Has anyone else been on a Bluey-binging spree? It caught my attention one day when I overheard my daughter watching it on her iPad. I know that watching shows with kids is supposed to win me a parenting gold medal or whatever, but please. You know I’d given her that iPad so I could brush her tangled hair in peace.
But the dialogue on Bluey caught my ears until I was just as wrapped up in its 8-minute antics as she was. It’s the rare kids show that feels like it’s as much for us parents as for the kids. There’s just enough parent-related humor sprinkled throughout to keep us invested, snort-laughing and high-fiving in solidarity. We set a family goal to watch through the entire series in order, which we accomplished huddled under cozy blankets during two consecutive subzero weekends in January. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more: the kids or me. (*ahem* It was me.)
In case you’ve been living under a parenting rock (okay, or you don’t have kids in this age demographic), Bluey is a 6-year old Australian blue heeler. She lives with her parents, Bandit and Chili, and her 4-year old sister Bingo in Brisbane. They have all sorts of familial, everyday adventures together.
This is what sets it apart: I’m not sure I’ve seen another show celebrate family life in quite this way. Forget parenting books and influencers; watching Bluey is the thing that makes me want to be a better parent. It’s a show that doesn’t make you think too hard; there aren’t necessarily any grand morals or life lessons to be learned. Instead, each episode showcases the joy of family and packs a lot of laughs and emotions in less than ten minutes. You can just tell when a show is crafted with such care. And that Australian lingo? You know I love it.
It’s also the most relatable kids’ show out there. You can tell that actual parents are involved in its creation. Its honest portrayal of modern family life is real and sometimes subtle. This show makes me feel 1000% seen as a parent. (Did I re-watch some episodes of Bluey on my own to facilitate the creation of this article? Yes. Yes, I did.)
Here are 8 ways Bluey is the most relatable:
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Sometimes Things Are Messy
The depiction of the Heeler’s car was my first clue that real parents make this show. The backseat around Bluey and Bingo’s car seats is always covered in crumbs, wrappers, and miscellaneous stickers. There is no mention of it, no apology: it just is. I appreciate this subtle acknowledgment to family #carlife and offer a fist bump of solidarity.
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Sarcasm is a Love Language
The subtle jabs between Bandit and Chilli are the actual best. Their banter goes right over the kids’ heads, but my husband and I catch each other’s eyes and grin. This is married love at its finest.
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Bedtime is a Whole Thing
The episode “Sleepytime” portrays the most realistic night I’ve ever seen. Kid toilet break in the middle of the night? Check. Preschooler having a hard time staying in their own bed? Check. Creepy kid hovering by parents’ bed for a drink of water? Check. Parents sleeping whenever and wherever they can? Check. Kids taking over the parents’ bed? Check. Forget soft snuggles and whispered lullabies: THIS is what bedtime is all about.
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Playing Pretend Is the Best and Also the Most Annoying
One of the joys of Bluey is seeing how it glorifies playing pretend; how silly and intense and real it can be. From playing Keepy Uppy to The Claw to Hospital to Taxi, everything is an opportunity to use their imaginations. But more than that, the parent’s reaction leaves me grinning in self-recognition. “Let’s play dance mode!” the kids might say. To which the parents groan, “Oh no, not dance mode.” Every time. They usually go on to have a blast but that first reaction? That is REAL.
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Bluey and Bingo Talk Like Actual Kids
Some kids’ shows are wayyyy too scripted. Not Bluey. Bluey and Bingo talk like actual kids. Like when they hesitate with lots of “ummmm” s and “uhhhhh” s because they don’t actually know what they want to say. “For real life?” is as close as they get to a catchphrase, and it sounds like it could come out of my own kid’s mouths. The cadence of their speech, with squishy vowels, run-on consonants, and a sometimes halting, stumbling way of talking, sounds exactly like my own 6-year-old.
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Sometimes Things Are a S***show. You Might as Well Lean Into It
In the episode “Takeout,” everything that can go wrong does. The restaurant forgets part of their order. The kids are hungry. Bingo has to go to the bathroom…outside. The kids get into all the food and spill it while waiting for the missing food. It’s the same in the episode “Movies.” Bluey is scared. Bingo spills the popcorn and destroys a movie poster. The kids need to go to the bathroom. Bingo escapes and runs away in the theater. Though I cringe on the inside as each situation escalates, I appreciate the honesty. Solidarity, Bandit, I think, grateful it’s not me chasing a preschooler around the movie theater this time.
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Parenting Involves Answering So. Many. Questions.
Where was I before I was born? Are you the best driver in the world? Are there aliens on the moon? Can I be a scarecrow when I grow up? Why? Can we have ice cream? Why? Where do you get money from? Is there more weekend tomorrow? Why? These are all questions I pulled from the show, but honestly, it sounds like my own house.
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Everyday Life Matters
As parents, we’re often (always?) frazzled by everyday life. The scheduling of doctors appointments, mealtimes, preschool drop-offs, work, cleaning toilets, and all. the. things. Some of my favorite Bluey episodes zoom out to the future, briefly. Like when Bluey’s little sister Bingo makes a friend at school and then shows them on their high school graduation day. Or when the simple act of putting out the garbage each week turns into bonding time. We’re answering questions, playing games, and leaning into the mess one day at a time. We’re building something here. Even when, amongst the mundane of life, it doesn’t always feel like it.
