Why You Should Watch Bluey with Your Kids
Bluey is the best kids show on TV right now. Granted, it has very strong competition from the amazing Hilda and a few other shows my 8-year-old and I watch together. But it still wins. And if you’re strictly talking about shows for younger kids, like my 5-year-old daughter, Bluey has absolutely zero competition. Not even close. It should be placed high on a pedestal with the all-time greats like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
For roughly a year now, Bluey has been the go-to show for our daughter. You know how kids tend to really fall in love with one show at a time, and they don’t care at all how many times they’ve seen an episode? It’s a similar phenomenon to wanting to have the same story read to them over and over again - and Bluey has definitely been that show for our daughter for a while now.
Bluey debuted in Australia in 2018, and it started to catch on in the rest of the world with its inclusion on Disney Plus in 2020. Now there are two seasons on Disney Plus already - totaling more than an amazing 100 episodes. Each episode is only about 10 minutes long, which of course is great for the little ones, and that leads to a lot of repeat viewings from our daughter. Which means we are well-acquainted with each and every storyline by this time.
But, unlike most shows, the repeat viewings of Bluey are not a bother at all. In fact, nothing about Bluey is a bother. It belongs up on that pedestal with Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, because it is exceedingly rare for a kids show to truly and honestly appeal equally to adults. In fact, Bluey does this even better than those all-time greats.
How Bluey Appeals to Adults
All parents are familiar with the kids shows that are allegedly good for development, but bore adults out of their minds. And you’re probably familiar with the concept and practice of screening kids shows just to make sure they’re high-quality and appropriate - but that you almost never join in to watch yourself. And it’s completely understandable, because those shows simply aren’t for adults by any stretch of the imagination.
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Disney Plus
But Bluey is for adults too. It’s true dual viewing. It’s legitimately as interesting and entertaining for parents as it is for kids. Even Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood knew they were really only talking to kids, but Bluey truly talks to adults as well. Parents will relate with the show, be moved by it, and take comfort in it. And, to be honest, occasionally the message that gets through isn’t entirely comforting.
In a Vulture article, Kathryn VanArendonk hits the nail on the head when she points out that the lessons in Bluey aren’t always easy for adults. She points out that it’s incredibly hard not to feel a twinge of resentment or guilt when confronted with Bandit and Chilli’s (Bluey’s parents) incredible patience and willingness to play often at the drop of a hat.
But their parenting is not presented in any kind of unrealistic manner. Bluey’s parents do sometimes vent their frustrations, show their exhaustion, and let it be known when the kids are being unreasonable. They aren’t above starting the quiet game just because the kids are being loud. In fact, they honestly seem to embody a quite realistic and achievable goal for parenting - entirely within the realm of possibility. At the very least, you can think of them as a comforting role model like many people do with Mister Rogers.
What Makes Bluey So Special?
Almost every episode is centered around some sort of game - often completely imagination-based. Sometimes Bluey and Bingo are playing imaginative games with friends, like in Shadowlands where they are in the park and can’t step out of the shadows, but usually the games involve the parents as well. Bandit in particular is often a major part of the kids’ ideas - and that’s probably one of the reasons the show speaks to me so much. And it was certainly a good part of my inspiration for writing an article on saying yes to your kids more often.
The parents are very active and critical participants in their kids’ imaginative games. And it’s truly a joyful sight to behold. I often like to write about childhood wonder and the importance of creativity and imagination, and I often say that it’s my fatherly duty to champion those things with my kids. So I suppose it’s no surprise that I’m so enamored with everything about this imagination-centric show and its wonderful parents.
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Disney Plus
And not only do Bandit and Chilli make for good parenting role models, but the show is also a treasure trove of practical play ideas you can really use with your kids. I can’t tell you how many ideas we’ve stolen straight from Bluey. Without a doubt you’ll also leave with dozens of new play ideas, and just that alone is definitely worth watching the show.
