As a self-appointed Bluey scholar, I’ve been hearing a lot of pushback lately about the show’s “unrealistic” expectations of parents. Look, I get it. Bandit and Chilli Heeler are pretty incredible parents, but to call them “perfect” or “unrealistic” misconstrues the show’s intent. While the highly engaged Heeler parents are certainly an aspirational portrait of parenthood, they’re still far from perfect. They regularly mess up, act selfishly, take games too far, or get overwhelmed— none of which is bad, mind you, just imperfect. Many of the episodes involve the parents learning important lessons which will help them to grow in their roles. In fact, here’s an exhaustive list of the times the Heeler parents were less than perfect based on episodes currently available through Disney+ in the United States:

Season 1
2- “Hospital”- This episode marks the first of many times that we see one of the parents (in this case, Bandit) complain about having to play a game.
3- “Keep Uppy”- Bandit has a little too much fun with the game and winds up popping Bluey’s last balloon.
4- “Daddy Robot”- Rather than enforcing the request for the kids to clean their playroom, Bandit takes a game too far. While the kids ultimately learn the value of “not taking shortcuts,” it’s a long road to get there.
6- “The Weekend”- Arguably the first time we see one of the kids really upset at one of the parents, “The Weekend” shows Bandit struggling to split his attention between the girls during a game, which results in his missing an important moment with Bingo.
8- “Fruitbat”- Here we see Bandit really wanting to go play touch football with friends despite his obligations to the girls. While the girls and Chilli may be the most important thing in his life, they’re not the only thing in his life, and we see that struggle here.
10- “Hotel”- Bandit blows off chores to play a game with the girls.
12- “Bob Bilby”- While the main lesson here is for the girls, we also see that both parents are a little too lenient with screen time (both for their children and for themselves), and they must course-correct before the end of the episode. This episode is also one of the first times we see the Heelers’ car, which is perpetually messy, with toys and stickers and drawings all over the backseat. Anyone who has ever driven anywhere with a young child should be able to relate to this.
13- “Spy Game”- Bandit desperately tries to make a point to Bluey about order and community but has to give up and say, “Just do your best, kid.”
14- “Takeaway”- This episode is one of the first notable instances of one of the parents learning a lesson rather than the girls. Bandit learns a little about living in the moment after spending the episode frustrated by the family’s delayed takeaway order.
16- “Yoga Ball”- While Bingo learns to “use her big girl bark” in this episode, Bandit also becomes aware that he’s playing far too rough with his younger daughter and not paying enough attention to her needs.
17- “Calypso”- Haha, just kidding. Calypso never makes mistakes on the show. Ever. She’s the closest thing to a “perfect” character.
19- “The Claw”- Here we see a little communication breakdown between Bandit and Chilli, as Chilli’s game has already taught the girls a lesson, and now Bandit takes things too far (derailing Chilli’s intended lesson in the process).
22- “The Pool”- There’s a lot in this episode about how Bandit and Chilli complement each other, and his impulsiveness needs to be countered by Chili’s preparedness.
27- “Pirates”- This episode shows Bandit being embarrassed by a game with the girls (something which pretty much doesn’t happen the whole rest of the series, which makes this episode kind of a strange one). Some prodding from Chilli gets him back on track.
28- “Grannies”- This is one of the first episodes where the parents openly complain about one of the games. While they go along with the girls’ game of “Grannies,” they’re clearly not excited to be playing and would rather focus on housework.
30- “Fairies”- Bandit blows up at Bingo when she tries to get his attention while he’s on a work call. This is the whole catalyst of the episode, and Bandit’s apology drives the resolution.
31- “Work”- Again, we see a parent (Bandit) groan about having to play a game, but both parents ultimately stick the landing.
33- “Trampoline”- Bandit struggles with having to go to work while the girls want him to stay and play longer. Even in this fictional world, there are only so many hours in the day.
34- “The Dump”- Bandit throws out drawings which turn out to be important to Bluey, and he has to do a lot of explaining and appeasing to repair the damage.
47- “Neighbours”- In yet another game gone too far, Bandit contributes to “ruining the neighborhood” much to Chilli’s frustration.
48- “Teasing”- The whole premise of this episode revolves around Bandit playfully making fun of Bluey and Bingo and their taking it personally. Bandit must learn better boundaries for his humor.
50- “Shaun”- Say it with me now: Bandit takes another game too far.

Season 2
1- “Dance Mode”- Chilli, Bandit, and Bluey all fail to listen to Bingo, and at one point, Chilli even explicitly says, “This is not good parenting!” In a little meta-commentary on the show, Bandit also notes how embarrassing situations like the “Dance Mode” game seem to happen to them a lot— as if critiquing his own hyper-fun style of parenting for the viewers at home.
