For thinking the dad in Bluey does NOT raise the fathering bar that high?

[Artmumcreative]

My DH thinks the dad in Bluey does an unattainable level of parenting. AIBU to think that he isn't really doing anything that amazing or that mums don't do all the time?

But surely it just teaches kids to carry on speaking that way instead of helping them to understand the correct words?

There is the episode where they go to buy a pizza oven and she yells ’Bluey!!!’ so loudly that Bandit hears it on the other side of the store. ‘It’s probably another Bluey…’

I don’t know. I’m not an expert. I do know Bing gets a lot of hate while Bluey is revered which I always find a bit puzzling as they are fairly similar in my eyes, with Bing being a younger audience.

Fucking hate Bing.

We love Bluey in this house. I think it's definitely affected DHs parenting to the positive- the show started while we had a young toddler, and definitely made him realise a bit more of how important fun was in the relationship they have. He doesn't do the whole building dens, etc, but he puts effort into silliness and play on a regular basis, which is definitely not something that I would recognise in him before.

The thing about Bandit is you can see him feel the strain sometimes - in Takeaway for example. You also see him make & acknowledge mistakes (like the one where he plays too rough with Bingo). Which is sooo relatable.

Another vote for Bandit as the gold standard.

It's the constant insufferable whining from Bing, not something I want my children emulating so he's banned in here along with bratty Peppa pig.

Ironically, I don't think "verbiage" means what you think it does.

Same here. No Bing and definitely no petulant porker allowed in this house.

Bluey is easy going, pleasant watching. The main issue I have is that their life is wholly impossible - an airport worker and an archaeologist living in one of Brisbane’s fanciest suburbs in large period home on a hilltop with city and mountain views, with enough free time to drive Bluey a roughly one hour round trip morning and evening to her private Steiner school.

I agree with you. I wonder how old most people are in this thread. Millennial Dads seem to be more hands on with their children and when I watched Bluey I thought it just reflected modern parenting from Fathers. Any Father who is doing things the old fashioned way needs to take a look at their behaviour.

WHAT?! Hang your heads posters comparing my saintly Bandit and Chili to the insufferable and weird Flop. How very dare you.

I really do love Bluey. It's like a gentle reminder to just be more fun with the kids every time and it makes them and me happy.

Still waiting for the episode where they have been continuously ill for the best part of three months though, revolving viruses around like a merry go round.

I always assumed we were seeing the highlights of Bandit’s parenting, and that the other 6 days a week he was probably working or washing up or something, which makes for less fun viewing.

I can manage that level of play in 30 minutes bursts, but not all day every day.

See I know you’re probably joking but this is kind of what baffles me a bit as there is always so much hate from Bing from
Bluey fans. But actually, from my perspective anyway, Bing is quite a similar premise to Bluey but with a younger child. So for instance, Bing is really just as annoying as Muffin for a relatively similar age and there are a lot of effective parenting strategies scattered through the episodes (eg connect with the emotion, validate briefly, find a solution and move on).

I also like the attention to detail in the animation in the Bing episodes. The woodland has oak trees with realistic leaves, the banana is peeled before going into the smoothie, they have actual seasons. And the vaccination episode was very helpful for us when DS had his chickenpox immunisation and then preschool boosters.

He is whiny to be sure but honestly most three year olds are whingey. It wouldn’t exactly be realistic if he was cheerful, upbeat and permanently happy!

We have definitely gone through phases with TV: it started with In the Night Garden and it was all about Iggle Piggle for a while then moved onto Mr Tumble. I think the Bing phase started when ds was just under three, maybe about two and three quarters, and I did find it helpful for navigating emerging friendships and relationships (swing episode!)

Then it was all Fireman Sam, then Paw Patrol. Unfortunately DS’s current favourite thing is this awful thing on YouTube DH found which I call gibberish and ds has slightly amusingly started to refer to it the same ‘mummy can I watch some gibberish?’ 😂 I’d take Bing and Bluey over that!

I love Bluey but I often have to tell my kids that the parents in Bluey can only play so much because they are cartoons and it wouldn't be much fun to have episodes called "go watch TV mummy has a work call" or "please stop playing in the kitchen while daddy is lying there trying fixing the leaking tap" etc.

I wish i had a bandit in my life..

Ah I think it’s lovely, although I also wonder when they get get their chores and admin done.

i remember watching Topsy and Tim with my Mum (and the kids of course!) and her saying it was great role modelling for family life. I was like “OK but those actors about about eight and in the story they are in preschool! Of course things go smoothly if your four year old are actually eight year olds!”

Flop is raising an entitled snowflake though, Bing needs the naughty step badly

My DH is a Bandit dad. He seems to have infinite patience for silliness and fun. It’s beautiful to see. Listening to him read to our girls at bedtime is truly wonderful. I’m much better at the practical side of parenting, so I think we make a great team, although we both work at both the practical and fun parts.

I think Bluey, the show as a whole I mean, is charming and sweet and funny. Bing is not. Just...zero charm there, even if there are realistic oak leaves and it looks sweet

I'm not joking. The lack of parents in Bing with no JoJo and GranGran style context is like Lord of the Flies crossed with some kind of awful post Soviet state orphanage.

There is no reason for Flop to be there apart from something deeply unhealthy and ideological and this is a hill I will 💯 die on.

Bluey celebrates play and creativity in every episode. Bing celebrates the toilet train. I ask you.

Don't forget about the smoochy kiss episode when he ate Bingo's foul creation and ended up vomiting in the garden. Most dad's wouldn't do that