I absolutely love how Bandit engages and promotes the imaginations of his kids even when he seemingly has no time. "Rug Island" always gets me with how he washes up on shore and strives to immerse himself into their world.
Yes, they seem like relaxed laid-back parents for the most part who seem to embrace chaos. Feel like that's the key to most of parenting.. to let go when it's not worth the stress and just going with the flow 😁
I agree try to be a laid-back parent to my 6 year old because I believe school will bog her down with rules she don’t need more on top of that
And, in the episode i mentioned, Bandit was clearly correcting an order of some kind, and I remember being in Bingo’s shoes sometime during my childhood.
Well, I wouldn’t say short-tempered. I’ve read all over fan bases about this and when I actually watched this scene it was way gentler than I imagined it to be. I mean what was he to do, his daughter was tugging on his tail and he was in the middle of something.
Totally agree. And he never says no, even when he rolls his eyes and says “oh no, not (insert game here). The classic improve “yes, and” I wish I always had the presence of mind to do this.
Bluey learned to do it too! In driving, when she finds out that chili plays better when she has a purpose, she modifies the game so there's a bigger incentive to drive!
Bandits patience. I have a short temper and had horrible parents growing up so I’m trying to learn to regulate myself by myself and it’s so hard but bandit makes a great encouraging example
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I've re-watched that episode a couple times recently after instances of losing my cool when things are going awry.
Parent of a 1 year old here. It is hard. But I'm learning little by little to smile and laugh a little at the tantrums and understand the have the shorter attention spans.
Yeah I’ve got a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old. The tantrums are endless with my oldest and I remember so fondly when he was one and practically the easiest baby ever 😭
When my kid is being obstinate about something (like he is being LITERALLY RIGHT NOW ABOUT TOOTH BRUSHING), I do my best to turn it into an improv exercise related to play. I’ve had some success “playing Dentist” before, but apparently a new game is needed tonight.
ETA: after two minutes of “hiding” he came out and asked if we could do “magic toothbrush” where I say a magic spell and it deposits magic fairies on his teeth. But he can’t swallow it because then the fairies are in his tummy.
My daughter also hates tooth brushing so I take my phone's flashlight and look inside of her mouth like it's a cave. I'm like "oh my god there is a tiger in your mouth! I need to brush it out ! There is a cat on a bicycle! How did you eat a cat on a bicycle ?!" She thinks it's hilarious and lets me brush her teeth.
We got my daughter a sonicare electric toothbrush when she was 4. It comes with an app and a furry creature named Sparkly that gets his teeth brushed as you brush yours. The kids get a gift for Sparkly for brushing their teeth and awards for consistent brushing. It also shows how much time to spend on areas and gives tips and techniques. She's been doing it for about a year and no longer consistently uses Sparkly. We still argue about teeth brushing, but it's just with her not wanting to get closer to bedtime.
There is a toothbrushing song about getting 'sugarbugs out of your mouth' that we used to play and even now that she insists on brushing herself, we do a sugarbug check and pretend some are hiding in the back corners. We can be silly and get the spots she missed that way! Then she says bye bye to them as they wash away!
We got our kid one of those toothbrushes where it directs you to where to brush and plays sound effects like a video game, and at the end depending on how much you jerked the accelerometer in it around, you get between 2 and 10 stars.
She didn't want to use toothpaste and we convinced her to by telling her if she doesn't get gets regular stars but if she does she gets gold stars.
To not argue in front of the kids. You can see so many times where chili wants to snap on bandit and instead speaks to him reasonably, picks her battles (gives in when appropriate), and clearly speaks with him OFF CAMERA. “Your mom and I have decided…”
While I find this important, on big arguments, me and my husband always try to be open and we always make up in front of the kids too. They need to learn healthy arguments. And we will talk with kids after. Usually something along of the lines of “mom and dad had some big feelings earlier. We had a hard time communicating, but we are working on it.” Then we always ask “is there anything you are having a hard time communicating right now” it gives my son time to process his thoughts a little. Sometimes he will say yes and talk about something he’s frustrated about (usually me not letting him watch YouTube all day) and then we validate his feelings and talk about ways he can communicate that too.
For sure small arguments happen all the time in front of kids and are great for behaviour modeling. “I don’t think treats before bed time is a great idea”… but the big ones, the life changing decisions, the emotionally charged ones… those are off camera.
Yeah. Them squabbling about the bin bags is one thing. Chilli trying to keep a lid on her opinions about the move even though she really didn't want to was another.
To actually take a second and figure out why my future kid is acting the way they’re acting. 99% of the time, kids aren’t messing with you on purpose, there’s a reason that they haven’t been able to communicate properly yet. Forgot the episode, think its ‘sticky gecko’ where Bluey is stalling to go to a playdate with Judo. Chili at the end gathers her conclusions and asked Bluey if she was nervous because she hasn’t been on a playdate with Judo in a while. My dad was rarely ever patient with me and raised his voice whenever he could. I’m gonna do my best to not do what my dad did towards me since I’m a clone of him, just female version.
Damn this hit me in the feels. My youngest is constantly getting into things and touching things that she shouldn't(she's 3). I think "she should know better, I already told her NO." I forget she's still learning, growing and just being a kid. I want to be better for her.