2- “Hammerbarn”- Bandit makes an impulsive Hammerbarn trip to one-up Lucky’s dad and shirks parental responsibility while in the store (when he hears Chilli clearly having trouble with Bluey, first in the garden aisle and then again at the checkout). Chilli also has to reckon with her own dissatisfaction with the state of their house and ultimately lands on the axiom “Nothing lasts forever.”
8- “Daddy Dropoff”- An increasingly irritated Bandit struggles with keeping to the morning routine while still accommodating the kids’ play. He ultimately does manage to do both but not without significant trouble (and it’s implied Bluey is ultimately late to school because of it).
9- “Bingo”- Chilli struggles to make time for Bingo while also fixing the toilet. The parents ultimately collaborate on giving Bingo an activity to keep her entertained, but it takes a little while to get there.
10- “Rug Island”- Look, I’m taking a little creative license here, but there is NO WAY Bandit made it to work on time —if at all— after playing such a complex game.
11- “Charades”- Not so much about the parents, but just taking a quick detour to point out that Nana is the worst. “The only rule at Nana’s house is that everyone gets what they want?” Seriously, Nana’s awful.
12- “Sticky Gecko”- One of the first episodes truly critical of Chilli, “Sticky Gecko” shows Chilli losing her cool as she tries to get the girls out the door for a playdate, but in talking through her frustration with the situation, Chilli finally realizes she’s projecting her anxiety about seeming imperfect in front of Wendy. Chilli has to calm herself and acknowledge that the girls just don’t understand time the same way she does.
17- “Fancy Restaurant”- This episode centers around Chilli and Bandit not having much time for romance because of all their responsibilities.
20- “Tickle Crabs”- This episode centers around Bandit’s over-reliance on Chilli to come to his rescue rather than fixing problems himself.
24- “Flat Pack”- Still one of the greatest episodes of all time (if not the greatest), “Flat Pack” shows Chilli and Bandit struggle to communicate as they assemble IKEA-esque furniture. In their defense, putting together furniture is a test of any couple’s communication skills, but the Heelers ultimately get on the same page. The episode also features one of the all-time greatest fourth wall breaks: “I’m not taking advice from a cartoon dog!”
25- “Helicopter”- Bandit is a little less than sensitive when delivering the news to Chilli and the girls about an unexpected work schedule change. (Sidebar: So, we’re all in agreement that Bandit is smuggling relics, and that’s why they have such a large house, right? With Bandit’s archaeology expeditions and Chilli’s high rank in airport security, they have the perfect setup for a smuggling operation. Back to the issue at hand though…)
29- “Movies”- We see Bandit thoroughly overwhelmed as he tries to encourage Bluey while also containing an out-of-control Bingo. Shenanigans ensue.
32- “Burger Shop”- While Chilli comes off looking pretty responsible in this episode, Bandit struggles hard here. Tired of “being the bad guy” (which, to be honest, we haven’t seen him do that much), Bandit tries an overly gentle parenting approach based on a book. Bandit has to accept his parental authority since there are some decisions the girls are just too young to make on their own.
35- “Cafe”- With Bandit as the focus, this episode explores why adults (particularly parents) struggle to make and maintain friendships.
37- “The Quiet Game”- An attempt to silence the girls and have a more peaceful day blows up in Bandit’s face.
38- “Mr. Monkeyjocks”- In a role-reversal, Bandit acts as the more authoritative parent when Chilli joins the girls in refusing to part with sentimental toys. Chilli and the girls learn to part with the things they no longer use.
44- “Duck Cake”- While also trying to make a complicated cake, Bandit struggles to motivate Bluey to clean up her toys. After multiple failed attempts by Bandit, Bluey soon realizes on her own that helping people feels good.
45- “Handstand”- Holy crap, why is no one paying attention to a four-year-old at her own birthday party? I mean, I realize the parents are busy setting up party stuff, but come on, it’s her birthday party! Consequently, Nana’s not so bad in this episode, but I still don’t trust her. I’m watching you, Nana…
46- “Road Trip”- Bandit struggles with rushing the girls to their campsite and has to learn to accept that the journey is more important than the destination.
50- “Baby Race”- This whole episode revolves around Chilli’s insecurity and self-isolation as a new mom whose child isn’t hitting developmental milestones. It’s also worth noting that this episode contains one of the other rare fourth-wall-breaks as Coco’s mom looks directly into the camera to tell, not just Chilli, but all the parents watching at home: “You’re doing great.”
52- “Easter”- While it’s unclear what was happening last Easter, the Heeler parents were unable to put out chocolate for the girls, an experience which is still with Bluey and Bingo a whole year later. The impressive scavenger hunt in the episode is all about compensating for whatever went wrong the previous year.