My daughter’s favorite games that we’ve gotten from Bluey are the aforementioned shadowlands, and one called magic xylophone - where the person with the magic xylophone has the power to make other people freeze. Magic xylophone also makes for a good example in that conversation about patience and parenting, because it makes kids squeal loudly with glee to wield that kind of power, but how long would the average parent typically put up with pretending to be frozen? And would they put up with it if they were in a supermarket?
But of course it’s all that imagination and silliness that makes kids love the show so much. And they love to see Bluey’s parents get involved wholeheartedly. And, from my perspective, it’s eye-opening and causes some introspection to see Bandit willing to embarrass himself. He never breaks stride with the silly games, even when running into other adults in public - like the time he was pretending to be the kid in the grocery store and was placed in a time out.
There’s A Lot for Parents to Love in Bluey
But, trust me, Bluey is far more than just a good example of parenting. It’s not merely a source of inspiration or a guilt trip, and by no means are we just poking fun at adults. There are many other reasons that adults will love this show just as much as their kids do. And my personal favorite thing about this show is that it’s just so incredibly accurate at depicting behaviors and the human experience in general.
Kids and parents alike will see themselves in Bluey, and the show does an expert job at highlighting wonderfully specific childlike behavior - while simultaneously alternating between tickling the funnybones and pulling on the heartstrings of parents everywhere. The creators and writers are like poets, hand-picking beautiful and hilarious details of childhood and parenting that often only parents can truly and fully appreciate.
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Disney Plus
One of my favorite examples of this is during the episode Piggyback. Throughout the family’s walk, Bingo complains about her legs being tired. Repeatedly she says she can’t take one more step and wants a piggyback ride from Bandit, and repeatedly Chilli points out something like an ice cream truck and Bingo forgets about being tired and runs towards it excitedly. What more can I say, it’s pure genius. And it’s just one example of something in Bluey my wife and I find much more hilarious than our daughter.
And there are also many important moments and feelings for kids to relate to as well, and good learning opportunities too. Like the time that Bingo keeps saying “yes” on the outside, but really wants to say “no” on the inside. Bluey can sometimes be domineering, and it can be hard to say no to people you love. Like all kids, they struggle with things like taking turns, or feeling like people keep breaking promises, which often leads to fantastic lessons in empathy as well. And you already know how much I love to talk about empathy. It really is no surprise this show makes me so happy.
And, as I alluded to before, it’s not entirely all fun and games on Bluey. There are many sincere and heartfelt moments that might go over the heads of kids, but will certainly bring a tear to a parent’s eye. Like when Bingo wants to have a big girl night in Sleepytime, and stay in her own bed all night long. But Chilli lets it be known that she’ll always be there for her if she needs her. And by the end of the episode, I don’t think many parents could claim to still have dry eyes.
There’s a New Ideal Dad in Town
VanArendonk also made another very wise statement in her Vulture article about Bandit. She pointed out that Fred Rogers was in some ways the idealized paternal figure of a different age - with his calm demeanor and his pristine loafers and sweaters. And in many ways Bandit can be thought of as the new modern standard of being a good dad - taking into account the newer parental concept of engaged participation. He’s a playmate as well as an authority figure.
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Disney Plus
And I think the fact that Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is even brought into the conversation about Bluey, despite the fact that the content of the shows have very little in common, is very telling about what makes Bluey so special. It’s simply incredibly wholesome. And it’s a very modern (and very funny) wholesome at that. The entire atmosphere of the show fills my heart in much the same way that Mister Rogers’ sincerity always did.
And if Bluey hasn’t officially been placed on the pedestal with the all-time greats in children’s television yet. It’s only a matter of time at this point. This family of dogs in Australia is going to be a worldwide phenomenon before everything is said and done. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of pups. If you haven’t jumped on the Bluey train yet, now’s the time. You just can’t underestimate the magic of a kids show with this much heart, and such wide-range and age-spanning appeal.
Have you watched Bluey yet? Do you have any fans in your house? What’s your favorite episode? Let us know in the comments!