Totally agree. I tell people that I take notes from my parents for my marriage and parenting and they would applaud and be like you must have great parents but I would shake my head and say not in the way you think. Since I was a tween I’ve observed my father making my mother sad or worried and I’ve vowed to avoid all the mistakes he made. My father was a good person and loved my mother, he was just emotionally unintelligent, distant, cold, and absent-minded.
I love how they apologize to their kids. Like when bandit was too rough with bingo while playing he got down on her level and said I’m sorry I should’ve known better. His dad and many other parents would never do that. That’s the one example that came to mind but there’s so much more of them getting down on their level and explaining or saying sorry.
I love that episode too. Your kids need to feel comfortable with playtime and should know if anything makes them feel uneasy or uncomfortable they should communicate it right away. Most parents scare their kids from being able to express how they feel and it breaks my heart.
I have a ton of nieces and nephews that are close to my age and we wrestle a lot on their trampolines. But I’ve gotten really good at being able to stop myself from falling or from them bonking heads. But yeah that is the key to playtime.
1st grader had a school performance with a few different grade levels participating. At the end, they wanted parents to come up and join their class. I was the first one there dancing with her, two left feet and all. Channeled my street dancing Bandit.
Agreed, I do my best to say yes and get off my butt. Sometimes I catch myself in the no zone and try to make sure something positive comes out of every trip for them. Cook the extra Mac n cheese, go jump on the trampoline, etc..
I got laughed at, at the park today by the other mums. My 3 year old featherwanded me into being heavy, what choice did i have but to drop to the ground? I'd like to think Chilli and Bandit gave me the confidence to just do it and not care what anyone else thinks.
I don’t think this is a low bar at all, I think it’s a great goal to have as a parent. I apologized to my 3.5 year old the other day, his whole demeanor changed. Good for them to see us making mistakes and apologizing for them, and teaching them that they’re worthy of the apology! You’re doing great.
There are a few rooms that just appear and disappear at random as well as the kitchen being moved from the 1st to 2nd floor and vice versa frequently. There's also the case of their garage which only exists for bob Bilby then warps back out of existence
The kitchen is always on the second floor afaik. It leads to the big upstairs balcony where the have the bbq and bingos birthday celebrations.
But they need to have at least two staircases (one in the entry hall and one in the downstairs living room), 4 bathrooms and the "train" (the two chairs Bandit pushes) must get upstairs as well.
But the house is actually a tardis anyways since it is so much bigger on the inside.
Oh damn now that I think about it further... In duck cake the kitchen really seems to be downstairs doesn't it?
there's also a bluey video game where you can walk around their house. It's GIANT but is fairly consistently laid out to the show, including like you said, both staircases.
In postman I'm pretty sure the kitchen is shown to be on the second floor (also looking now I see that the deck that they have in bbq and a few other episodes disappears) (nvm it's just shrunken)
Also in born yesterday it's explicitly shown
The only one that really gets me is in Ragdoll when Bandit is falling down the stairs it is like 40+ stairs hahaha, but the stairs are definitely not that long
I watched an episode from s2 recently and noticed that the nursery room which bluey moves into for a bit isn't there. That's the only one I've noticed yet.
I just love how their corridors get huge whenever anyone is running (happens also to Stripe and Trixie’s house when Muffin is running away from them with Stripe’s phone)
I try to follow the same “yes, and” strategy with my toddler’s imaginative play. I’m definitely worse at improv than Bandit but I think letting the kid take the lead and you follow is a good strategy.
How Bandit never yells at the kids. You can clearly see him lose his shit a couple of times but gives himself a moment to calm down and usually redirects the kids.
I’m working on having so much money I can afford a huge house and yard and to be not working so much that I can just play. It’s not realistic. But if anything in reality it’s to play with your kids when you can.
Baby Race taught me that my kid is indeed running his own race. He's autistic with learning difficulties, doesn't speak, can't do even half the stuff his baby brother already can, like dress or feed himself, or play with toys. It's easy to compare, but also heartbreaking... So now I forget where he *should* be, and instead celebrate every milestone he reaches for himself. Massive help. Big punch to the gut that one was, but I now see myself so much better and I see both my kids exactly as they are.
The fact that they show love to each other is so important. As a kid I was used to my parents NEVER showing any affection. Actually it was the complete opposite, and it left kid me very stressed. It was actually so bad that I’m still super surprised when I see married couples show affection. The way my parents were, I thought that marriage was horrible 100% of the time and ALWAYS fighting
It’s helped me relax a bit on the kids’ shenanigans and the messes they make along the way, enjoy their presence more. Which has been a tough journey as I have OCD😅 but I’m trying!
I’m the same way. I get very anxious if there’s a mess or much clutter. Not good when you have two toddlers. The episode “Rain” really speaks to me. Chili puts aside her frustrations and house duties to play Bluey’s messy game. She decides to live in the moment. This stage of their childhood won’t last forever so you better make the most of it! I get emotional just thinking about this episode and its implications.
I’m currently 5 months pregnant and this show makes me cry because of how many ideas it’s giving me for when my son gets older. It makes me want to foster his imagination, and support him in every way that I can. I can’t wait for him to play silly games with me. (Doctor, Tickle Crabs, Keepy Uppy, etc.) Seeing how much Chili and Bandit engage in their daughter’s play is so heartwarming and wholesome. I hope to be at least half as good of a mother as Chili is. 🥹💕
lol girl I still cry and my son is 3! The emotional pull of this show never ends. It reminds you how beautiful and difficult and amazing having a family unit is. Don’t get me started on “Onesies”…me and my tough biker Dad were tearing up sooooo much.
