somewhere during our time as parents we missed a few seasons attending to the children so it's on the top of our list when the kids are sacked out.

2. Louie

Louis C.K. has a great way of looking at things and he's spot on about being a parent. Sometimes when your kids are all you have you forget about all the crazy stuff they make us do. Divorced from his estranged wife, Louie tells us what his life is like as an older guy trying to date, dealing with being a father, and interacting with terrible, terrible human beings. At the end of a long day you might need a laugh and laughing at Louie is the best medicine.

3. Orange Is The New Black

I can't get enough of these crazy convicted women. If you've been a fan of past seasons, the new season does not disappoint. It's all about the drama in this show. Interactions between staff at the prison and the dynamics of the convicts and the inner struggle to survive prison life is the type of show that will turn you into the personal popcorn eating meme just watching the show from afar.

4. Gotham

Gotham came around the time that my wife and I had just given up cable and went solely to Netflix. While adjusting to no longer having a DVR, I lost track of when Gotham was on and missed most of the first season. The backstory to Batman and the city he lives in is a compelling reason to pay attention to this show as Gotham is as ruthless as you can ever imagine.

5. Heroes

Save the cheerleader, save the world. I loved this show way before Hayden Panettiere became a big star and with Heroes: Reborn coming this fall, you may want to dust up on your knowledge about this ordinary people who have extraordinary talents. This show gave us the hope that superpowers really existed in the world and that they can be just as dangerous as the people who wield them.

6. The Walking Dead

If there was ever a show that captured my attention and never let go it's The Walking Dead. Like a bite from a walker, this show will infect you and have checking under your bed before going to bed at night. The plot is fraught with twists and turns that will make you wonder who has the skills necessary to survive the apocalypse? You can watch seasons 1-4 on Netflix and catch up with the rest of civilization.

Filthy Play Is The Best Play

This post brought to you by Maytag. The content and opinions expressed below are that of DadNCharge.

The explorer hunting for treasure comes to the mighty river and has to decide, is it shallow enough to traverse? Should she jump in with both feet or use a stick to measure it's depth? The bank is slippery with mud, the bugs are enormous and swarming, but the water is clear and sparkling in the afternoon sun. The glint from the shiny rocks just below the surface of the cool water catches her eye. There's treasure in there, she just knows it.

Along the bank, the willow tree sways in the breeze and it's roots exposed by erosion, drink up the water rushing by. It's in these tangled roots that the shiniest of rocks lay in the deepest part of the river. The only way to get to them is to get filthy.

Armed with her trusty Crocs and butterfly net, my brave explorer plunges into the depths and emerges with the treasure, the shiny Wissahickon schist made smooth by decades of rushing water.

Coming up from the bank she is wet and dirty covered with rocks and dirt, a fistful of treasure swinging in the pink net as carefree as her attitude about getting dirty while playing outside; the pebbles dotting her skin like a stippled pen and ink drawing. This is childhood, this is play and filthy play is the best kind of play.

The summer is a perfect time for this kind of play whether it be playing in a creek, making sandcastles on the beach or sliding into second base while playing baseball. Getting dirty means that kids are exploring and having fun. We all know that kids love to get filthy.

It's our job as parents to make sure they don't go walking around that way all the time though. Having a good washing machine and dryer can make all the difference in dealing with those moments when life gets messy.

Maytag has been a top trusted American home and commercial appliance brand for decades. That's why Maytag made the New Top Load washer and dryer pair is better built because they are designed, engineered and assembled in America and have the power to clean the filthiest of stains made by our world explorers.

Do you have a kid who exemplifies what "filthy play" is all about? Starting on August 3 and running for six weeks enter the Filthiest Plays of the Week Contest brought to you by MLB and Maytag laundry. As the official washer and dryer of MLB, Maytag is calling ball players and children of all ages to upload photos or videos of their sliding, diving, or just “filthy plays” using “#MyFilthiestPlay” on Twitter or Instagram by tagging @MLB and using #MyFilthiestPlay. You can win weekly prizes like MLB Gift Cards and a Maytag Top Load Washer and Dryer pair and may be eligible for the opportunity of a lifetime – a grand prize trip to the World Series!

Kids need to get filthy and they need to explore their world. Whether the dirt comes from a slide into home plate or the banks of a river, the end result is the same. Their filthy play means they are outside and active which is good for their well being. You'll enjoy watching them explore knowing that Maytag is right there batting clean up when you need them.