Bluey, the popular Australian TV show, is taking Disney channel by storm. In a matter of months this kids show has not only stolen the hearts of small children, but the hearts of many adults as well. Its use of mature themes and real-world scenarios bring the stories close to home and teach kids valuable life lessons in a kid friendly way. Want to teach your kid about death in a more kid friendly way? Bluey has an episode for you (Season 1, Episode 36). This episode depicts loss and grief within a six-minute time frame, making it perfect for keeping the kids engaged but also teaching them something you don’t want to. Everything from evolution (Season 2, Episode 24) to learning to dance out your feelings (Season 3, Episode 27), with 175 episodes there’s one that everyone can enjoy.
Bluey (yes she’s a girl), her little sister Bingo, and her parents Chili and Bandit can all be seen learning lessons through their life experiences together as a family. Bluey even has episodes directly for parents. For example, the episode Baby Race (Season 2, Episode 49) depicts Chili as a new mother when Bluey was first born, and her struggle as a new mom even inferring postpartum depression. In the episode a mother from her mothers group visits her, looking directly into the camera at what is supposed to be Chili and saying to the viewer, “You are doing great.”. This in my opinion is the show directly speaking to struggling mothers out there telling them that they are doing a good job even when they doubt themselves.
Other adult themes include the portrayal of moving and the strain that moving has on families. In the hour-long finale episode of season three of Bluey, the characters are faced with the selling of their home, and the realization that they as a family don’t want to go anywhere. This episode follows all members’ emotions and even the parents disagreeing with each other, the dad wanting to give his family a better life and the mom wanting to stay in their home. All these scenarios being real world situations that many families deal with, and the complex emotions that accompany just being alive.
These two examples are just a few of the hundreds of ways Bluey connects to all watchers, parent or child. Even adults without children, I know many college students, myself included, that love Bluey and all of the emotional depth that it has to offer. It’s a show that I can enjoy without feeling a sense of impending doom like an action movie or drama series.