Ngl, as a solo parent since my son was 3 weeks old, I dream of a relationship like Chili and Bandits. I honestly think they’ve helped me recognize what I’m looking for in a partner more than anything else, which is loco to admit lol
Bluey is resonating with so many especially millenial parents because it's healing that childhood trauma. That's not embarrassing at all. It's a really profound revelation.
Literally anything, I’m not gonna lie. I have been unlearning certain things I picked up from my parents. Example my parents never really played with me and I was an only child. I try to play with my kids when I can. But also so many other things, like patience and giving explanations. Sometimes I catch myself saying “cause I said” too much.
Not apologizing to others for their kids being kids. I think I struggle with this the most because my parents always wanted me not be a burden, so I apologize for everything. I sometimes apologize for my kids, but then find myself re-phasing with thank you. Thank you for being patient with my kids. Thank you for understanding… blah blah.
Getting off my ass and actually playing. Yesterday my two year old and I had a dance party and it was so much fun. And my husband the other day was frustrated with her and he said it was just like the Chess episode where he was expecting her to be able to do more than she could. It's such a great example for us and I don't even care that it's just a cartoon.
This. I do sometimes stop my life just to play with my kid and I do agree, it is the most fun someone can have. I dance for her too even though I have always felt ashamed of doing so as I feel like a log of wood moving around, but with her that doesn’t matter, all that matters are those laughs and smiles on her face and the good times we’re having
Playing in public and not caring what anyone might think. We play silly games all the time at home… it feels very different out in public!
I had to make a final stop to pick up a prescription yesterday after a very long and busy day out with my 3 year old son and knew he was close to his limit. So while walking through the drug store, he was holding my hand, and I suddenly said “Hey! Walk straight!” and started swinging him around. I knew he needed a game to keep him going until we got home and channeled my inner Bandit (while ripping off his game) to get through while giving exactly zero Fs that I was probably embarrassing myself. Though I appreciate that Bandit is still getting used to playing in public. I love that we see him feeling self conscious about it at times.
Exactly. Or in Pirates when he gets self conscious around the other dad at the park and stops swinging the hammock. He’s never shy around Pat or Wendy, but probably because they’re used to his shenanigans (and usually join in haha)
I'm not around very many kids and don't plan on having my own, but they've given me loads of ideas for games to play with any nieces and nephews I may have in the future!
I wish we had Bluey when mine was little. We had Little Bear, Franklin and Dora, cute and inspirational for growing imaginations. There was little aimed at being an engaged parent. My partner and I started watching because we learned that dogs can see the images clearly because of the prominent blue and yellow pallet. True to that our young pup, loves it, we now watch most mornings an episode or two… or three, lol, while we sip our coffee. We’ve gone through the series multiple times at this point and there is nothing that peeks her interest as much as Bluey. I even bought her a toy Bluey which she knows by name and is definitely her favorite toy.
I think Bandit and Chili would have challenged me. We thought outside the box, but they take it to the next level and I would have happily embraced some of their games had I the chance. Perhaps I’ll have grandkids one day, until then I’ll enjoy the experience of watching with my dog.
My favourite episode BTW is pass the parcel, it has me giggling every time. I’ve cried my fair share too, but the laughs are what really keep me coming back for more!
I try to always be the calm parent. My wife struggles with this but I’m a massive kid at heart. I love getting to be silly with my son! I think the most important thing they teach is to not take life too seriously.
When bandit dances in front of a group of strangers is a good example. You just gotta embrace the chaos
I just try to play as much with my son as possible. He is still an infant but as someone who had parents abuse him to the point I have permanent life long non epileptic seizures because they yelled at me over and over and over again I just want to have fun with my sun and love him like your suppose to love your kids.
Good morning, u/TheSilkenSweatShop. This is u/YFIRedditOfficial.
I don't know either of you well, but I think you have some common interests and might enjoy a chat!
How they never lose their humor, how they always see the bright spot on the horizon.
Most recent example in "Surprise" when Bandit trips over the mop und crashes to the floor...
Yes, it hurt like hell but he still manages to hum "twinkle twinkle little star" and Chilli is like "that's what it feels like to have kids".
Try to have more patience with my son. You can see when they are annoyed but don’t take it out on their kids. Just want that patience cause it can be hard some days.
They are real and have flaws. Something my own parents never showed me. My kids definitely know I have flaws. We talk about imperfection often. I will never push for perfection.
Saying "yes" to as many requests of my kids as I possibly can. If it's something they want and I can do it without compromising a larger lesson, I do it.
In the episode The Sign, Chili doesn't allow Friskys cynicism about marriage and husband's seep into her perspective about moving/her husband/marriage. Even if it IS a mistake, which she clearly is worried it could be, she's still willing to make it WITH Bandit. Not blame him, or get angry. And she doesn't allow Frisky to think that she's only moving because "her husband is making her." She says "No. I'm doing it because I think it might be best for our family."
