I Thought Captain Underpants Was Just Silly—Then I Saw What It Did for My Son
When you're homeschooling, it's easy to look at everything through the lens of, Is this educational?
Is this book teaching history?
Is this helping with reading comprehension?
Is there a lesson I can pull from this?
I still think those are valuable questions. But I've also learned that not everything our children enjoy has to look educational on the surface to have value.
Sometimes a child's interests become the bridge that leads them somewhere else. For my son, that was Captain Underpants.
After watching the show, he discovered that there were books. And he wanted them badly. I think we found one at the library first, and once he started reading, he wanted more.
But something even more interesting happened before we really got into the books.
He started making his own comics.
I’ve learned that sometimes the things I expect to be the least educational can end up teaching my child the most.
And, surprisingly, Captain Underpants is one of those things.
I didn't grow up reading Captain Underpants, so I really knew nothing about the books. When I first saw the show listed on Netflix, I wasn't interested in my son watching it. Between the title and the trailer, it looked way too silly for me.
It seemed like it was going to be nothing more than fart jokes, underwear jokes, and a bunch of ridiculous adventures. I couldn't really see what my son would get out of it.
But then he started watching it without me.
And eventually, I started noticing something I didn't expect.
That silly show was inspiring him to write, draw, create, and tell stories.
Sometimes Our Kids Find Learning in Unexpected Places
How Captain Underpants Inspired My Son to Make Comics
One of the things that makes the Captain Underpants stories so interesting to kids is the relationship between George and Harold. They're two creative kids who make their own comics and created the character Captain Underpants.
My son saw that and apparently thought, I can do that, too.
Since he was about five years old (just about to turn six), he's been making his own little comic books.
He would draw the pictures, write the stories, cut out the pages, staple them together, and create his own little books.
And honestly, it has been incredible to watch.
He wasn't sitting down because I told him it was time to practice writing.
He simply had a story he wanted to tell, and because he wanted to tell it, he was willing to practice the skills necessary to tell it.
That meant writing.
It meant drawing.
It meant sequencing events.
It meant thinking about characters.
It meant figuring out how to communicate an idea to someone else.
That's a lot of learning hiding inside a homemade comic book.
From Reading Comics to Writing His Own Stories
One of my favorite things about watching this process has been seeing how naturally his reading and writing have started working together.
He reads a story. Then he tries to tell a story himself.
He even began turning movies into comics. He'll watch a movie and then create his own little comic summarizing what happened.
And now he's even talking about creating his own comic series.
The Educational Value of Letting Kids Write About What They Love
Sometimes we can put so much pressure on ourselves to find the “perfect” curriculum or the most educational books that we forget how powerful a child's own interests can be.
My son wasn't initially interested in writing because I gave him a writing assignment.
He became interested in writing because he had something he wanted to create.
That distinction matters.
When children are genuinely interested in a topic, writing can become a way for them to express that interest.
For my son, comic books have given him a reason to:
Practice writing
Summarize stories
Develop characters
Create plots
Sequence events
Combine pictures and words
Express his own ideas
Practice reading
Tell stories in his own voice
Share his work with other people
And perhaps most importantly, he enjoys it and the "I'm bored" announcement doesn't happen as often.
But What About the Silly Humor?
Now, I'm not going to pretend that Captain Underpants suddenly became my idea of high literature.
It is silly.
Very silly.
There are fart jokes. There are underwear jokes. There are ridiculous situations. There is a lot that may make a parent roll their eyes.
And that's exactly why I was hesitant about it in the first place.
Every family has different standards for what they are comfortable allowing their children to read or watch, and I'm certainly not saying every child needs to read Captain Underpants.
But my experience has made me reconsider something.
Just because a book is silly doesn't automatically mean it has no value.
Sometimes silliness is what gets a child interested in reading in the first place. Once they're reading, you may discover that something much bigger is happening.
Following the Interest Instead of Fighting It
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is having the freedom to follow those unexpected interests.
If my son becomes fascinated by dinosaurs, we can find dinosaur books.
If he's interested in building, we can build something.
If he becomes fascinated by space, we can explore space.
And apparently, if he becomes fascinated by two fictional boys who create a superhero named Captain Underpants, we can end up making homemade comic books.
Instead of fighting every interest that doesn't immediately look educational, I've learned to ask a different question:
Where could this interest lead?
Want to Check Out Captain Underpants?
If your child is interested in the series, you can find the entire Captain Underpants book collection on Amazon and explore the different books available. Here's another link for a set of the first 5 Captain Underpants books, or simply start with the very first volume.
If your child uses a Yoto Player, there are also Captain Underpants yoto cards available.
If you have a child who gets excited about making their own comics, here's a simple comic template book to get them started.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to choose books and media that fit your family's own values and preferences.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, if you purchase something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps to support my blog. Thank you!
Hi, I'm Christal!
I'm a SAHM of 2 amazing kids, and I'm passionate about learning and sharing my experiences as a homeschool mom, homemaker, and home baker. If even one of my stories brings value to your life, this entire blog is worth it! Thanks for dropping by!
