You probably recognize Bluey. You know who I am talking about. The Blue Heeler dog with the Australian accent. Maybe you haven’t heard the accent, but you’ve probably seen the clothing and posters. While Bluey is blue, typically associated with boys, both she and her red sister, Bingo, are girls.
While the blue and red dog pair is ubiquitous across children’s clothing and toys everywhere, you may not have watched the show, especially if you don’t have toddlers. And why would you? I’m here to tell you that it is worth the watch. Maybe not every episode, but there are some hilarious lessons that military families would appreciate. I put a list of my most recommended episodes of Bluey at the bottom.
It’s a slow show
Remember those TV shows of our childhood? Awesome, consistent introduction, a problem to be solved in the confines of the show with a happy ending and a lesson learned? Well, this is a cartoon with that wholesome old-school feel. It’s better mental stimulation than your TikTok.
It’s full of lessons
Every episode has a lesson for anyone who makes up a family unit, and with gentleness and kindness.
Parents can learn, too
The show provides relatable, realistic, and often aspirational examples of parenting. Bluey’s parents, Bandit and Chilli, model incredible (sometimes unrealistic) patience, playfulness, and emotional maturity by engaging fully with their kids. They admit when they make mistakes and show that “good enough” parenting is more important than being perfect. Now, they still make mistakes – who has time to stop every chore for a game of “come here and go away,” but the show isn’t showing every moment of their life – it’s snippets and lessons. For instance, sometimes the parents practically stop everything to explain why they can’t stop everything – that’s a lesson.
It’s hilarious
The humor works on multiple levels. Parents will find plenty to laugh at — often because it reflects real-life parenting so well. Yes, there will be jokes about tooting. And what toddler or father doesn’t love potty humor?
It’s realistic
The dialogue feels natural. This likely comes from the fact that the creator used his own family life as inspiration for the show, so he is sharing what truly happened in his real-life messy car or on their trip to the drugstore. The dialogue tackles everything from sibling rivalry to grief in a kid-friendly way. Again, can we talk about how accurate the back of their car is?!
The musical score
The score is surprisingly emotional. Some episodes (like “Sleepytime” or “Rain”) use music so beautifully that it’s hard not to tear up.
Seven-minute episodes
If you take seven minutes to scroll on social media, you can take seven minutes to watch an episode. They are short and sweet and will likely make you smile.
The Move
Moving is mostly synonymous with military life (looking at you, lucky service members and families who haven’t moved with abrupt frequency!), and tackling the idea of moving isn’t easy to grasp for little ones. The show tackled this very topic and made a great way to talk to everyone about a move with their episode titled “The Move.” Be prepared to have tissues. However, spoiler alert, the ending is not something most military families can do – we can just NOT move….all that being said, it does showcase Bluey, Bingo, Chili, and Bandit all wrestling with the emotions of moving and what that navigation means for each family member.
The top five episodes I recommend for any military family and why, plus a few others worth the laugh.
- Granny Mobile – This episode will have you laughing out loud and impressed with what can be accomplished by a child. While it may seem absurd, there is reality to it thanks to the clever writing.
- Dance Mode – This one is another one that feels mildly absurd but has contagious energy. The humor isn’t at the expense of anyone, but instead showcases honest family dynamics.
- Shadowlands – Anyone who has been a kid has channeled this kind of creativity through play. This episode is a nice reminder that anyone can be creative again, and taking shortcuts is not the best way.
- The Pool – Whether you have kids or not, we all have moments when our brain isn’t quite where it should be – due to work or other stresses leading to distraction – this is universally relatable. Being part of a family or a community means having others to lean on during those moments.
- Housework – This episode showcases an honest view of how different we all are, but also how sometimes we just need to watch and learn from each other, and that will make all the difference.