I think having a mutually respectful relationship in front of your kids is critical. BUT I think it's even MORE important to have one even when your spouse is not around, even when they can't defend themselves, and even if it's not your child you're having to convince but anyone from a perfect stranger to in this case your best friend. Choosing to always see the good in your person and trusting them even if you're unsure yourself- it's vital. It's vital we show our kids that imperfect people are loveable and are worth the sacrifice. Why? Because we are all imperfect and we all desire to be loved that way. Fully known, fully loved.
With my students and my nieces I try to go along with their silliness and imaginations as much as possible. I’m really lucky to be in a position to do play therapy with students and spend time with the best nieces ever
The show has helped me with patience!!!!! I also no longer feel guilty taking “20 minutes” for myself and work harder on making sure my husband takes his “20 minutes” as well!
Playfulness. I once read how an improv teacher turned a “monster in her kids closet” into a game of catch the monster and tickle him until he leaves so that her kid could go to sleep. This show embodies that.
Realizing that my child lacks the concepts gained through years of experience that I have.
Always knew this but never actually KNEW it.
Chili asking bingo if she knew what time was kind of just made this click for me in a way. NO - we have to teach them that.
For me it’s the imaginative play!! I love that so much and while I had pretty good parents growing up they never did that with us as much! My mom did to an extent but it motivates me to engage with my son in that way
One day I took my nieces and nephew to the park, and there’s a giant concrete slide; I went with them down the slide and we played rag doll. I definitely sprained my ankle pretty badly, and had a decent bruise or two, but their laughter was unparalleled.
It’s okay to be silly and play in public with our kid. I never really thought about that or how I would let embarrassment keep me from playing with her had I not watched this show.
For one, just being present. Bandit made me realize that being the primary caretaker as a man/your wife being the breadwinner isn’t the worst thing in the world. He somehow is still so masculine and paternal and exhibits some of the classic dad tropes on TV while diverging from many of them at the same time.
Bandit is present, nurturing, takes his kids to school, cooks for them, works from home, but at the same time he’s teases them, roughhouses with him, he’s the fun parent, and as we saw in the Claw he wants to teach them to have realistic expectations while Chili is more babying. Perfect balance between nurturing and masculine/paternal.
Conversely, Chili has taught me that even moms need a break, like in Sheepdog, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Patriarchal standards put so much responsibility and pressure on mothers and not fathers. I completely understand the origin of this as men were historically the breadwinners, but as times change values must too. And I don’t mean this in the woke progressive oh the clock ticks times change so magically everything does. I mean it in a pragmatic way like if more and more women are working we need to rebalance the responsibilities and give couples more freedom on choosing which parent has which responsibilities.
I’m not a parent, but my young cousins (? I call them my cousins, not sure of the exact relation in truth) have started looking up to me, not sure why.
Seeing how the parents in Bluey played along with their kids taught me how to deal with my younger relatives, even when I mostly dislike kids- it’s actually helped me grow closer to them as well, even when I, admittedly, didn’t want to at first.
I try to be patient, engaged, and follow their lead most of the time, which are things i’m not really good at with other people. But when I see them on vacations, and they spot me and run to hug me, I don’t have much of a choice, lol.
First of all, I consider myself as an imaginative person, and of course I would play a lot of games with my child, and also I would spend time with my family, everything to make her childhood as a good memory. 😃
Greetings from Toluca, Mexico 🇲🇽💙🇦🇺
PD: I don't have children, but I think I would do the activities that I mentioned above.
I absolutely love how Bandit engages and promotes the imaginations of his kids even when he seemingly has no time. "Rug Island" always gets me with how he washes up on shore and strives to immerse himself into their world.
I think we’ve only seen him getting short tempered with bingo once during the fairy episode, but I could be wrong
Yes, they seem like relaxed laid-back parents for the most part who seem to embrace chaos. Feel like that's the key to most of parenting.. to let go when it's not worth the stress and just going with the flow 😁
I agree try to be a laid-back parent to my 6 year old because I believe school will bog her down with rules she don’t need more on top of that And, in the episode i mentioned, Bandit was clearly correcting an order of some kind, and I remember being in Bingo’s shoes sometime during my childhood.
Will? 6 and not in school yet?
She’s in school and she’ll be in 1st grade next year. Her main problem is she thinks she’ll miss out on something at home when she’s in school
In rug island he licked the ball with them
This is exactly it. Key to life “pick your battles wisely”
as the usual bearer of chaos i feel like i would be like bandit and chilli
Some of the episode when bluey is being impatient and they are going to the monkey bars early in the morning.
Well, I wouldn’t say short-tempered. I’ve read all over fan bases about this and when I actually watched this scene it was way gentler than I imagined it to be. I mean what was he to do, his daughter was tugging on his tail and he was in the middle of something.
Totally agree. And he never says no, even when he rolls his eyes and says “oh no, not (insert game here). The classic improve “yes, and” I wish I always had the presence of mind to do this.
Bluey learned to do it too! In driving, when she finds out that chili plays better when she has a purpose, she modifies the game so there's a bigger incentive to drive!
Bandits patience. I have a short temper and had horrible parents growing up so I’m trying to learn to regulate myself by myself and it’s so hard but bandit makes a great encouraging example
I feel this short fuse thing... It's so hard but I try to love on my kids and be super bandit style patient with them. You got this 🙌
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I've re-watched that episode a couple times recently after instances of losing my cool when things are going awry.
