If I have to hear "Mommy, Mommy, I want---" one more time this week, I'm going to scream. With three kids, we're on a budget, so while I want them to explore new hobbies as much as possible, I also have to be careful not to indulge every new interest that comes with a slew of expenses. My youngest needs to learn how to swim, my oldest plays lacrosse and ice hockey, my daughter goes to sleepaway camp every year, and to top it all off they all just watched The Parent Trap and want to try fencing. It's a real struggle! I want them to express themselves, but I can't afford any more extracurriculars that cost an arm and a leg just to sign up.

When Olivia said her girlfriends from school were getting a private language tutor to learn Spanish, I could have cried thinking about the hundreds of dollars I'd have to spend to help her fit in. I had nightmares about all of her friends chatting in Italian in front of her, while she felt left out and alone. At a PTA meeting, I confided in another mom that I was struggling to find affordable language-learning options, and she recommended Muzzy videos.

Muzzy is a language learning program that teaches students of all ages as young as preschool. Both the DVD set and online subscription are filled with award-winning animated movies developed by the BBC, and have introduced millions of children around the world to a second language. I did some research and learned that each unit is specially created to build on the previous one; making language learning come naturally by mimicking the way your child learned their first language. It also comes with additional resources like online games and printable worksheets to reinforce the learning.

Muzzy has 7 different language options but I chose Italian so Olivia could learn the same language as her friends. As far as she's concerned, it's just a cartoon series where a big green monster and his friends go on adventures -- but in Italian. I ordered the 6-DVD set, and could breathe easier knowing it was just $28 per DVD for hours and hours of guilt-free screen time. The online subscription was less expensive, starting at $5 a month for the yearly subscription, but we decided to buy the DVDs so we could have them forever and use them when my youngest is old enough. I popped the first DVD in on a Saturday morning and the whole family watched in our pajamas; it's really cute! There are a bunch of different characters that talk in a clear, concise way, so it's easy to pick out the different words. My kids have so much fun mimicking the voices, like they do with Spongebob, but now they're actually practicing their Italian accent.

Since Olivia has started Muzzy, I've done a lot of research on the benefits of learning a new language for kids. It turns out that when kids start at a young age, learning a new language helps expand their cognitive abilities and creative skills, so I'm glad she started early. Giving my kids a new skill without paying more than a plane ticket to the foreign country itself is a huge relief. Learning a new language seems like a huge undertaking, but Muzzy makes it easy and entertaining.

Update:Muzzy is running a limited time offer: Get up to 67% off a subscription if you purchase now

German

Spanish

Italian

French

English

Korean

Chinese