On the days my wife goes to the office early, I’m left alone with the kids to get them fed, dressed, and ready for school before I start work myself. I have a near-daily struggle to find a way to keep my kids occupied and entertained as they eat their breakfast which also allows me to avoid traps like CoComelon. But one day, I found my saving grace, my Australian Cattle Dog in shining armor, Bluey.
For the past couple of months, the phrase “Hey Google, play full episodes of Bluey” has become a staple of my morning routine, and no surprise here, I find myself watching as intently as the kiddos. And like my colleague Rich Knight, who previously wrote about Bluey’s dad making him a better father, I’ve experienced some serious life lessons while watching this charming Australian cartoon. Allow me to explain.
You Shouldn't Neglect The 'Boring' Aspects Of Life
Sure, the planning and packing aspect of a trip to the park or the swimming pool isn’t the most fun of any given activity, but disaster awaits if you neglect these ever-so-important duties. And that’s exactly what happens in the Bluey episode titled “The Pool.” In this hilarious and admittedly relatable episode, Bandit takes Bluey and Bingo to the pool, but in his haste forgets the bag of towels, floaties, sunblock, and everything else you need for a day in the sun.
You think that you don’t need the “boring” aspects of life, but you can’t have the “fun” stuff without proper planning. Well, unless you like sitting on the pool steps.
Don't Feel Guilty About Taking A Break
Bluey is a children’s show everyone can enjoy, even the parents in the audience who feel attacked by the relatable nature of the Australian animated series. But at the same time, the show also lets you know that it’s okay to take a break and you shouldn’t feel guilty about putting up boundaries or telling people “No.” In “Sheep Dog,” Bluey’s mom, Chilli, needs to take a break after spending so much time with her two pups. Bandit swoops in for the save with his “Sheep Dog” game, which allows overstimulated and exhausted mom to recharge, and we’re not made to judge her for it.
Stream “Sheep Dog” on Disney+.
Let Kids Be Kids, Even If Rules Are Broken
Despite what people may make you think, chess is a complex game and it’s okay to not fully understand how it works. The Bluey episode titled “Chest” sees Bandit try to teach Bluey and Bingo to play, but the two young pups just keep breaking the rules they barely understand. There’s a great message at the end of the episode where Chilli helps Bandit explain the importance of chess and why they want their kids to play, but there’s also this wonderful moment where she tells him to work on their heads later and instead focus on their hearts now.
There Are Things More Important Than A Clean House
“Rain” is one of the best Bluey episodes and it also happens to be one with very little dialogue. In the episode, Bluey keeps tracking mud and water into the house as she attempts to build a dam in the front yard. Chilli, though initially perturbed by the mess, learns that allowing her daughter to have fun and use her imagination is far more important than keeping a clean house. As a parent of three kids who like to play in the mud and generally make messes, this short yet poignant story got to me.
What's Clutter To You Might Be A Treasure To Your Kids
The episode titled “The Dump” has a tender and relatable moment where Bandit throws away several of Bluey and Bingo’s drawings, much to the chagrin of his kids. Only when he realized how much the pups cared for artwork did he see the error in his ways, and I must admit I’ve been in that situation before. One day I threw out some of my son’s drawings and he looked like I had given away all his toys and locked him in the basement. Rest assured, what I once thought was clutter is now in a desk drawer I call my “treasure chest.”
Always Make Time For Your Kids
I’ve worked from home for pretty much my kids’ entire lives, and sometimes it can be difficult to find the proper balance between being someone’s employee and another person’s dad. More times than not, that line gets blurred, especially when I’m working late after the kids get home from school. But the Bluey episodes “Rug Island” and “Trampoline,” which both deal with parents making time for their kids, helped me understand that it’s important to make time for your kids and that taking a break from time to time to show them you care (and that you like to have fun) is crucial to parenting.
Stream “Rug Island” on Disney+.
Stream “Trampoline” on Disney+.
We're All Learning To Do Things For The First Time
If you want to have a good cry, check out the “Baby Race” episode of Bluey. On the surface, the episode is about Bluey taking ages to start walking, but near the end, you learn it’s really about Chill struggling with being a parent and feeling like she was doing everything wrong, especially when everyone else in her baby group was doing everything right. In the final moments, however, she discovers that we’re all learning something and that she is doing a great job with the experience.
Stream “Baby Race” on Disney+.
There Isn't Just One Way To Parent
There isn’t one right way to be a parent, and the “Octopus” episode is a great example of that. After playing a game of Octopus with Bluey and Bandit, Chloe goes home and tries to get her dad to play with her, but he doesn’t get the rules. To avoid a disaster, the father and daughter duo come up with their own version of the game, and have loads of fun. Parenting is about improvising and coming up with a new way if the old one just doesn’t work.
Teach Your Kids To Respect Others' Privacy
One great lesson that people of all ages can learn is that you should respect others’ privacy, and this is something Bluey tackles in the “FaceyTalk” episode. While there is a lesson about hogging the phone during video calls, the real message comes later on, when Muffin and Socks’ parents start having a tense conversation. Bandit, with his great sense of timing, swoops in and hits mute until the talk is over. It’s a short and understated moment, but a great lesson nonetheless.
Stream “FaceyTalk” on Disney+.
These are just nine life lessons from my time with Bluey. With the show having 150+ episodes over three seasons (and hopefully more on the way), this is barely scratching the surface. But after watching hours of the cartoon, I can see why a hardware store is being renamed Hammerbarn and I can’t help but get excited for a Bluey theme park, but that’s not all that surprising.