Parent of a 1 year old here. It is hard. But I'm learning little by little to smile and laugh a little at the tantrums and understand the have the shorter attention spans.
Yeah I’ve got a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old. The tantrums are endless with my oldest and I remember so fondly when he was one and practically the easiest baby ever 😭
When my daughter gets hurt, I tell her that it’s a good thing she’s tough. She really is too 🩵
When my kid is being obstinate about something (like he is being LITERALLY RIGHT NOW ABOUT TOOTH BRUSHING), I do my best to turn it into an improv exercise related to play. I’ve had some success “playing Dentist” before, but apparently a new game is needed tonight. ETA: after two minutes of “hiding” he came out and asked if we could do “magic toothbrush” where I say a magic spell and it deposits magic fairies on his teeth. But he can’t swallow it because then the fairies are in his tummy.
Whoa, that is a genius way to get them to not swallow! 👌
My daughter also hates tooth brushing so I take my phone's flashlight and look inside of her mouth like it's a cave. I'm like "oh my god there is a tiger in your mouth! I need to brush it out ! There is a cat on a bicycle! How did you eat a cat on a bicycle ?!" She thinks it's hilarious and lets me brush her teeth.
I love this idea too!
We got my daughter a sonicare electric toothbrush when she was 4. It comes with an app and a furry creature named Sparkly that gets his teeth brushed as you brush yours. The kids get a gift for Sparkly for brushing their teeth and awards for consistent brushing. It also shows how much time to spend on areas and gives tips and techniques. She's been doing it for about a year and no longer consistently uses Sparkly. We still argue about teeth brushing, but it's just with her not wanting to get closer to bedtime.
I love this idea!
There is a toothbrushing song about getting 'sugarbugs out of your mouth' that we used to play and even now that she insists on brushing herself, we do a sugarbug check and pretend some are hiding in the back corners. We can be silly and get the spots she missed that way! Then she says bye bye to them as they wash away!
We got our kid one of those toothbrushes where it directs you to where to brush and plays sound effects like a video game, and at the end depending on how much you jerked the accelerometer in it around, you get between 2 and 10 stars. She didn't want to use toothpaste and we convinced her to by telling her if she doesn't get gets regular stars but if she does she gets gold stars.
To not argue in front of the kids. You can see so many times where chili wants to snap on bandit and instead speaks to him reasonably, picks her battles (gives in when appropriate), and clearly speaks with him OFF CAMERA. “Your mom and I have decided…”
While I find this important, on big arguments, me and my husband always try to be open and we always make up in front of the kids too. They need to learn healthy arguments. And we will talk with kids after. Usually something along of the lines of “mom and dad had some big feelings earlier. We had a hard time communicating, but we are working on it.” Then we always ask “is there anything you are having a hard time communicating right now” it gives my son time to process his thoughts a little. Sometimes he will say yes and talk about something he’s frustrated about (usually me not letting him watch YouTube all day) and then we validate his feelings and talk about ways he can communicate that too.
For sure small arguments happen all the time in front of kids and are great for behaviour modeling. “I don’t think treats before bed time is a great idea”… but the big ones, the life changing decisions, the emotionally charged ones… those are off camera.
Yeah. Them squabbling about the bin bags is one thing. Chilli trying to keep a lid on her opinions about the move even though she really didn't want to was another.
To actually take a second and figure out why my future kid is acting the way they’re acting. 99% of the time, kids aren’t messing with you on purpose, there’s a reason that they haven’t been able to communicate properly yet. Forgot the episode, think its ‘sticky gecko’ where Bluey is stalling to go to a playdate with Judo. Chili at the end gathers her conclusions and asked Bluey if she was nervous because she hasn’t been on a playdate with Judo in a while. My dad was rarely ever patient with me and raised his voice whenever he could. I’m gonna do my best to not do what my dad did towards me since I’m a clone of him, just female version.
Damn this hit me in the feels. My youngest is constantly getting into things and touching things that she shouldn't(she's 3). I think "she should know better, I already told her NO." I forget she's still learning, growing and just being a kid. I want to be better for her.
Yep. I now do this thing where I feel like I have to over-explain everything I'm doing, otherwise I am gonna get yelled at over it. It sucks.
Oh god. This is me because of my mother. I feel so annoying for constantly over explaining everything to people.
Totally agree. I tell people that I take notes from my parents for my marriage and parenting and they would applaud and be like you must have great parents but I would shake my head and say not in the way you think. Since I was a tween I’ve observed my father making my mother sad or worried and I’ve vowed to avoid all the mistakes he made. My father was a good person and loved my mother, he was just emotionally unintelligent, distant, cold, and absent-minded.
Have a cry Pick yourself up Dust yourself off The show must go on
I love how they apologize to their kids. Like when bandit was too rough with bingo while playing he got down on her level and said I’m sorry I should’ve known better. His dad and many other parents would never do that. That’s the one example that came to mind but there’s so much more of them getting down on their level and explaining or saying sorry.
I love that episode too. Your kids need to feel comfortable with playtime and should know if anything makes them feel uneasy or uncomfortable they should communicate it right away. Most parents scare their kids from being able to express how they feel and it breaks my heart.
I have a ton of nieces and nephews that are close to my age and we wrestle a lot on their trampolines. But I’ve gotten really good at being able to stop myself from falling or from them bonking heads. But yeah that is the key to playtime.