Season 3
1- “Perfect”- Much like in the episode “Yoga Ball”, this one shows Bandit continually playing just a little too rough. Also, we eventually learn that Bluey’s anxious desire to create the “perfect” card revolves around Chilli removing one of Bluey’s drawings from the fridge (something which probably could have been better explained to Bluey at the time and is clearly still affecting her).
2- “Bedroom”- The parents attempt to relax at the end of the day and struggle with who should go respond to the noises upstairs. Their exhaustion here is all too relatable for parents of young children.
3- “Obstacle Course”- Bandit’s competitive nature gets the best of him.
4- “Promises”- Bandit struggles with making promises to the girls which he might not be able to keep. He also enacts some fairly petty revenge on Bluey by tricking her into carrying heavy books.
7- “Mini Bluey”- Bandit comments that having two Bingos is easier than having two Blueys— a comment which deeply hurts Bluey’s feelings. While Chilli reprimands Bandit, she quietly agrees with him once the girls are out of earshot. While not quite to the level of “playing favorites,” it seems the parents acknowledge and agree that one of their children has presented more problems than the other.
8- “Unicorse”- In response to Chilli’s frustration over Bluey’s being up so late, Bandit uses the Unicorse puppet to remind Chilli that you can’t really change people. Sure, it’s an important message, but it’s worth noting that Bandit’s plan further stimulates Bluey, and Bluey ultimately falls asleep in spite of Bandit, not because of him.
9- “Curry Quest”- This episode reiterates the difficulty of Bandit’s work schedule as an artifact smuggl— I mean, archeologist. Bandit has to leave home for six weeks due to work, and the episode’s epilogue shows Bingo persevering without her dad. As someone who has had to work overnight shifts and miss so many of those important bedtime/morning moments, this hit me hard.
10- “Magic”- Chilli takes some time to herself in this episode, and the girls feel slighted, so Bluey teaches Bingo magic to force the grown-ups into a game. The episode highlights the parents’ difficulty with establishing boundaries around their time and practicing self-care while also having two young children around.
11- “Chest”- Bandit tries to teach Bluey a game that’s a little too advanced, and he grows impatient when the girls insist on playing by their own rules. Chilli ultimately helps Bandit address his underlying anxiousness about the girls’ intelligence and reexamine his priorities. While not as gut-wrenching as the “Baby Race” episode, it’s nice to see Bandit share Chilli’s anxiousness about the girls’ development.
12- “Sheepdog”- Overwhelmed with the girls, Chilli struggles to draw a boundary and take some time to herself (upsetting Bluey in the process). Meanwhile, Bandit takes a game too far.
13- “Housework”- Bandit and Chilli get distracted from cleaning the house and instead spend a lengthy amount of time just watching the kids be kids. Back to work, you two.
18- “Rain”- Chilli struggles with trying to keep her house clean while also accommodating Bluey’s game. She ultimately learns to embrace her own sense of play by helping Bluey with her dam, and both are rewarded with the awe-inspiring sight of a double rainbow which the animators forgot to invert (and which you can never unsee now).
20- “Driving”- Chilli struggles to play a game which doesn’t seem to have a specific goal. Bluey ultimately helps Chilli by adding a task and time-sensitivity to the driving game to make it more appealing to her.
21- “Tina”- The Heeler parents struggle with the challenge of explaining themselves to the girls rather than defaulting to “because I said so.”
22- “Whale Watching”- The parents struggle to entertain the kids while hungover after a wild New Year’s Eve party.
23- “Family Meeting”- Bandit inadvertently farts in his daughter’s face and struggles to take accountability, leading to a trial with Chilli as judge and jury.
25- “Ragdoll”- In attempting to teach the girls the value of hard work, Bandit takes the game too far, and Wendy comes to the rescue.
27- “Musical Statues”- The entire family struggle to get on the same page about dinner and have to use a game as a sort of “reset.”
35- “Smoochy Kiss”- The whole point of the episode is to showcase Bandit and Chilli’s imperfections and show that they love each other anyway.

Sadly, this represents the end of the episodes available —well, legally available— in the United States, but you get the idea. While Bluey’s parents usually come around and make wise parenting decisions by the end, many of the episodes revolve around the parents trying to use shortcuts or taking games too far or needing to learn lessons about their children. So in answer to the criticism of Bluey’s parents being too perfect:
Are Bandit and Chilli great parents? Of course.
Is the show idealized? Well, yeah. Bluey may be a particularly good kids’ show, but it’s still a kids’ show. As stated before, Chilli and Bandit are intended to be aspirational
Are Bandit and Chilli realistic? Kind of. Their patience is abnormally high, but they’re still flawed and well-rounded characters, and through flashbacks, Bluey tries to show that Bandit and Chilli haven’t always been this patient (with the kids, each other, or themselves).
Are they perfect? Far from it actually (as I hope the list above shows), and those imperfections make for entertaining television.