Credit: Ludo StudioBluey has often been described as a show about parenting that kids can watch too, and that’s certainly a fair assessment given the role Mum and Dad play in the adventures. While Bandit and Chilli Heeler definitely set the bar for moms and dads in the audience, the show isn’t dishonest in how it portrays them, and sometimes parents make mistakes.
The cartoon canine parents in the Ludo series aren’t the usual two-dimensional entities seen in other kids’ shows on Disney+ and Disney Junior but are established characters with personalities, defining features, and flaws. However, an incident caught in one of Bluey’s deeper episodes sparked a dialogue among viewers.
In the episode “Army,” fans are introduced to Jack, a Jack Russell terrier implied to have ADD/ADHD. He can’t sit still, his focus constantly shifts, and he frequently loses his train of thought, much like his real-life breed and those with certain neuroatypical conditions. As much as fans need that level of representation, viewers are calling out the opening sequence depicting how some parents can treat kids like Jack, undiagnosed or otherwise.
Bad Parenting in Bluey?
A recent post on r/Bluey had fans discussing the opening segment, where Jack is dropped off at Bluey’s school by his dad and accompanied by his little sister. In these first few minutes, Jack’s condition is made known through his interactions with his family, setting up the episode’s parental message. However, fans are not happy with the actions of Jack’s parents.
In their original post, u/cheekyforts23 shares the following after watching how Jack’s mom and dad react to his condition.
“The scene gave me the vibe that Jack is under a lot of pressure to behave simply for the sake of behaving, not because it serves a purpose.”
“Then at the end of the episode, after Jack finishes his story, his mom is basically like “cool story bro” and goes to walk away without any comment about his big first day at school.”
“Is Jack okay?”
Many users in the comments are quick to make the connection to the ADD/ADHD context clues in the episode, and part of that is coming to terms with the fact that parents often make mistakes in how they treat them.
In the comments, fans are sharing how this depiction of the condition resonates with them, and how the interaction with Jack’s dad is something many have dealt with. u/natFromBobsBurgers writes how the parental behavior greatly contrasts with others fans have seen in the show when they add,
“It’s insidious. I’m really happy for today’s kids, but I’m 42, and, like, a good clump of us didn’t get helped. I also work with kids and meet their parents, so I have a lot of anecdotal experience with “I just don’t understand how they have this problem, and also, can I tell you the same story twice in a row?”
And u/Sandwitch_horror points out with greater detail in their reply,
“This is how most ADHD kids are spoken to in real life. They are an annoyance, and their treatment revolves around how to make them less annoying to other people.”
“It’s why inattentive ADHD (v Hyperactive like Jacks) is so commonly missed. Also, because it most commonly occurs as inattentive in girls.”
“The quite spacey girl who stares out the window all the time and can’t listen is better than the loud obnoxious boy who keeps getting up and can’t listen. Never mind how detrimental this comparison is to the actual child or how the ADHD affects them.”
However, u/princess_ferocious posts an extensive thread about why this happens in and out of the show’s universe. In their assessment, the user writes,
“There is still, sadly, a general perception that the way to handle ADHD/autistic behavior patterns is to discourage them completely. So, by that logic, Jack’s dad reminds him not to fidget in the car because he’s supposed to be learning not to fidget at all. And yeah, a lot of that is about behaving for the sake of behaving. But it’s also about learning to control behaviours in any situation, so that you can reliably control them in important situations. I have mixed feelings about the way adhd is treated in kids.”
It should be made transparently clear that just because characters like Bandit and Chilli have become the gold standard of parenting doesn’t mean that they aren’t flawed. Bluey creator Joe Brumm and his team likely weren’t trying to vilify Jack’s parents but to establish the reality of the situation.
This isn’t the only time parents have been called out by the show, such as the infamous “Pass the Parcel” episode. However, it is one of the many episodes where the adults in the room are taught the valuable life lesson rather than the kids. Who’s this show for again?
Is Bluey really calling parents out on this one? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!