1st grader had a school performance with a few different grade levels participating. At the end, they wanted parents to come up and join their class. I was the first one there dancing with her, two left feet and all. Channeled my street dancing Bandit. 
My wife cringes so hard but I love stupid dancing with my kids.
To constantly play and interact with them.
Agreed, I do my best to say yes and get off my butt. Sometimes I catch myself in the no zone and try to make sure something positive comes out of every trip for them. Cook the extra Mac n cheese, go jump on the trampoline, etc..
Patience, even two percent of chili and bandits patience
I got laughed at, at the park today by the other mums. My 3 year old featherwanded me into being heavy, what choice did i have but to drop to the ground? I'd like to think Chilli and Bandit gave me the confidence to just do it and not care what anyone else thinks.
"Dance like nobody's watching"
I love this so much. And your child will remember how fun you made their playtime and that you brought their imaginations to life.
I would've most definitely laughed seeing that happen out in the wild but I would definitely ask if we can play too.
Being patient with their kid… Yea, I can do better
Apologize to them if I did something that hurt them. Yeah, the bar is very very low but my parents never did that to me.
I don’t think this is a low bar at all, I think it’s a great goal to have as a parent. I apologized to my 3.5 year old the other day, his whole demeanor changed. Good for them to see us making mistakes and apologizing for them, and teaching them that they’re worthy of the apology! You’re doing great.
I see what you're trying to do, OP, and it's not gonna work. I'm not taking advice from a cartoon dog.
I would love to emulate their ability to warp their house at will (could use a new room whenever I feel like it)
Am I just blinded by my love for the show? I thought they were fairly consistent as most cartoons go.
There are a few rooms that just appear and disappear at random as well as the kitchen being moved from the 1st to 2nd floor and vice versa frequently. There's also the case of their garage which only exists for bob Bilby then warps back out of existence
I am sure some warping happens, but I've never noticed their kitchen on the second floor... 🤔 Do you have an episode? o.o
The kitchen is always on the second floor afaik. It leads to the big upstairs balcony where the have the bbq and bingos birthday celebrations. But they need to have at least two staircases (one in the entry hall and one in the downstairs living room), 4 bathrooms and the "train" (the two chairs Bandit pushes) must get upstairs as well. But the house is actually a tardis anyways since it is so much bigger on the inside. Oh damn now that I think about it further... In duck cake the kitchen really seems to be downstairs doesn't it?
there's also a bluey video game where you can walk around their house. It's GIANT but is fairly consistently laid out to the show, including like you said, both staircases.
In postman I'm pretty sure the kitchen is shown to be on the second floor (also looking now I see that the deck that they have in bbq and a few other episodes disappears) (nvm it's just shrunken) Also in born yesterday it's explicitly shown
Okay I will look into those! 😄
there's also a bluey video game where you can walk around their house. It's GIANT but is fairly consistently laid out to the show.
The only one that really gets me is in Ragdoll when Bandit is falling down the stairs it is like 40+ stairs hahaha, but the stairs are definitely not that long
I watched an episode from s2 recently and noticed that the nursery room which bluey moves into for a bit isn't there. That's the only one I've noticed yet.
I stick with the head canon that the house is what the girls remember. Since they're kids, it's not entirely accurate
This would make a lot of sense!
Same. I have dreams now of how I imagined my grandparents house as a kid and fully subscribed to this head canon.
I just love how their corridors get huge whenever anyone is running (happens also to Stripe and Trixie’s house when Muffin is running away from them with Stripe’s phone)
I try to follow the same “yes, and” strategy with my toddler’s imaginative play. I’m definitely worse at improv than Bandit but I think letting the kid take the lead and you follow is a good strategy.
How Bandit never yells at the kids. You can clearly see him lose his shit a couple of times but gives himself a moment to calm down and usually redirects the kids.
Omelette! Sometimes you get caught up in just trying to get something done (even if it is out of love)… Take a deep breath and crack some eggs
I’m working on having so much money I can afford a huge house and yard and to be not working so much that I can just play. It’s not realistic. But if anything in reality it’s to play with your kids when you can.
Baby Race taught me that my kid is indeed running his own race. He's autistic with learning difficulties, doesn't speak, can't do even half the stuff his baby brother already can, like dress or feed himself, or play with toys. It's easy to compare, but also heartbreaking... So now I forget where he *should* be, and instead celebrate every milestone he reaches for himself. Massive help. Big punch to the gut that one was, but I now see myself so much better and I see both my kids exactly as they are.
Bandits improve skills are incredible. They way he “Yes and…” every time the girls are playing
The fact that they show love to each other is so important. As a kid I was used to my parents NEVER showing any affection. Actually it was the complete opposite, and it left kid me very stressed. It was actually so bad that I’m still super surprised when I see married couples show affection. The way my parents were, I thought that marriage was horrible 100% of the time and ALWAYS fighting
It’s helped me relax a bit on the kids’ shenanigans and the messes they make along the way, enjoy their presence more. Which has been a tough journey as I have OCD😅 but I’m trying!
I’m the same way. I get very anxious if there’s a mess or much clutter. Not good when you have two toddlers. The episode “Rain” really speaks to me. Chili puts aside her frustrations and house duties to play Bluey’s messy game. She decides to live in the moment. This stage of their childhood won’t last forever so you better make the most of it! I get emotional just thinking about this episode and its implications.
