My top 10 favourite Bluey episodes as a parent.

Bluey is an Australian kids programme which follows the Heeler family, mum, dad and their two girls, Bluey and Bingo. It's a fun, entertaining and often insightful take on everyday family life. Even though they're dogs, there's something about the Heeler family which feels so real and relatable. It's one of those programmes you can watch as a family and really question who's enjoying it more, the kids or the adults?

I think it's because there's a lot of life lessons that can be learnt through Bluey. They speak of quite hard hitting subjects in a way which is relatable as adults, but introductory and harm-free to kids.

Currently there are three series of Bluey goodness on Disney+. Here are my favourite Bluey episodes as a parent. Welcome to my top 10 Bluey episodes (do let me know if they're your favourites too).

_[Sheepdog]

My favourite Bluey episodes

1. Sheepdog.

There's something about the sheepdog episode which I feel in the very pits of my soul. The episode follows Bandit who has been challenged by his daughters to act like a sheepdog. But it's not this, that gets me. Dad is going along with the sheepdog game to ensure mum gets her '20 minutes'. Twenty minutes of peace, away from the children, away from responsibilities and in her own headspace. The girls question mum as to whether it's their fault she needs 20 minutes or if she wishes she never had them. Which of course the answer to both is no. As a mum to two young girls this is highly relatable for me. I understand the need and importance of those very sacred twenty minutes! Bluey sheepdog has got to be one of the best Bluey episodes for adults for sure!

2. Sleepytime.

Sleepytime follows Bingo, Blueys younger sister and her constant night time bed hopping. I love the artistry of the episode and how Bingo's dreams unfold in reality. I have to include this in my list of favourite Bluey episodes because it's the first one that made me cry. Like actual, real, wet, tears. You see mum and dad dealing with the harsh realities of sleep deprivation, following their journey to finally getting Bingo to sleep in her own bed. It's a journey that feels very real to me. The emotions of no sleep following having a child that no longer needs you hit me in the feels more than anything. It's no surprise that sleepy time is one of the best bluey episodes for many.

3. Shadowlands.

In this episode Bluey and her friends play the game 'shadowlands'. A game where you're only allowed to stand in the shadows. The episode debuts a few of Blueys friends (Snickers the sausage dog being my favourite) and predominantly discusses the idea of having rules within a game to make playing more fun. I really like this episode as the game is something I used to play as a child and something my three year old does now.

_{[Dance mode]}

4. Dance mode.

Dance mode had to be one of my favourite Bluey episodes. It's an entertaining episode I can (and have) watched time and time again. Dance mode is a game in which when you hear music, you shout dance mode, pat the person's butt and they've got to (and I mean got to) whip out their best dance moves. Of course this happens at the most embarrassing of occasions. The episode subliminally talks about the importance of taking turns and playing fairly, but it's the game itself which has me in stitches. We've been known to whip out a few dance modes ourselves every now and again.

5. Bike.

Bike follows Bluey as she learns to ride her (you guessed it) bike. The episode is set in the park and shows Bentley struggling with the monkey bars as well as Muffin wrestling to try and get her backpack on. All kids are struggling, feeling like they're never going to complete their goal. They fail time and time only to figure out a less conventional way to succeed. This episode feels very real for me at the moment. As my eldest daughter gets older she's discovering new emotions, particularly when things don't go quite as planned. Navigating these emotions can be quite challenging. Reiterating the lessons Blue and her friends have learnt is so important.

6. Baby race.

As the title suggests, baby race challenges the subliminal competition for babies to meet their milestones as soon as possible. Mum reminisces on how Bluey learnt to roll quicker than her friend Judo. And as they grow older Judo learns to crawl earlier than Bluey, meaning it's a baby race to see who learns to walk first. Unfortunately it's not Bluey, and this leads to mum questioning what she's done wrong. In a state of upset mum is greeted by Bella who upon revealing has nine children, comforts mum and reassures her that babies reach their milestones when they're good and ready! This feeling of competition is rife, especially on social media. It's really difficult not to compare your child's development to others their age. But it's really important to try and not let it get to you. This is a great episode for parents!

^{[Baby race]}

7. Cafe.

Cafe is one of my favourite Bluey episodes as it perfectly showcases the awkwardness parents face in the park. Bluey instantly makes friends with another little girl Winnie. Hitting it off she wants to invite Winnie and her Dad round for breakfast, however neither Dads are so keen. The episode shows how adults take a little longer to make friends than kids do, and the awkwardness around it. I feel every single cringeful moment the parents face in this episode. My eldest daughter is such a social butterfly and knows very little boundaries socially. The feelings the parents feel in this episode are massively relatable for me.

8. Burger shop.

For me, burger shop is the epitome episode of 'mum knows best'. It's time to get out of the bath for Bluey and Bingo, however dad thinks the children will learn more from having no rules. I understand this as it means the kids get to understand and discover things for themselves, but as mum rightly says, boundaries are so important. I like this episode as it discusses different parenting styles within a relationship. This feels relatable for me as I feel my husband and I differ on a variety of parenting issues. I'd like to think that I know best (and this episode is a small win for mums) but truthfully that's not always the case. Opening up a discussion as parents working in a team is so beneficial.

9. Housework.

Housework is one of my favourite Bluey episodes, purely because of how silly it is. Mum and dad vow to finish the housework once the girls have stopped being silly. But that's never going to happen right? They watch on as Blue and Bingo seem incapable of even just walking normally. We see the girls creatively coming up with the most weird and wonderful walks with their parents watching on like WTF. I know this feeling! I regularly watch my daughters and think WTAF. The episode finishes with the parents joining in with the girls silliness, for them to question WTAF they're doing. It's such a funny episode!

_{[Burger shop]}

10. Octopus.

Octopus is one of those episodes that as a parent 100% gets you in the feels. In this episode that Chloe, Bluey's friend comes over to play octopus with her, Bingo and dad. When home Chloe tries to recreate the game with her own dad which lads to her saying 'you're not as fun as Bluey's dad.' And if that doesn't kill your soul as a parent, I don't know what will! The two of them realise the best thing to do is to make up their own rules and have their own version of octopus.

Bluey is one of those programmes I don't mind my daughter asking to watch. Even if it is 500 times a day! There's something about it that makes it just as enjoyable for adults as it is for the kids.

What are your favourite Bluey episodes? If you've not seen it, are there any episodes / life lessons you think are best from my favourites list.

_{[All images have been taken from Bluey Fandom]}