Plot Synopsis

Created by Kurt Smeaton, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is a half-hour comedy series that is about living with the worst roommates of all: young children. Astrid and James struggle to find a balance between being 'Mom and Dad' to two kids and being who they were before offspring. The series explores the hilarious and varied ways kids can tear down your life and, if you're lucky, replace it with something you have to admit is pretty okay, too. CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. debut on Friday, May 13, 2022, as Roku Channel released the entire eight-episode first season. CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. linear television debut with back-to-back episodes on Monday, July 24, 2023 from 9-10pm ET/PT on The CW. In the series opener (9pm), "Meals," James and Astrid try to have a nice family dinner to celebrate a special occasion, but their young children make it challenging. The, in the second episode (9:30pm), "Bodies," pressured to not look like a dad for an upcoming work event, James takes his kids out on a shopping trip.

The sophomore season of CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. debut on Friday, February 3, 2023 on Roku Channel, as the streaming service released all eight episodes of the new season. Astrid and James continue to raise their young children while struggling to hold onto their pre-parental identities. In the midst of all the hilarious and creative ways that kids can alter plans, annihilate goals and dreams, and force parents to re-invent their lives, it turns out that maybe things are kind of okay! Nowhere near as effortless as that kid-free life -- but still kind of nice. On Monday, September 11, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT on The CW, Season 2 of CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. linear TV debut. In the season opener, "Sleep," with a new baby refusing to sleep and a return to the office looming for Astrid, she and James consider desperate measures to regain their rest and their sanity. On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING returned for its mid-season premiere, "Fairness." Feeling unappreciated and overwhelmed, Nisha announces her retirement from being default babysitter. While Astrid scrambles to find childcare, James faces a growing conflict between their two oldest kids, Felix and Viv, as an opportunity presents itself for one of them to be the face of a new marketing campaign at James' work.

Season 3 of CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. debut on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 9:30pm ET/PT on The CW. In the season opener, "Therapy," while waiting on the results of an evaluation for Viv, Astrid and James feel the pressure of figuring out how to best help their possibly neurodivergent child. But when Viv's new doctor rubs Astrid the wrong way, Astrid tries coming up with her own strategies for Viv. At Gero's, the enlistment of Fintekoaly, a tech company hired to automate checkouts at Gero's, makes Marla uneasy.
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The fourth season of CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING made its U.S. debut with back-to-back episodes on Friday, November 29, 2024 from 9-10pm ET/PT on The CW. In the season opener, "Respect" (9pm), Astrid and James realize they are at the dawning of a new era when Felix starts showing signs of pre-teen rebellion. As they struggle to manage his shifting moods, they learn this next phase of parenting might be the hardest one yet. Meanwhile, James tries to ease tensions after he rejects Bo's job offer. Then, in the night's second episode, "Recognition" (9:30pm), after Nisha gets in a minor fender bender, Astrid decides to help her buy a new car and in the process, completely undermines Nisha's own efforts. Meanwhile, James' stay-at-home-dad duties eclipse his efforts of a job search when he struggles to complete a simple task as part of an interview.