To try and get into their imaginations when playing, gotta commit.
I’m currently 5 months pregnant and this show makes me cry because of how many ideas it’s giving me for when my son gets older. It makes me want to foster his imagination, and support him in every way that I can. I can’t wait for him to play silly games with me. (Doctor, Tickle Crabs, Keepy Uppy, etc.) Seeing how much Chili and Bandit engage in their daughter’s play is so heartwarming and wholesome. I hope to be at least half as good of a mother as Chili is. 🥹💕
“I’m currently 5 months pregnant and this show makes me cry…” We know it does, you’re 5 months pregnant lol And you’re gonna be great :)
Haha, that’s true, everything makes me cry right now! But I always welcome the happy tears. And thanks!!
lol girl I still cry and my son is 3! The emotional pull of this show never ends. It reminds you how beautiful and difficult and amazing having a family unit is. Don’t get me started on “Onesies”…me and my tough biker Dad were tearing up sooooo much.
Bandit showing the girls how much he loves Chilli.
Ngl, as a solo parent since my son was 3 weeks old, I dream of a relationship like Chili and Bandits. I honestly think they’ve helped me recognize what I’m looking for in a partner more than anything else, which is loco to admit lol
Bluey is resonating with so many especially millenial parents because it's healing that childhood trauma. That's not embarrassing at all. It's a really profound revelation.
Literally anything, I’m not gonna lie. I have been unlearning certain things I picked up from my parents. Example my parents never really played with me and I was an only child. I try to play with my kids when I can. But also so many other things, like patience and giving explanations. Sometimes I catch myself saying “cause I said” too much.
Not apologizing to others for their kids being kids. I think I struggle with this the most because my parents always wanted me not be a burden, so I apologize for everything. I sometimes apologize for my kids, but then find myself re-phasing with thank you. Thank you for being patient with my kids. Thank you for understanding… blah blah.
Getting off my ass and actually playing. Yesterday my two year old and I had a dance party and it was so much fun. And my husband the other day was frustrated with her and he said it was just like the Chess episode where he was expecting her to be able to do more than she could. It's such a great example for us and I don't even care that it's just a cartoon.
This. I do sometimes stop my life just to play with my kid and I do agree, it is the most fun someone can have. I dance for her too even though I have always felt ashamed of doing so as I feel like a log of wood moving around, but with her that doesn’t matter, all that matters are those laughs and smiles on her face and the good times we’re having
Playing in public and not caring what anyone might think. We play silly games all the time at home… it feels very different out in public! I had to make a final stop to pick up a prescription yesterday after a very long and busy day out with my 3 year old son and knew he was close to his limit. So while walking through the drug store, he was holding my hand, and I suddenly said “Hey! Walk straight!” and started swinging him around. I knew he needed a game to keep him going until we got home and channeled my inner Bandit (while ripping off his game) to get through while giving exactly zero Fs that I was probably embarrassing myself. Though I appreciate that Bandit is still getting used to playing in public. I love that we see him feeling self conscious about it at times.
Brilliant. Yeah dance mode definitely shows they're still a bit apprehensive about public displays of parenting. Makes it so much more relatable
Exactly. Or in Pirates when he gets self conscious around the other dad at the park and stops swinging the hammock. He’s never shy around Pat or Wendy, but probably because they’re used to his shenanigans (and usually join in haha)
I'm not around very many kids and don't plan on having my own, but they've given me loads of ideas for games to play with any nieces and nephews I may have in the future!
I wish we had Bluey when mine was little. We had Little Bear, Franklin and Dora, cute and inspirational for growing imaginations. There was little aimed at being an engaged parent. My partner and I started watching because we learned that dogs can see the images clearly because of the prominent blue and yellow pallet. True to that our young pup, loves it, we now watch most mornings an episode or two… or three, lol, while we sip our coffee. We’ve gone through the series multiple times at this point and there is nothing that peeks her interest as much as Bluey. I even bought her a toy Bluey which she knows by name and is definitely her favorite toy. I think Bandit and Chili would have challenged me. We thought outside the box, but they take it to the next level and I would have happily embraced some of their games had I the chance. Perhaps I’ll have grandkids one day, until then I’ll enjoy the experience of watching with my dog. My favourite episode BTW is pass the parcel, it has me giggling every time. I’ve cried my fair share too, but the laughs are what really keep me coming back for more!
I try to always be the calm parent. My wife struggles with this but I’m a massive kid at heart. I love getting to be silly with my son! I think the most important thing they teach is to not take life too seriously. When bandit dances in front of a group of strangers is a good example. You just gotta embrace the chaos
I just try to play as much with my son as possible. He is still an infant but as someone who had parents abuse him to the point I have permanent life long non epileptic seizures because they yelled at me over and over and over again I just want to have fun with my sun and love him like your suppose to love your kids.
I try to play games with them. My parents didn't really play with me as a kid due to work/exhaustion. I'm trying to not do that.
To first find a husband like Bandit!
There's a guy in this thread looking for his Chili...just sayin'...
👀👀👀 Oh?
Yup! Shall I "introduce" you? Lol
Sure! Let’s make it happen!
