Bluey is more than just great TV — research suggests it’s great for building kids’ resilience, too
Researchers have found that hit TV show Bluey could be a great example of resilience for children.
If Bluey is a regular fixture on your family’s TV, you might not be surprised that researchers think it’s a good programme for kids, too. But the hit show is more than just light entertainment — researchers have suggested that it could be a great support for children’s emotional learning and building resilience.
Three researchers from CQUniversity in Australia watched 150 episodes of Bluey and looked at the themes of each one for a study published last month. They found that nearly half of all the episodes (73 out of 159) included a clear, positive message about resilience.
“Of course, no screen can replace real relationships. But when parents watch shows like Bluey with their kids, they become powerful teaching tools. Talking about what kids see on screen can help them reflect, process, and build the skills they need to cope, adapt and grow,” one of the researchers, Bradley Smith, writes in The Conversation.
The researchers broke resilience down into three key elements
Bradley and the other researchers used the Grotberg Resilience Framework, a model in psychology that breaks resilience into three key elements, to assess each Bluey episode. The three elements are:
- I have: This refers to the resources that people have to rely on in tough times, including family and friends.
- I can: This refers to the things people can do, such as problem-solving, managing their emotions, and taking action, to navigate challenges.
- I am: This refers to someone’s qualities that they can draw on when things go wrong, like self-confidence and self-worth, optimism, and believing in your abilities.
In the 73 episodes of Bluey that showed examples of resilience, most included examples of ‘I have,’ where Bluey was helped through challenges by her mum. For example, her mum, Chilli, offers her unconditional support, encourages her to give things a go, and gives her a little mantra to follow: “I have a little cry, I pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going,” she says in The Show (S2E19).
Bluey also processes her emotions through play, communicates when she has problems, and reframes things in a positive light, which are examples of ‘I can.’
‘I am’ was the least represented element of resilience, but Bluey does show aspects of this though being empathetic about others, cleaning up other people’s messes, and being proud of her own accomplishments.
Bluey’s resilience could rub off on kids — and adults
It’s important to note that this study looked at how resilience is portrayed in Bluey, rather than the impact of these portrayals on children, so we don’t know for sure that these narratives will transfer to children’s lives. However, the researchers suggest that repeated exposure to themes like resilience can help children internalise them, and because Bluey is so popular, children are likely to come across its narratives of resilience often.
Plus, most of the episodes around resilience focused on the ‘I have’ aspect, and the majority of these emphasised the role of family in building resilience. So, the researchers said, Bluey also gives parents and caregivers examples of how they can help foster resilience in children through everyday situations.
The researchers say that their study highlights that watching Bluey together is key, because parents can use on-screen moments to start conversations about resilience in real life.