Does ‘Bluey’ make you feel inadequate as a parent?

The show is a global hit amongst both parents and kids.

Australian cartoon Bluey has become a global phenomenon since Disney acquired international broadcasting rights and aired it on its Disney+ streaming service. Centring on the adventures of a six-year-old Australian Cattle Dog and her family, Bluey won the hearts of kids and parents alike around the world. But the show is apparently also making the latter feel inadequate in their parenting, with many parents taking to social media to vent about how Bluey's parents set an unrealistic standard for the kids who watch them. Some have even said the show makes them feel “like a sh*tty parent,” while others have shared stories of their kids asking why they can't play all the time “like Bluey’s Dad" can. In a recent post on a Bluey Mums Facebook group, one parent wrote: “I LOVE Bluey but... do Chilli and Bandit ever make you feel like a sh*tty parent?? Or am I alone here?” [caption id="attachment_396984" align="alignnone" width="634"] Ludo Studio[/caption] The post prompted a big discussion on the matter, with hundreds of comments from parents admitting they feel similarly. One mum replied: “They do. But I also never hear Bluey or Bingo say they’re thirsty or hungry. I don’t have as much time as they do to spend playing with my children.” Another mum called Bluey's dad, Bandit, her “nemesis." “As I was putting my older two to bed, I tried extra hard to end the day without yelling," she wrote. "I tucked them in, gave them kisses, found all the required stuffed animals... Then my five-year-old asked, ‘Why don’t you have fun? Why don’t you play like Bluey’s dad?’” Another added: “Very cute show, but such unrealistic bullsh*t... The hardest part is the mom is always taking care of the childish dad, too, and keeping the family on track making sure food is cooked and teeth are brushed and laundry is folded. We don’t see the mom playing with them as much as the dad.” [caption id="attachment_396985" align="alignnone" width="627"] Ludo Studios[/caption] “Parents Bandit and Chilli are portrayed as having huge reserves of patience and a willingness to engage with their children at the drop of a hat," Murdoch University director of early childhood education Sandra Hesterman told the West Australian. "The reality is that each parent is unique in their thinking and doing — and the time available for them to spend with their children." She added that there is “no universally best style of parenting” and that parents shouldn't judge themselves or others by making comparisons.