Why 'Bluey' Is A Great Show For Both Kids And Parents
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As a parent to a three-year-old, there are few challenges greater than finding a television show that can teach your child valuable life lessons that you want to watch with them. But one children's show has taken the internet by storm. That show is Bluey, a charming Australian show about a family of dogs and the world around them. Bluey could be described as nothing short of the perfect children’s show, because it isn’t just for your kids, but for you, as a parent, too. Anywhere you look on the internet, you can find stories of parents heaping praise on the show for a myriad of reasons, and it’s easy to see why.
Bluey doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like death or handling complex emotions. Unlike other children’s shows, the beloved cartoon dogs down under don’t solely focus on the children and how they are feeling and dealing with those feelings, but the parents as well. The newest batch of episodes at the time of writing this article feature two great examples with ‘’Stickbird’’ and ‘’Onesies’’.
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In ‘’Stickbird’’, Bandit, the father of the family, seems distant and distracted at the beach. The audience is never given a reason as to why he feels this way, but that makes it instantly relatable to every parent watching. It’s only when Chilli, the mother of the family, reminds Bandit that he should be enjoying their day at the beach that he “gathers up his mad” and throws it in the ocean. In ‘’Onesies’’ we learn that Chilli’s sister Brandi cannot have children, though it is never outright stated. All the viewers are given to figure this out is that Brandi rarely visits, and that she “wants what she can’t have.”
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The show leaves enough for parents to understand, but not enough to give kids an idea of what exactly is going on without asking their parents for more information. This allows parents to judge when their child is ready to have those tough conversations. On the flip side, there are episodes like ‘’Sleepytime’’, which has been lauded as one of the greatest episodes of television on IMDb, ranking above several episodes of prestige television. As one of the best episodes of the show, it sends a message to children that no matter what, their parents will always be there for them, through any stage of life.
But above all else, the greatest part of Bluey isn’t the way they present the stories in each episode, but the way they present family throughout the whole show. The show focuses on child-led activities, and both Bandit and Chilli are always sure to be in on the game. Whether the family is playing a game of “magic statues” or using a xylophone to freeze each other to draw on the victim with a felt pen, the parents always make sure to make space in their day to enjoy experiencing the world around them like Bluey and Bingo do. This is perhaps the most persistent and important lesson throughout the whole show; let your kids be kids.
Bluey is more than just a show for kids; it’s a show for the whole family, with lessons to be learned by everyone watching. I’ve cried over episodes like ‘’Baby Race’’ and my daughter and I have played “Wind-Up Bingo” more times than I can count. It’s a rare thing to have a children’s show that you actually want to watch with your kids, but it’s even rarer to find one that can teach you different perspectives on parenting. If you haven’t watched it yet, go to Disney+ and catch up on Bluey before the next batch of episodes release on April 7th.
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