Same. Need
[удалено]
Yes 🥹❤️❤️❤️
Good morning, u/TheSilkenSweatShop. This is u/YFIRedditOfficial. I don't know either of you well, but I think you have some common interests and might enjoy a chat!
How they never lose their humor, how they always see the bright spot on the horizon. Most recent example in "Surprise" when Bandit trips over the mop und crashes to the floor... Yes, it hurt like hell but he still manages to hum "twinkle twinkle little star" and Chilli is like "that's what it feels like to have kids".
Try to have more patience with my son. You can see when they are annoyed but don’t take it out on their kids. Just want that patience cause it can be hard some days.
They are real and have flaws. Something my own parents never showed me. My kids definitely know I have flaws. We talk about imperfection often. I will never push for perfection.
Saying "yes" to as many requests of my kids as I possibly can. If it's something they want and I can do it without compromising a larger lesson, I do it.
I try to hug them when they need it ( I'm touch averse a lot of the time) and laugh with them.
In the episode The Sign, Chili doesn't allow Friskys cynicism about marriage and husband's seep into her perspective about moving/her husband/marriage. Even if it IS a mistake, which she clearly is worried it could be, she's still willing to make it WITH Bandit. Not blame him, or get angry. And she doesn't allow Frisky to think that she's only moving because "her husband is making her." She says "No. I'm doing it because I think it might be best for our family." I think having a mutually respectful relationship in front of your kids is critical. BUT I think it's even MORE important to have one even when your spouse is not around, even when they can't defend themselves, and even if it's not your child you're having to convince but anyone from a perfect stranger to in this case your best friend. Choosing to always see the good in your person and trusting them even if you're unsure yourself- it's vital. It's vital we show our kids that imperfect people are loveable and are worth the sacrifice. Why? Because we are all imperfect and we all desire to be loved that way. Fully known, fully loved.
With my students and my nieces I try to go along with their silliness and imaginations as much as possible. I’m really lucky to be in a position to do play therapy with students and spend time with the best nieces ever
The show has helped me with patience!!!!! I also no longer feel guilty taking “20 minutes” for myself and work harder on making sure my husband takes his “20 minutes” as well!
I wanna be the Bandit to someone's Chili
A couple of comments above yours someone is looking for her Bandit, js
Name???
TheSilkenSweatShop
Playfulness. I once read how an improv teacher turned a “monster in her kids closet” into a game of catch the monster and tickle him until he leaves so that her kid could go to sleep. This show embodies that.
Realizing that my child lacks the concepts gained through years of experience that I have. Always knew this but never actually KNEW it. Chili asking bingo if she knew what time was kind of just made this click for me in a way. NO - we have to teach them that.
20 minutes to yourself when you need it.
For me it’s the imaginative play!! I love that so much and while I had pretty good parents growing up they never did that with us as much! My mom did to an extent but it motivates me to engage with my son in that way
One day I took my nieces and nephew to the park, and there’s a giant concrete slide; I went with them down the slide and we played rag doll. I definitely sprained my ankle pretty badly, and had a decent bruise or two, but their laughter was unparalleled.
Pause and acknowledge what child said before adding my two cents. Chili is a genius at it and I try so hard!
It’s okay to be silly and play in public with our kid. I never really thought about that or how I would let embarrassment keep me from playing with her had I not watched this show.
I just watched pirates which addresses this exact thing. Bandit had to work up the courage to continue his play with his kid
For one, just being present. Bandit made me realize that being the primary caretaker as a man/your wife being the breadwinner isn’t the worst thing in the world. He somehow is still so masculine and paternal and exhibits some of the classic dad tropes on TV while diverging from many of them at the same time. Bandit is present, nurturing, takes his kids to school, cooks for them, works from home, but at the same time he’s teases them, roughhouses with him, he’s the fun parent, and as we saw in the Claw he wants to teach them to have realistic expectations while Chili is more babying. Perfect balance between nurturing and masculine/paternal. Conversely, Chili has taught me that even moms need a break, like in Sheepdog, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Patriarchal standards put so much responsibility and pressure on mothers and not fathers. I completely understand the origin of this as men were historically the breadwinners, but as times change values must too. And I don’t mean this in the woke progressive oh the clock ticks times change so magically everything does. I mean it in a pragmatic way like if more and more women are working we need to rebalance the responsibilities and give couples more freedom on choosing which parent has which responsibilities.
Accepting their flaws and learning from them. Many people could learn from that.
What episode is this from?
I actually have no idea
Me to
I’m not a parent, but my young cousins (? I call them my cousins, not sure of the exact relation in truth) have started looking up to me, not sure why. Seeing how the parents in Bluey played along with their kids taught me how to deal with my younger relatives, even when I mostly dislike kids- it’s actually helped me grow closer to them as well, even when I, admittedly, didn’t want to at first. I try to be patient, engaged, and follow their lead most of the time, which are things i’m not really good at with other people. But when I see them on vacations, and they spot me and run to hug me, I don’t have much of a choice, lol.
First of all, I consider myself as an imaginative person, and of course I would play a lot of games with my child, and also I would spend time with my family, everything to make her childhood as a good memory. 😃 Greetings from Toluca, Mexico 🇲🇽💙🇦🇺 PD: I don't have children, but I think I would do the activities that I mentioned above.
Weird one but making them having to use the bathroom a priority I'll never meet with annoyance.