My daughter’s pediatrician has a television streaming non-stop in the waiting room, which puts me off a bit. But, I have been blessed with its introduction of Bluey into my life. Boy, this show is awesome for dads like me, seeking to be involved parents but lacking in great role models for modern fatherhood

Bluey is an Australian heeler dog (which I am sure is an incredibly popular breed right now), and on her show (yes, it’s a girl, which surprises many) she is found playing imaginatively with her family. Not baseball, or soccer, or just dolls, but imaginative games with multiple layers, morals, lessons, and directions. For a person as literal as I am, understanding the origins and benefits of this has been a real challenge, but is paying off.

Bluey’s dad, Bandit, is considered the star of the show by most dads, because he is the dad. And he is an awesome father figure: playing games all the time, doing laundry, changing nappies, going grocery shopping, and roughhousing. I was jealous of him, until I accepted he is a dog, a cartoon, and fictional. He carries a message of reverent masculinity. He is undoubtedly loving to his wife and children, but also rough, strong, patient, and creative. There is a sense he is growing into himself as a parent and person, which is admirable. I have been trying to incorporate his techniques into my parenting, with success. And here are a few comments on how I currently parent like Bandit:

-Make like it’s an improv show, and don’t say no. When my daughter calls me a “baby daddy”, the concept is that I am dressed as and capable like a baby, but also a dad. Weird, but I can do it for a little while.

-Bring kids on everything. We got an oil change last Saturday. My daughter loved watching the people working on cars, and is fascinated by the staircase into the dark basement. We’ll probably build an oil change shop with legos this week.

-If a task is difficult, try reframing it into something fantastical and ridiculous. Putting on snowpants became “giant worm attack”. Doesn’t make any sense, because worms are not shaped like tubes, but it got her snowpants on.

I am very curious to see how this plays out as my daughter ages, and whether her imaginative side remains. I am curious whether my ability to play imaginatively will develop as well, but hopeful that it will. I’ll probably have to watch more Bluey.