Why Bluey’s Parents Might Be the Most Relatable on TV

May 12

If you’ve ever watched Bluey and thought, “Wow, these cartoon dogs are better parents than I am,” welcome to the club. But here’s a little detail you may have missed—one that makes Bandit and Chilli Heeler even more remarkable, and frankly, refreshing than their parenting style: They’re older parents.

Yep. According to the Bluey fandom, Bandit was born in 1978. That puts him in his mid-40s—meaning he became a dad to Bluey at 34 and Bingo at 36 when the show first aired in 2018. Assuming Chilli Heeler is a similar age, she had a baby at “advanced maternal age.” And no one’s freaking out about it.

Here’s why that matters—and what it says about parenting on your own timeline.

In this article:

The Pressure to Have Kids Young Is Real—and Ridiculous

Parenting Older Can Actually Make You Better

What Bandit and Chilli Model That’s Worth Copying

I Had My Kid Later—and Bluey Makes Me Feel Seen

Let’s Normalize Older Parenthood, Shall We?

The Pressure to Have Kids Young Is Real—and Ridiculous

In the real world, we treat pregnancy like a ticking time bomb. Women are told they need to “start early” or risk missing their window. Careers, emotional readiness, and basic financial stability are somehow expected to align perfectly by 28.

Meanwhile, Chilli Heeler casually had kids in her mid-30s, a subtle reminder that you’re allowed to wait. And sometimes, waiting is the best thing you can do—for your child and yourself.

As someone who didn’t have kids in my 20s, watching Bluey feels like a little act of rebellion against the motherhood panic machine. It’s proof—albeit animated—that life doesn’t fall apart if you wait until you’re actually ready to become a parent.

Parenting Older Can Actually Make You Better

Bandit and Chilli aren’t just chill because they’re dogs. They’re chill because they’re grown. Older parents often have:

More financial stability (or at least better budgeting instincts than 22-year-old you)
A stronger sense of identity—no mid-parenting identity crisis required
More lived experience to draw from when teaching life lessons
Better boundaries with work, extended family, and the cult of “intensive parenting”
More resilience, because you’ve likely already survived a few curveballs in life

They’ve had time to build careers (Bandit is some sort of archaeologist? Dog bone expert? We don’t ask too many questions). They know who they are. They seem secure in themselves and in their relationship. And that translates into how they parent—calmly, thoughtfully, and with a whole lot of emotional intelligence.

No shade to young parents—there are great ones in every age group. But when I see Chilli calmly navigating Bingo’s existential crisis in “Sleepytime,” I don’t see panic. I see a woman who’s been through some things and knows how to hold space for someone else’s big emotions.

What Bandit and Chilli Model That’s Worth Copying

Yes, I know they’re cartoon dogs. But they are also some of the most emotionally competent parents on TV. And that doesn’t feel accidental.

Here’s what they do right (and yes, we can totally steal these moves):

They play—like, actually get down on the floor and commit to the bit
They respect their kids’ autonomy, even when it’s inconvenient
They make mistakes and apologize—modeling growth instead of perfection
They don’t make everything a teaching moment, but they show up when it counts
They balance discipline with empathy, without being either authoritarian or overly permissive

That kind of parenting doesn’t always come easy, especially if you’re still learning how to regulate your own emotions (shoutout to therapy). But when you’ve had time to work on yourself? It gets easier to parent from a place of presence instead of survival mode.

I Had My Kid Later—and Bluey Makes Me Feel Seen

When I realized how old the Heelers were supposed to be, I felt… validated. Seen. Less like I was playing catch-up in a culture that treats 35 like the motherhood expiration date.

I had my son at 37. That meant I wasn’t navigating diapers and toddler tantrums while still sorting through my own quarter-life crisis. I had time to develop patience. I had lived through the ego death that comes with your 20s. I knew myself—and I knew I was ready.

Shows like Bluey don’t just entertain our kids. They sneak in tiny reminders for parents, too: You don’t have to do it all early. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to show up when it’s right for you.

Let’s Normalize Older Parenthood, Shall We?

Not everyone takes the fast track. Some of us take detours, pit stops, or start late on purpose. And if Bluey can gently normalize that in a way that makes both parents and kids feel good? Then maybe we should, too.

Things I’m taking from the heelers (besides crippling guilt about not playing more):

Parenting is not a race—and starting later can mean starting better
It’s never too late to work on yourself (Bandit has clearly had a therapy arc somewhere offscreen) and you can use AI as a free therapist
Good parents aren’t perfect—they’re present, honest, and growing
Cartoon dogs might be fictional, but emotional maturity isn’t

Chilli and Bandit aren’t perfect. But they are present. And in a world where parenting often feels like a chaotic scramble of guilt and comparison, their older age is a quiet flex. They didn’t rush it. And it shows.

So, if you’re a later-in-life parent—or just someone who took the scenic route to motherhood—you’re not behind. You’re experienced. You’re equipped. And if cartoon dogs can model that kind of maturity and grace, maybe we can, too.

Even if we still need to Google half the pop culture references our kids are into.

Let’s Talk:

Are you an older parent who feels seen by the Heelers?
What did you learn before becoming a parent that’s helped you now?
Have you ever felt pressure to start a family before you were ready?

Drop a comment below or share this with the friend who needs to hear that they are not behind—they’re just parenting in their own time zone.

Resources:

Celletti, E. (2024, April 12). 8 reasons why Bluey’s parents Chilli and Bandit are #CoupleGoals. The Everymom. https://theeverymom.com/blueys-parents-chilli-bandit/

Blueypedia contributors. (n.d.). Bandit Heeler. Bluey Wiki. Fandom. Retrieved May 14, 2025, from https://blueypedia.fandom.com/wiki/Bandit_Heeler

Felicia Roberts

Felicia Roberts founded Mama Needs a Village, a parenting platform focused on practical, judgment-free support for overwhelmed moms.

She holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Healthcare Management, and her career spans psychiatric crisis units, hospitals, and school settings where she worked with both children and adults facing mental health and developmental challenges.

Her writing combines professional insight with real-world parenting experience, especially around issues like maternal burnout, parenting without support, and managing the mental load.

https://mamaneedsavillage.com